“Speed Dating” for Doctors and Patients
Twenty people — parents needing pediatricians and doctors looking for patients — are gathered for the event in a meeting room that looks like a café, with colorful tablecloths and vases of lilies. At each table, a local pediatrician is waiting to meet with his or her “blind date.” The program works the same way as romantic speed dating, but here, the hospital is hoping to make a match between physicians and patients. It’s a tool to recruit doctors — critical drivers of revenue — and consumers. Physicians and parents pair off for five minutes, then rotate into new conversations.
Full article on this innovative example of hospital marketing.
Dating assumes matchmaking between relative equals. Third-party payers fund 90% of doctor bills, and reimbursements are often low. Physicians don’t generally compete on price (or other amenities) because their schedule is generally booked solid and their patients do not pay their bills directly.
I can see a speed dating to match doctors with patients working well only if the physician practice is a cash-based, concierge model and patients have HSAs.
I don’t see anythilng wrong with speed dating between doctors and patients. As long as everyone understands that what is involved is compfort level, not the determination of any real qualifications or skills.
Granted that the hospital is trying to drum up business, I still agree with Ken. I see nothing wrong here.
This is probably a good innovation. What is your other alternative for getting to know the doctor? Going to several appointments around town? Word of mouth? I personally would like to meet 4-5 qualified doctors and then get to pick based on personality.
MMS dating will see an explosion in the next few months. With almost everyone and their dog having access to a mobile device, it’s inevitable that people will look for ways of reaching out to the dating world through their devices. In fact, it’s already happening to a certain extent. People carry their ipod touch almost anywhere they go. Making mobile dating so simple anyone can do it.