Marketing Tips for Doctors

Barbara Hales
  • 5.0 (18)
  • Medicine
  • Updated Monthly

This podcast is for you if you are a doctor, dentist, integrated health physician, chiropractor, or any other type of health provider. Learn how to free up your time, earn 5-star ratings, and learn marketing secrets that have been proven to work on this show with Barbara and her guests. As medical pros, you have to market yourself to be successful. Listen and hear more about how Barbara created her proven marketing system for her thriving private practice. Master the marketing techniques to attract ideal patients, develop a stronger rapport, grow your practice and boost your rankings!

  1. Oct 21

    Building Trust Before Trouble

    In this episode, Barbara discusses:  Building patient trust before problems arise  Making small, consistent interactions trust “deposits”  Following through on promises and communicating delays  Listening for the fear behind repeated questions  Validating concerns rather than dismissing them  Explaining the reasons behind care recommendations  Being honest when you don’t have a definite answer  Training staff to handle patient concerns respectfully  Building trust through honesty, consistency, competence, and respect not simply being liked or agreeing with every request    Key Takeaways:  Patient trust is built before problems arise through small, consistent actions like listening, communicating clearly, and keeping promises which makes challenges easier to navigate.      Connect with Barbara Hales:  Twitter: @DrBarbaraHales Facebook: facebook.com/theMedicalStrategist Business Website: TheMedicalStrategist.com Email: info@TheMedicalStrategist.com  YouTube:@barbarahales LinkedIn: https://www.LinkedIn.com/in/barbarahalesBooks: Content Copy Made Easy 14 Tactics to Triple Sales   Transcription: (250) Chapter 1:  Building Trust before Trouble  0:00: Welcome to the Marketing Tips for Doctors podcast, where you’ll discover the secrets to attracting more patients ready to schedule their first appointments, so you can grow your practice without spending hours away from your practice or home. Hear how to boost your online presence, build strong rapport with each patient to increase compliance, add value, and grow revenue. Now here’s your host, Dr. Barbara Hales, America’s leading medical strategist. What if I told you that the best time to repair patient trust is before you ever lose it? Sounds a little strange, doesn’t it? After all, how can you repair something that hasn’t been broken? But here’s what I’ve learned: the strongest patient relationships aren’t built when something goes wrong. They’re built long before there’s ever a problem, and that’s what we’re talking about today. Welcome back to Marketing Tips for Doctors. I’m your host, Dr. Barbara Hales, the medical strategist, and today we’re wrapping up our five-part series on one of the most valuable assets in your medical practice: patient trust.   1:13 We’ve talked about transparency, taking responsibility, dealing with angry patients, and what happens when your own staff makes a difficult situation worse. But today, I want to talk about something that can make all those difficult conversations a whole lot easier: building trust before you need it. When patients already trust you, they’re much more likely to give you the benefit of the doubt when something doesn’t go according to plan, and believe me, in medicine, something eventually won’t go according to plan. That’s just reality. So grab your coffee and let’s think this through together. Imagine every patient has an invisible bank account, not filled with dollars, but with trust. Every positive interaction makes a deposit. Every disappointing interaction makes a withdrawal. When you listen carefully to a patient, that’s a deposit. When your staff returns a promised call, that’s a deposit. When you explain why you’re recommending a particular treatment instead of simply handing over a prescription, that’s another deposit.  2:25 And when you remember something personal about your patient, maybe their daughter’s wedding or the fact that they’ve been caring for an elderly parent, that’s a deposit too. Now let’s look at the withdrawals. A patient waits 45 minutes without anyone explaining why the withdrawal. A patient calls with a concern and gets no response. Withdrawal. A staff member sounds irritated because the patient asked the same question twice. Another withdrawal. Individually, these may seem small, but they add up. And here’s where it gets interesting. If you’ve been making consistent deposits into that trust, one unfortunate experience probably won’t destroy the relationship. But if the account is already running low, one unpleasant interaction may be all it takes for that patient to decide they’re never coming back. Worse, they may tell everyone they know that trust starts before the patient sees you.    