According to a survey by Doctor.com, the number one complaint by the elderly, and the number two complaint for younger patients when searching for a new doctor – is lack of information about the provider. Data from this same report suggests that healthcare consumers are willing to put in the extra time and effort to gather information when choosing who they want as a provider. When a patient narrows down their choices to just a few providers, it is quite possible that they will compare physician bios to come to a final decision on selecting a new provider. Physician bios are an opportunity to offer a warm introduction to new patients before they ever come through the doors of your practice.
Learn More About iHealthspot’s Listings Management Solutions
Why A Physician Needs a Bio
Whether on a practice website or in a provider directory, it seems that a doctor’s profile hides beneath layers of public-facing content. So why bother to brush up a bio that most will not read?
Learning about a physician’s background including credentials, education, and background puts a new patient at ease. At first, a clinician is just a name on a sterile list, but after seeing a photo and reading a few paragraphs about them, the provider becomes a real person in the patient’s mind.
As mentioned before, today’s patients are more inclined to read up on providers so that they make the most informed choice. So, when marketing for doctors, it is better to provide more information online than not enough.
Tips for a Complete Physician and Staff Bio Template
Whether there are several clinicians under the same roof, or an “About” section introducing the entire staff, it is best that these are all uniform in appearance. Planning out a template ensures that everything you want to include in the bios is the same across the board.
1. Include a Photo in Your Physician Bio
Professionals in many different industries use headshots to promote themselves. Though they have no reason to doubt that you are a real person, seeing your smiling face helps patients connect with you on a human level.
Also, once patients see you in person or for a telehealth appointment, that familiarity will already be established. These small touches help the patient experience by helping them feel at ease.
2. Share the Physician’s Story
A provider’s education and credentials are indeed necessary to establish qualifications, but that’s not enough for a well-rounded physician bio.
Essentials of a Healthcare Provider Biography
A written introduction should present a complete picture of who the provider is. Be sure it includes:
- All areas the provider specializes in.
- All locations the provider serves, including hospitals privileges.
- Years of experience and residency.
- Associations the provider belongs to.
- Awards or recognitions.
- Service in the community.
- Family life: spouse, children, and pets.
- Where he or she grew up.
- What they do for leisure.
- Favorites (books, food, local attractions, etc.)
- Quote about professional philosophy or mission.
A nice blend of professional and personal information fosters patient confidence in your abilities as they connect with their healthcare provider on a personal level.
3. Showcase Positive Patient Feedback
A patient review that mentions someone on your team by name is its own reward, but it may also fit in well on your physician bio page. 90% of patients refer to patient reviews to vet providers.
Established patients tend to communicate the finer points of a practice better than anyone else can. Your “About” section comes together nicely when you have a review that showcases the ability and bedside manner of the provider(s).
Read More: The Impact of Patient Testimonials
4. Make Your Content SEO Friendly
Since physician bios tend to nest inside a website, SEO (search engine optimization) for medical practices helps boost online visibility. Work with your web administrators to ensure that this page is optimized to be discovered in search. Such configurations include titles, meta descriptions, and the right keywords. Keywords include locations, treatments (in both common and clinical wording).
5. Give Next Steps
Bear in mind that a patient who reads bios is probably far into the evaluation stage of choosing a new provider. If they like what they read, this is an opportune time for them to fill out an appointment request form. Embedding such a feature into your bio’s page invites prospects to book that initial visit right away.
Have the Best Impression on Patients with Comprehensive Practice Marketing Services
These days, healthcare consumers need a little more runway to build up confidence to book that initial appointment with a new provider. iHealthSpot helps over 4,000 providers make those positive encounters with patients at every step of the digital patient journey.
In addition to our complete host of expert healthcare marketing services – custom medical website design, SEO, PPC (pay per click), social media – we also offer medical reputation management, including online listings management. Online directory listings management for providers ensures that dozens of healthcare directories display complete and accurate information everywhere on the web – including physician bios!
We manage your digital presence and physician marketing to save you time and resources so you can keep your focus on delivering the best care for your patients. Get a free online presence assessment or a no-obligation consultation from iHealthSpot today!
