The Journal of medical practice management : MPM
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The increasingly competitive environment of practice management has become more complicated with the growing penetration of managed care and capitation. Although successful growing practices have always focused on attracting new patients into the office, future efforts must also be directed at retaining the current patient. ⋯ This article provides a perspective on the valuable patient in a capitated setting as well as some strategies to build better relationships with patients to retain their loyalty. Finally, this article proposes a system to monitor the ongoing satisfaction of patients to retain loyalty.
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Physicians have been and will continue to be key agents in the health care delivery system. Their relative role and methods of practice, however, are undergoing significant change. This change has been induced by increased competitiveness, continued efforts at cost containment, and changes in reimbursement methods. ⋯ Changes in federal payments to physicians have significant implications for physicians and their patients. Several recent developments, indeed, may become the trends of the latter part of the 1980s. These developments include changes in physicians' practice mode, lower returns to medical education, increased diversification of physicians' activities, changes in relative earnings of physicians by specialty and age, restricted physician choice for some patients, and increased problems with overall access.