Chapter 2: The Trust Account and the Patient Experience  2:20 Now, if you are anything like me, you probably think about the patient relationship beginning when you walk into the examination room, but it actually starts much earlier. It may begin when someone visits your website. Does your website make your practice feel welcoming? Does it explain what patients can expect, or does it leave them confused? What happens when they call your office? Do they get a warm greeting, or do they feel like they’re interrupting someone’s day? And what about that first appointment? Are patients told what to bring? Do they understand the process? Do they know approximately how long the visit will take? These may sound like administrative details, but to a patient, they’re signals-signals    Chapter 3: Reliability, communication, and listening  4:14: about whether your practice is organized, whether you respect their time, and whether they’re going to be treated like a person, not a chart number. Remember, patients form opinions about you long before you have the chance to demonstrate your medical expertise, and those opinions shape how they interpret everything that follows. Let me ask you something: Have you ever told a patient, “I’ll have someone call you tomorrow. Only to discover three days later that nobody did. Of course, you didn’t intentionally mislead the patient. You got busy. Your staff got busy. Something slipped through the cracks.   4:55 But from the patient’s perspective, you made a promise, and you didn’t. Keep it. That’s why I believe one of the simplest ways to strengthen patient trust is to become absolutely reliable about the small things. If you say you’ll call, call. If you promise results by Friday, make sure someone follows up, even if the results are not available yet. And if your office is running behind schedule. Tell the patient. Don’t make them sit there wondering whether they’ve been forgotten. You might say, “I’m sorry, we’re running behind today. An unexpected situation came up, and we appreciate your patience. That’s it. No elaborate explanation.   5:38 No defensiveness. Just communicate, because uncertainty creates anxiety, and communication reduces it. Listen for the question behind the question. Here’s another opportunity to build trust that physicians sometimes miss. A patient asks you a question, you answer, and then they ask again, maybe in slightly different words. Now you are thinking, didn’t I just explain that? But consider this: sometimes the patient isn’t asking because they didn’t understand your explanation. They’re asking because they’re frightened. Imagine a patient who asks, “Are you sure this medication is safe? You explain the research, the benefits, and the potential side effects. Then, a few minutes later, they ask, “But are you really sure I should take it? You could repeat the same medical explanation, or you could say, “It sounds like there’s something about this medication that’s worrying you. Can you tell me what concerns you most? Suddenly, the conversation changes.  6:43 Maybe their mother had a terrible reaction to a similar drug. Maybe they read something alarming online, or maybe they’re simply afraid of making the wrong decision. Until you understand the fear, you may not be answering the question that really matters. And when patients feel understood, that’s an enormous deposit into the trust account.    Chapter 4: Reassurance, Explanations, and Honest Uncertainty   7:15 Reassurance is not the same as dismissal. Physicians use a phrase with the best intentions. We say it because we want to reassure our patients. But sometimes those two words have the opposite effect. Imagine a patient describing symptoms that have been frightening them for weeks. You examine them and determine that nothing immediately dangerous is happening. So you say, “Don’t worry, everything looks fine. But the patient doesn’t feel fine, and now they feel dismissed. Instead, consider saying, “I can understand why these symptoms have been worrying you.   7:45 Based on what we found today, I don’t see signs of an immediate emergency. Let me explain what I think is happening and what we should watch for. See the difference. You’re still reassuring the patient, but you’re also validating their experience, and you’re explaining your reasoning. Patients don’t need us to pretend that every answer is simple. They need to know we take their concerns seriously. Explain the why, not just the what. Think about how often we make recommendations during an ordinary office visit. Start this medication. Schedule that test. Come back in three months. Reduce your sodium. Increase your activity.  8:28 And while those recommendations may be medically appropriate, patients don’t always understand why we’re making them. When patients understand the reasoning behind the recommendation, they’re more likely to feel involved in their care, instead of simply saying, “I want you to have this test, try. I’m recommending this test because it will help us distinguish between two possible explanations for your symptoms. That information will guide our next steps. Now the patient understands the purpose.   8:59 They aren’t simply following orders; they’re participating in a decision, and participation creates a sense of partnership. That partnership is one of the foundations of trust. The power of saying “I don’t know. Here’s something else I want physicians to remember: you don’t have to know everything to earn a patient’s trust. In fact, pret

