Managing Your Practice Online During COVID-19

| 3 minute read | Practice Marketing

At AudiologyDesign, the safety and well-being of our team members, partners and you — our valued clients — is our top priority. As we’re all navigating the changing environment, it is our mission at AudiologyDesign to do all we can to help you utilize your digital properties to effectively provide updates taking place at your practice. Your website and other digital properties are important tools that you can use to communicate to both your current and future patients and keep them informed on any action you are taking during this time.

Tips for Managing Your Practice Online During COVID-19:

Add a COVID-19 message to your website:

Your website is an important tool that you can utilize to communicate to both your current and future patients. Adding a notice to your website will allow your patients to find this important information. We have pre-written messaging for you to use, or we can add any custom language to the website.

Update your Google Business listing:

If your business is affected, we recommend updating your business hours and description in your Google My Business listing. You can let your patients know your updated hours, alter your description to give more information regarding any additional precautions you are taking, or inform them of any changes in services. These changes will update your business information on Google Search and Maps.

List specific measures your practice is taking:

Are you changing the way your business operates? If so, let your patients know through your digital properties and digital marketing.

Ideas Include:
  • Offering curbside service for adjustments, cleanings and other services
  • Announce any remote or tele-health services you offer for adjustments
  • Drop-off boxes, mailing or courier services for adjustments, cleanings and other services
  • Communicate closings or reduced hours
  • Providing general health questions patients should be asking themselves before coming into your office and if they are positive for these questions, what next steps patients should take
  • Notifying if you are only seeing specific types of appointments and rescheduling others
  • Informing what infection control and cleaning protocols your office has in place
  • Discussing any screening procedures you are using with patients who come into your office, such as questionnaires, taking temperatures, promoting social distancing by having patients wait in the car until they are requested
  • Update your voicemail to direct customers to your website for the latest information on office hours and procedures
  • Encouraging patients who need batteries, wax guards or tubing to call your office, instead of dropping by, so that you can send those supplies via mail

Additional COVID-19 Information

The resources that any given practice should use will vary based on Federal, State and City requirements, as well as the conditions of any health system or group that a practice is a part of. Great resources to keep up with this type of information has been provided by various professional organizations:

Stay Connected

Final point: communicate, communicate, communicate with your patients. If your clinical schedule has slowed or stopped, make courtesy calls to see how your patients are doing with their devices. As you know, many of them are at-risk and may have already self-quarantined. During this time of social distancing, providing even limited contact and support will be an important way to connect with your patients. Remind them why they decided to trust you with their hearing care needs.