Allied health was hit hard by COVID-19 but there are promising signs of recovery.
Depending on your practice, if you were restricted, many of you will begin to see relaxed rules around your allied health clinic and you may be able to get moving once more!
Depending on your industry and state – it might be time to ramp it up again and get booking.
So if you run an allied health clinic which can safely and legally begin to fill your calendar up again, let’s do exactly that.
Double check your responsibilities and restrictions
As the strangehold on allied health relaxes, some of us can begin normality again.
It is currently allowable for physiotherapists, chiropractors, masseurs and acupuncture therapists to trade.
Before you get carried away and swing your doors open, and we know you want to, make sure, that you can begin legal trade again. If you can, there may still restrictions around social distancing, hygiene practices and limitations on gatherings.
Consult your state website and federal government pages for this advice. Don’t ask Susan on Instagram.
New business models through telehealth
Looking around the allied health industry, we can see that many practitioners turned to alternate business models and service delivery such as telehealth.
You may want to look into developing or maintaining these services through the recovery phase. As we are becoming aware, new remote habits are forming in our clients and many may choose this option if viable.
Obviously a remedial massage cannot be done by Zoom, however many services will indeed be viable. Only you know your clinic and how this can work.
Luckily, the government supported the use of bulk billed telehealth services in the allied health industry through COVID-19, making it more viable and attractive.
The new measures were announced by the Health Minister and are in place from the 30th March, 2020 until September 30th, 2020 when they will be reviewed. Clients will be able to access allied health practitioners like yourself via telehealth for bulk-billed services under existing Medicare items. For more information read the Minister’s media release from 29th March.
Clinic changes
Do you have to socially distance? Are there restrictions on where and how you can offer allied health services?
As you ease back into things, people need reassurance.
Hands on therapists will have to pay particular attention to sanitization and reassurance of your commitment to hygiene best practices
Make sure you advertise and communicate what your new operating procedures are and put minds at ease by telling people how you are helping tackle COVID-19 through your clinic practices.
Get promotional
Go on, give new and returning clients a great incentive!
To coax new and existing clients out of their caves and back to your alied health services, you may want offer a great deal.
To get cash flowing again, think up a promotional idea, discount, giveaway or some other carrot to dangle.
Competition to get clients back will be high and clients themselves will be reticent. Kill two birds by giving extra value when you bounce back.
Re-engage your clients!
Your client base will need a reminder of you.
Sure, they haven’t forgot your health clinic exists and the fact that they were regular clients, but time takes a toll.
Habits change quickly and you may find your old clients have reformatted their usual week and you no longer feature.
It may be time to shock them out of hibernation!
Think on the above points when you are pondering what your communications look like. Do you have a health message? Are you having a promotion? Do you have new operating procedures? Pepper your comms with this info when you reach out.
Make sure you make good use of your social accounts, SMS reminders (through Better Clinics), paid advertising and email marketing.
Spread your message far and wide to let the country know you are in business.
We wish you all the best of luck in revving your engines once more and getting those bookings rolling in again. Download your free Client Engagement ebook now!