  2. Oct 15

    When Your Staff Escalates

    In this episode, we cover: Why patients experience the entire practice—not just the physician Five phrases that can escalate patient conflicts, and what staff can say instead How physicians can intervene in an argument and coach employees afterward When staff should handle a concern, hand it off, or follow safety procedures How role-playing and improving office systems can strengthen patient trust   Key Takeaway Quote: “The goal is not patient versus practice. The goal is patient and practice versus the problem.”   Connect with Barbara Hales:  Twitter: @DrBarbaraHales Facebook: facebook.com/theMedicalStrategist Business Website: TheMedicalStrategist.com Email: info@TheMedicalStrategist.com  YouTube:@barbarahales LinkedIn: https://www.LinkedIn.com/in/barbarahalesBooks: Content Copy Made Easy 14 Tactics to Triple Sales   TRANSCRIPT: (249) Why Staff Communication Shapes Patient Trust Dr. Barbara Hales  00:04  Your patient is angry. You know exactly what to say. You’re lowering your voice. You’re listening. You’re acknowledging the frustration, and it’s working. Then someone from your staff says, “Well, that’s not what happened. Oh no! Now the patient is angry. Your employee is angry, and you’re standing between them, thinking, “Could everybody please stop talking? Hello, everyone, and welcome back to Marketing Tips for Doctors. I’m Dr. Barbara Hales. Grab your coffee because today we’re talking about something that can undo even the best physician-patient communication. What happens when your staff escalates the situation? This is episode four of our trust series. In our last episode, we talked about the angry patient and how to keep a difficult conversation from turning into a confrontation. But here’s the problem: you can be wonderful at de-escalation. You can know all the right phrases. You can have the patience of a saint, but if someone on your team is argumentative, defensive, or dismissive, the patient may never get far enough to experience your wonderful communication skills, and that brings us to one of the most important things I want you to remember today: your patient doesn’t experience your doctor. Your patient experiences your practice, including everyone who answers your phone, schedules appointments, discusses bills, handles prescriptions, and greets patients at the front desk. When a prescription becomes an argument, consider this example. Linda calls the office because her prescription hasn’t been refilled. She’s frustrated. She says, “I’ve called twice already, and nobody has gotten back to me. The receptionist looks at the computer and says, “Well, I don’t see any record of those calls. Linda says, “I know I called. I left messages, and the receptionist responds, “That’s not true. You did not call us twice. Now what happened? We started with a missing prescription. That’s a problem we might have been able to solve, but now we have a completely different problem. Who’s telling the truth? Nobody wants to lose that argument. Linda becomes louder. The receptionist becomes more defensive, and suddenly the physician is being asked to step in. Here’s what I want you to notice: the receptionist may genuinely believe no calls came in. Maybe the calls weren’t documented. Maybe Linda called a different number. Maybe she remembers calling but never actually reached the office. We don’t know, but we don’t have to settle that argument before we address the problem. Imagine if the receptionist had said, “I’m not seeing those calls documented here. Let me look into it further and see what we can do about your prescription.” Same computer, same missing documentation, completely different Conversation. Instead of fighting about who’s right, they’re working together to solve the problem, and I want your entire staff to understand that distinction. The goal is not patient versus practice. The goal is patient and practice versus the problem, not staff. Before we go any further, I want to be fair to your employees, because patients can be difficult. Yes, that’s true. Sometimes they’re demanding, sometimes they’re unreasonable, and sometimes they’re downright rude. Unfortunately, all true. Your receptionist may have been answering phones nonstop for three hours. Your medical. Assistant may be covering for someone who called out sick. Your billing employee may have explained the same insurance issue 15 times that morning, and now somebody is accusing them of incompetence. Of course, they’re frustrated. They’re human, but here’s the distinction: feeling defensive is understandable. Responding defensively is not always helpful, and that’s where training comes in. We can’t expect staff members to instinctively know how to de-escalate every difficult situation, especially if nobody has ever taught them what to say. Five phrases make things worse. I would love to retire from medical offices with these five phrases. The first is “calm down. We talked about this in the last episode. Has anyone ever become calmer because somebody ordered them to calm down? I haven’t seen it. The second is that’s not what happened. Even if it’s true, it will likely turn the conversation into an argument. Try, let me see what I can find out. The third is that’s our policy. Patients often hear that as stop asking questions. Instead, try. Let me explain why we handle it this way and see what options we have. The fourth is There’s nothing I can do. Try. Here’s what I can do. And the fifth is that’s not my job.  