THERE’S A NEW TREND OF OUT-OF-NETWORK (OON) physical therapists marketing their services online using comparison charts. One column will list all the drawbacks of going to a traditional in-network therapist and the other will list the benefits of seeing an OON provider. Examples like this are popping up on social media, physical therapists’ websites, and even on sponsored ads targeting patients.

These charts are not effective at bringing in new patients, and they could be doing more harm than good (Figure 1).

As a profession that prides itself on evidence-based care, these infographics lack data. Without a citation, I can only assume that the information was based on personal experience working in an insurance clinic and then transitioning to a cash practice. However, by using big general titles, “insurance” vs. “cash-based,” we are making bold statements to patients that all insurance clinics will have these faults and all cash-based clinics will have these benefits.

A LACK OF CONSENSUS

In reality, we don’t even agree as a profession on the definition of a 1:1 session. I posed the question “How do you define 1:1 PT?” inside a physical therapy Facebook group and the range of responses were from “the patient getting your undivided attention” to “45 min direct patient care”
to “as long as one staff member (PT/PTA/MD/DC/aide) is attending one patient.”

One-on-one physical therapy is not a uniform term, nor is it exclusive to cash-based models.

Another physical therapist brought up the point that some insurance-based clinics are set up to allow for a full hour with each patient, commenting “...most hospital-based

outpatient clinics are one patient an hour with one-on-one time.” I only mentor one-on-one physical therapists and have seen in-network, out-of-network, and cash-based models be successful in providing quality care.

Good practice is to avoid generalized claims in your marketing. Make statements specific to your practice that can be backed with data.

DITCH THE COMPARISONS

Here are four reasons to stop marketing your practice with statements like, “Cash PT is better than insurance-based PT.”

1. Don’t Lead with Costs

First, other healthcare providers are not leading with cost. The best surgeons, dermatologists, and acupuncturists don’t take most insurance plans. Their websites aren’t comparing their services to providers that accept insurance. It’s an odd approach in healthcare.

In contrast, I have seen this marketing approach used on Amazon quite often. Physical therapists are trying to break away from the traditional medical model, I understand. But, do we want potential patients to make decisions using the same comparison criteria as they would for an everyday household item (Figure 2)?

2. Talk About Your Results

Second, if your service really is better, then talk about your results. According to this 2020 survey of close to 1,000 consumers, patients value feedback from other patients the most when deciding which doctor to book an appointment with (Figure 3).1 Potential patients care about their peer’s reviews more than the doctor’s background or credentials — and eight times more than the office environment1 (i.e., stop leading with your certs and your new equipment too)!

Talking about your results can be done in the form of sharing patient reviews, asking your patients for pictures or videos of them back in action (with a signed release form), and telling a story without patient identifiers.

Stephanie (Shane) Telibasa, PT, DPT, Owner of House of Physical Therapy in NYC. Business tips for physical therapists @theplanningpt, email DrShane@HouseofPhysicalTherapy.com.