Phrases to Retire and Better Responses Dr. Barbara Hales  07:01  Oh, that one is particularly irritating. The patient doesn’t necessarily know who handles what in your office, and frankly, they shouldn’t have to memorize your organizational chart. Try billing; they handle that, but I’ll connect you with the right person. See the difference. You’re not promising something you can’t deliver. You’re simply refusing to make the patient feel abandoned. Let’s look at another situation: the $75 copay. Frank arrives for an appointment. The front desk tells him he owes a $75 copay. Frank says, “I already paid that. The employee looks at the screen. “No, you didn’t. It’s showing as unpaid. Frank says, “I have the receipt. The employee says, “Well, our system says you owe it, and now we’re off to the races. Frank thinks the practice is trying to charge him twice. The employee thinks Frank is being difficult, and the physician may not even know any of this is happening. What could the employee say instead? I can see why you’re concerned about being charged twice. Our system isn’t showing the payment, but let’s investigate before we collect anything again. Now the employee hasn’t admitted the practice made a mistake, and they haven’t accused Frank of being wrong. They’re simply moving the conversation toward a solution. That’s the skill. Does the doctor even know? I want to tell you about a conversation I actually had. This wasn’t one of my patients. I was speaking with a patient who was complaining about how rude the staff was in another physician’s office, and I said something to the effect of, “Maybe the doctor doesn’t know they’re behaving that way. The patient looked at me as though that was ridiculous. She said, “Of course the doctor knows. If the doctor didn’t condone it, it wouldn’t happen. That stayed with me because I remember thinking, “Does the doctor really know? The doctor may be two exam rooms away seeing patients. They’re not necessarily hearing how the telephone is being answered. They’re not standing at the front desk; when somebody questions a bill, they’re not listening. When a frustrated patient asks for the third time why a prescription hasn’t been called in, the doctor may genuinely have no idea. But here’s the part that matters. The patient assumes you do, and if the behavior continues, they don’t necessarily think, “What an unpleasant receptionist.” They may think this is the kind of practice this doctor allows. Fair, maybe not, but perception doesn’t wait for all the evidence, which brings us to an uncomfortable leadership question: How do you know what’s happening in your practice when you’re not in the room? What if you could hear it yourself? Think about that for a moment. The way your staff speaks to patients when you’re standing there may differ from how they speak to patients when you’re two exam rooms away. That doesn’t mean you assume your staff is doing something wrong. It means good leadership does not rely on assumptions from either side. One possible tool for training and quality improvement is reviewing appropriately obtained recordings of patient interactions. I mean telephone conversations, and we are legally permitted to review, and have properly obtained consent for, certain in-person conversations. Imagine being able to review a difficult interaction with your office manager and ask, “How could we have handled this conversation differently? Not who we can blame, not who deserves to be reprimanded, but what we can learn. Sometimes hearing your own words is more powerful than having somebody tell you what you said. An employee might not realize how abrupt their tone sounded. They might not realize they interrupted the patient repeatedly, or that a phrase they thought was perfectly reasonable sounded dismissive. But I want to be clear: recording patient interactions raises important legal and privacy issues. Recording and consent laws vary by state and depend on the circumstances and jurisdiction. Consent from everyone involved may be required, and in a medical practice, the recording may capture protected health information. So, don’t put a hidden recorder at your front desk or in an exam room and assume it’s okay. Before implementing any recording program

  3. Sep 16

    The Angry Patient

    In this episode, we cover: Why trying to “win” an argument with an angry patient almost always costs you the relationship. Exact phrases to use when a patient is furious about wait times, bills, or feeling dismissed. The five-step reset for de-escalating anger: Listen, Acknowledge, Clarify, Respond, Follow through. How to respond when a patient threatens to sue or leave a scathing online review—without violating privacy rules. The three sentences every staff member should know to lower the temperature and reopen communication. Key Takeaway Quote: “Your goal is not to win the argument. Your goal is to understand the experience. Because you can be technically correct and still completely lose the patient.” – Dr. Barbara Hales Connect with Barbara Hales:  Twitter: @DrBarbaraHales Facebook: facebook.com/theMedicalStrategist Business Website: TheMedicalStrategist.com Email: info@TheMedicalStrategist.com  YouTube:@barbarahales LinkedIn: https://www.LinkedIn.com/in/barbarahalesBooks: Content Copy Made Easy 14 Tactics to Triple Sales   TRANSCRIPT (248) Stop Trying to Win — Understand the Angry Patient Dr. Barbara Hales 0:06 Your patient is furious, and unfortunately, they have Wi-Fi. Hello, everyone, and welcome back to Marketing Tips for Doctors. In our first episode, we talked about trust and the transparency paradox. We challenged the old belief that when something goes wrong, saying less always protects the physician. Then we tackled one of the hardest questions a patient can ask: “Doctor, was this your fault? And we talked about what physicians can actually say when they don’t yet have all the answers. Today we’re taking the next step because sometimes the patient isn’t calmly asking questions. Sometimes they’re angry, really, really angry. They’re angry about the bill. They’re angry because they waited an hour and 15 minutes to see you. They’re angry because nobody returned their call. They’re angry because you didn’t send their prescription to the pharmacy. They’re angry because they think you didn’t listen to them, or they’re angry because the outcome wasn’t what they expected, and now they’re standing at your front desk saying those words everyone in the office dreads. I’m going to leave you a terrible review. What happens next may determine whether you lose a patient, receive a one-star review, damage your reputation, or actually strengthen the relationship. So grab your coffee because today we’re talking about the angry patient, and I’m going to give you actual words to use. First, stop trying to win. Here’s the first thing I want you to remember: your goal is not to win the argument. I know sometimes the patient is wrong, completely wrong. They arrived 25 minutes late, and they’re furious because they had to wait. They didn’t follow the instructions you gave them. The office called three times, and they didn’t return the calls. The charge they’re screaming about is clearly explained in the paperwork they signed. You have facts. You have documentation. You may even have witnesses. And every cell in your body wants to say, actually, be careful, because you can win the argument and still lose the patient. And now that patient has a smartphone, being technically correct does not necessarily repair an emotional experience. Before you correct the facts, you need to understand what the patient believes happened. The waiting room. Let’s imagine a patient named Susan. Susan has a 10 o’clock appointment. At 11 o5′ she’s still sitting in the waiting room. Nobody has told her why. She finally walks up to the receptionist and says, “This is ridiculous. My time matters too. The receptionist answers, “The doctor had an emergency. We’re doing the best we can now. Is that true? Probably. Is it helpful? Not particularly, because what Susan hears is, “Your inconvenience doesn’t matter because we have a good excuse. Then the receptionist makes it worse. Would you like to reschedule? Oh boy, Susan has already rearranged her morning, driven to the office, and waited more than an hour. Now we’re suggesting she do it all again. Imagine instead that someone had gone into the waiting room 30 minutes earlier and said, “Dr. Smith had an emergency this morning, and we’re running behind. I’m really sorry we didn’t tell you sooner. Right now, we’re estimating another 30-minute wait. I can give you some options if that doesn’t work for you. Same delay, same doctor, same emergency, completely different experience. What changed? Not the problem, the communication. Sometimes you cannot fix what’s making the patient angry, but you can fix how they’re experiencing it. Don’t say “calm down. Here’s a phrase I’d like to banish from every medical office. You need to calm down. Has that sentence ever calmed anyone down? Imagine your spouse saying it to you during an argument. How’s that going to work out? Probably not well. “ Calm down” communicates that your emotional reaction is the problem. Instead, try. I can see that you’re upset. Tell me what happened. Then stop talking. This is harder than it sounds. Doctors are problem solvers. While the patient is speaking, our brains are already generating solutions. But an angry person who doesn’t feel heard usually doesn’t get less angry because you interrupted them with a solution. Let them finish. You may discover that what they’re actually angry about isn’t what you assumed. Story number two: The $300 bill. Let’s meet Robert. Robert receives a $300 bill he wasn’t expecting. He calls the practice, furious. I was told insurance covered this. The staff member responds, “You need to call your insurance company. That’s your deductible. Listen, Acknowledge, Clarify, Respond, and Follow Through Dr. Barbara Hales 6:43 That may be factually correct, but Robert doesn’t hear. Here’s an explanation. He hears, not our problem. So he asks for the office manager. Now he’s angrier. By the time the office manager gets on the phone, Robert says this practice is a scam. Here’s where things can go badly very quickly. The office manager can defend the practice. We are absolutely not a scam. Or she can say, I can hear how frustrating it was to receive a bill you weren’t expecting. Let’s look at what happened together. Notice something important. She didn’t say the bill was wrong. She didn’t promise to waive it. She did not blame the insurance company. She acknowledged the problem and offered to investigate it. Then she can say, “Let me pull up your account so I can explain exactly where this charge came from. Now we’re moving from confrontation to problem-solving, and that phrase, “Let’s look at this together, is incredibly powerful. Suddenly, it’s no longer patient versus practice. It’s patient and practice versus problem. That’s where you want to be. The five-step reset So let’s make this practical. When an angry patient is in front of you, remember five steps: one, listen. Don’t interrupt unless there’s a safety issue. Let the patient tell you what happened. Two, acknowledge. You don’t have to agree with every accusation. You can say, “I understand why that would be frustrating, or “I can see why you’re upset. Three, clarify. Ask what concerns you most right now. That question is gold, because the answer may surprise you. Four, respond now and only now. Explain what you know. Keep it simple. No defensive speech. No 10-minute explanation of office policy. Five. Follow through. If you say you’ll call tomorrow, call tomorrow. If you say someone will investigate. Make sure somebody investigates, because nothing reignites anger faster than a broken promise. But what if the patient is wrong? Now we’re getting to the fun part. What if the patient is absolutely, positively wrong? Let’s say a patient tells you Nobody ever told me I needed this follow-up test. You look at the chart; it’s documented. You discussed it. Your nurse discussed it. The portal message was sent. The patient even replied to. Message; your temptation is to say, ” Actually, we told you three times, technically correct, terrible opening. Try this instead. I can see there was a disconnect somewhere because you didn’t leave understanding that the follow-up was necessary. Let’s go through what happened and make sure we’re clear about what you need now. Does that mean you’re accepting blame? No. It means you’re prioritizing the patient’s care over proving you’re right. You can review the documentation afterward, but first solve the problem that’s in front of you. Story number three: the patient who felt dismissed Now let’s talk about something even more personal. A patient we’ll call Diane comes in with fatigue, headaches, and difficulty sleeping. The physician evaluates her, orders appropriate tests, and finds nothing alarming. He tells her everything looks fine. He thinks he’s giving her good news. Diane hears There’s nothing wrong with you. She leaves furious. Later, she writes, “The doctor didn’t listen to me and dismissed all my symptoms. Now, imagine the physician reading that review. His immediate reaction might be, “That’s completely unfair. I spent 30 minutes with her. I ordered tests, and he may be right, but remember something: intent and experience are not always the same thing. He meant to reassure her; she felt dismissed. What if he had said The good news is that the testing we’ve done so far has not shown anything dangerous, but I know you’re still having these symptoms, and I don’t want you to think I’m dismissing them. Let’s talk about what we do next. Same test results, different experience. Sometimes the sentence you add at the end changes everything. When the patient says, “I’m going to sue you, now let’s tackle the sentence that makes everyone’s stomach drop. I’m goi

  4. Sep 10

    Doctor Was It Your Fault?

    In this episode, we cover: What to actually say when a patient asks, “Doctor, was this your fault?” How to use empathy without making legal admissions. A simple framework to handle five of the toughest conversations after something goes wrong.   Key Takeaway Quote: “Patients don’t expect perfection. They expect honesty. Sometimes the most trust-building thing you can say is, ‘I don’t know yet, but I’ll come back when we do.’” – Dr. Barbara Hales   Connect with Barbara Hales:  Twitter: @DrBarbaraHales Facebook: facebook.com/theMedicalStrategist Business Website: TheMedicalStrategist.com Email: info@TheMedicalStrategist.com  YouTube:@barbarahales LinkedIn: https://www.LinkedIn.com/in/barbarahalesBooks: Content Copy Made Easy 14 Tactics to Triple Sales   TRANSCRIPT (247) The Five Difficult Conversations After Something Goes Wrong Dr. Barbara Hales 0:02 Doctor, was it your fault? Your patient looks you directly in the eye and asks, “Doctor, was this your fault? What do you say? You have about three seconds before the silence starts saying something for you. Hello, everyone, and welcome back to Marketing Tips for Doctors. In our last episode, we talked about something I called the transparency paradox-the idea that when something goes wrong, physicians may become quiet and guarded, because we’re afraid that talking will increase our liability. But to the patient, that same silence can feel like we’re hiding something. So today, we’re going one step further because it’s easy for me to tell you: communicate with your patient, be transparent, show empathy. But when you’re actually standing in front of an upset patient or frightened family member, those aren’t the words you need. You need to know what I actually say. Today, we’ll walk through five of the most difficult conversations a physician can have after something goes wrong. I’ll show you what you may be tempted to say, why it can cause problems, and what you might say instead. And before we begin, an important reminder: this is about communication, not legal advice. Every adverse event’s circumstances are different. State laws differ, and your hospital malpractice carrier or risk management team may have specific procedures you need to follow, so use this episode to think differently about communication, not as a substitute for the policies and professional advice that apply to your particular situation. Now grab your coffee because we’re starting with the question no physician wants to hear: Doctor, was this your fault? Imagine that you’ve just finished explaining to a patient that something unexpected happened during her procedure. She looks at you and asks, “Was this your fault? Your first instinct may be to defend yourself. No, this is a known complication. Or maybe you go in the opposite direction. Yes, I made a mistake. But what if you don’t know yet? That’s the key. Don’t answer a question you don’t yet have the facts to answer. You don’t have to become evasive, and you don’t have to speculate. You can say, “I understand why you’re asking me that right now. I don’t know exactly why this happened. We’re reviewing what occurred, and I don’t want to give you an answer that may turn out to be wrong. As soon as we know more, we’ll talk about it. That’s honest. You didn’t run from the question. You didn’t blame someone else, and you didn’t conclude before you had the facts. There is tremendous power in being able to say, “I don’t know yet. Doctors aren’t always comfortable saying that. We’re supposed to have answers. Patients come to us because we have answers. But when you genuinely don’t know something. Pretending otherwise doesn’t make you look more competent. It makes you less trustworthy when the facts eventually come out. The important word is yet. I don’t know can sound like a dead end. I don’t know yet, but we’re finding out tells the patient, “I’m still here. Conversation number two: something definitely went wrong. Now, let’s change the situation. This time, you know an error occurred. Perhaps the wrong medication was administered. Maybe a test result wasn’t followed up. Maybe something broke down somewhere in the system. Again, there’s a temptation to become clinical. An adverse medication event occurred. That may be technically accurate, but imagine. As the patient hearing it, I know an adverse medication event didn’t happen to a spreadsheet. It happened to me. This is where medicine sometimes hides behind language. We use terms like unexpected outcome, adverse event, communication failure. Those phrases may be long in reports, but you’re not talking to a report. You’re talking to a person. So use human language. Something happened that shouldn’t have, and I’m sorry you’ve had to go through this. Then tell the patient what you know, not what you assume, not what you heard in the hallway, not what you think is responsible. What you know, and then tell them what happens next. We are reviewing exactly how this occurred. We’re addressing the immediate problem. We’ll keep you informed as we learn more. That last sentence matters because one of the worst things you can do is have one compassionate conversation and then disappear. Trust isn’t rebuilt in one meeting. Dr. Barbara Hales 6:20 Sometimes it’s rebuilt in the second meeting and the third. Let’s imagine a physician will call Dr. Miller. One of his patients has a significant complication. Dr. Miller has an excellent conversation with the family. He sits down. He listens. He expresses concern. He promises that the hospital will investigate and that he’ll come back when he knows more. The family feels reassured. Three days go by, nothing. Five days, nothing. The family starts calling. They’re transferred from one department to another. Nobody seems to know anything. Now think about what happened. Dr. Miller’s original conversation was actually good, but his failure to follow through changed its meaning. What originally sounded like “I’m going to find out what happened” now sounds like “I told you that so you’d stop asking questions. That’s why one of the most important things you can say after something goes wrong is also one of the simplest. I’ll come back, but only say it if you’re actually going to come back. Conversation number three: the patient is angry. Now things get harder. The patient isn’t calmly asking questions. He’s furious. You people almost killed me. This hospital is incompetent. You don’t care what happens to me. Every instinct in you wants to correct him. We did not almost kill you. That’s not what happened. You’d unders. You don’t understand the medical situation, and perhaps technically you’re right, but right now being right isn’t necessarily going to help you, because underneath anger there is often something else: fear, loss of control, pain, a feeling that nobody is listening. So before you correct the facts, acknowledge the emotion. You might say, “I can see how angry and frightened you are, and I understand why you want answers. Notice what you did not say. You didn’t agree that the hospital was incompetent. You didn’t accept blame for something you didn’t do. You acknowledged the patient’s experience. There is a big difference between saying you’re right, we almost killed you, and saying I can understand why you’re frightened and angry. One is the conclusion about what happened. The other is empathy. Physicians sometimes avoid empathy because we’re afraid the patient will interpret it as an admission. But empathy isn’t a confession. It’s recognition that another human being is having a difficult experience, and sometimes that’s the first thing a person needs before they’re capable of hearing anything else you have to say. There’s one sentence that is almost guaranteed to make an angry patient angrier. You need to calm down. Has telling an angry person to calm down ever actually made them calm down? Probably not. It usually communicates that your reaction is the problem. Instead, try. I can see that you’re upset. Tell me what concerns you most right now, and then listen. Don’t start constructing your defense while they’re still speaking. Don’t interrupt after the first inaccurate statement. Let them tell you what they’re actually worried about. You may discover that the thing you’re preparing to defend isn’t even the thing they’re most upset about. Conversation number four: Why didn’t anyone tell me? This one is painful because sometimes the patient’s complaint isn’t primarily about the medical outcome; it’s about communication. Why didn’t anyone tell me? Why did I have to find this in my medical record? Why did three different people give me three different answers? Why did nobody call me? This is where defensiveness can creep in very quickly. I thought the nurse told you. The office called twice. The result was available in the portal. Stop. Maybe all of those things are true, but before explaining the system, recognize what the patient experienced. I can understand why finding out that way would be upsetting. You should have had a clear explanation of what was happening. Then explain what you know, and if there was a communication breakdown, acknowledge it. Patients don’t expect every medical outcome to be perfect. Medicine is not perfect. Human bodies are not perfect. Technology is not perfect. Doctors are not perfect, but patients have every reason to expect us to communicate with them honestly, and this is where the conversation starts moving beyond malpractice, because poor communication damages something much bigger: trust. Conversation number five: When an apology is appropriate, now we come to the words doctors have traditionally been afraid to say. I’m sorry. As we discussed in the last episode,

  5. Sep 4

    The Most Dangerous Word in Medicine

    In this episode, Barbara discusses: The myth that saying “I’m sorry” always increases malpractice risk How silence and defensiveness can increase mistrust and suspicion in patients and families The Candor (CANDOR) approach: Communication and Optimal Resolution—emphasizing timely communication, investigation, disclosure, empathy, apology (when appropriate), learning, and fair resolution Examples of three physicians (Mary’s doctor, Dr. Thompson, Dr. Rodriguez) that contrast silence vs. transparent communication The role of apology laws, and why doctors must know state law, organizational policy, and malpractice-carrier guidance A practical 4‑step communication framework after an adverse event: Acknowledge what happened Express empathy Don’t speculate Explain what happens next and follow through Why this belongs on a marketing podcast: reputation, relationships, trust, and what patients say about you when you’re not in the room The impact on physicians’ own emotional well‑being and the importance of supporting clinicians after adverse events Her core message: phrases like “I’m sorry,” “I don’t know yet,” “We’re investigating,” “I’ll come back,” and “We’ll work to make sure this does not happen again” can be words of integrity, not weakness. Key Takeaways: “Silence after something goes wrong often increases mistrust, while honest, empathetic communication (“I’m sorry,” “I don’t know yet,” “We’re investigating,” “I’ll come back”) can build trust rather than automatically increasing legal risk”   Connect with Barbara Hales:  Twitter: @DrBarbaraHales Facebook: facebook.com/theMedicalStrategist Business Website: TheMedicalStrategist.com Email: info@TheMedicalStrategist.com  YouTube:@barbarahales LinkedIn: https://www.LinkedIn.com/in/barbarahalesBooks: Content Copy Made Easy 14 Tactics to Triple Sales TRANSCRIPTION:(246) The Most Dangerous Word in Medicine: “Sorry” Dr. Barbara Hales 0:00:31 The most dangerous word in medicine, sorry, the word that can make a physician cringe. Sorry, not because doctors don’t care. Quite the opposite. Hello, everyone, and welcome back to Marketing Tips for Doctors. Most physicians went into medicine because we care deeply about our patients, but somewhere during our training, many of us absorbed another lesson: When something goes wrong, be very careful what you say. Don’t speculate. Don’t admit anything. And whatever you do, don’t say something that could sound like you’re admitting fault, because you might get sued. But what if that isn’t the whole story? Mary’s Story & The Birth of Suspicion Dr. Barbara Hales 02:00 What if the instinct to protect ourselves by becoming quiet, distant, and guarded can sometimes accomplish exactly the opposite? What if silence makes an already frightened or angry patient wonder, “What aren’t they telling me? That’s what we’re talking about today. I call it the transparency paradox. And grab your coffee because this one might make you rethink something doctors have been hearing for decades. When something goes wrong, let’s imagine a patient named Mary. Mary goes into the hospital for what she believes will be a relatively straightforward procedure. Unfortunately, she develops a serious complication. Her family is frightened. They have questions. What happened? Was this expected? Did somebody make a mistake? Is Mary going to be all right? And perhaps most importantly, why isn’t anyone talking to us? The physician is frightened too. Maybe he doesn’t yet know exactly what happened. Maybe risk management has become involved. Maybe he’s terrified that one poorly chosen sentence will become Exhibit A in a malpractice lawsuit. So he keeps the conversation brief. He sticks to clinical facts. He avoids discussing what might have happened, and he certainly doesn’t apologize. From his perspective, he’s protecting himself. But let’s look at that interaction from Mary’s perspective. Something happened to me. Nobody will explain it. Everyone suddenly seems guarded. My doctor barely looks me in the eye. Maybe they’re hiding something, and now we have something that didn’t necessarily exist before: suspicion. That is the paradox. The physician’s silence was intended to decrease legal risk, but emotionally, that same silence may increase mistrust. The Myth of “Never Say You’re Sorry” Dr. Barbara Hales 05:00 The myth. There’s a persistent myth in medicine that goes something like this: Never say you’re sorry because apologizing is admitting liability, and like many myths, there’s a tiny bit piece of truth buried inside something much more complicated. There is an enormous difference between saying “I’m very sorry this happened to you, and making a definitive statement about negligence before the facts have even been investigated. That’s why I’m not suggesting that doctors become their own attorneys. I’m not an attorney, and this episode is not legal advice. The laws governing apologies and their admissibility vary from state to state, and your hospital practice insurer and risk management team may have specific procedures you need to follow. CANDOR: Communication and Optimal Resolution Dr. Barbara Hales 07:00 But here’s what I do want physicians to understand. Passion and transparency are not synonymous with recklessness, and we now have organized approaches to adverse events that are built around that distinction. One of the most important is called candor, C-A-N-D-O-R. That stands for Communication and Optimal Resolution. It was developed by the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality. Instead of the old-fashioned approach, sometimes described as deny and defend, Candor emphasizes timely communication, investigation, disclosure, empathy, apology when appropriate, learning from the event, and fair resolution. Think about how different those two philosophies feel to a patient. One says, “Protect the institution. Say as little as possible. Wait for the lawyers. The other says something happened. We’re going to find out what happened. We’re going to communicate with you. We’re going to take care of you, and we’re going to learn from this. That’s a very different experience. Case Study: Dr. Thompson and the Medication Error Dr. Barbara Hales 09:00 Now let’s imagine another physician. We’ll call her Dr. Thompson. A medication error occurs. The wrong dose reaches her patient. Thankfully, the patient recovers. Dr. Thompson is devastated. She walks into the room and immediately says, “This was completely my fault. I made a terrible mistake. There was no excuse for it. Now, emotionally, we understand why she said it. She feels terrible, but there’s another problem here. At this point, nobody has completed the investigation. Maybe the electronic ordering system displayed the wrong dose. Maybe the pharmacy verification failed. Maybe there were two medications with nearly identical names. Maybe five different safeguards failed, or maybe Dr. Thompson really did make an error. We don’t know yet, and that’s an important distinction. Transparency does not mean guessing. It does not mean assigning blame before the facts are known, and it does not mean making promises you may not be able to keep. In fact, one of the principals in formal disclosure programs is very simple: tell patients what you know, don’t speculate about what you don’t know. What Patients Actually Want After Harm Dr. Barbara Hales 11:00: Imagine how much better this might sound, mr. Jones. Something happened with your medication today that we did not expect, and I’m very sorry that you’ve had to go through this. Right now, our priority is taking care of you. We’re also investigating exactly what happened. I don’t want to speculate or give you information that may turn out to be wrong, but I promise that we’ll keep you informed as we learn more. Notice what’s missing: running away, defensiveness, blaming somebody else, and speculation. But notice what’s also there: humanity. What patients actually want. When patients have been harmed, we sometimes assume their first thought is, “How much money can I get? But that is an extraordinarily cynical way of looking at people. Patients and families often want answers. What happened? Why did it happen? What are you going to do about it? And perhaps most importantly, could this happen to somebody else? Think about that last question. A patient who has just experienced something terrible may still be thinking about the next patient. They don’t want another family sitting where they’re sitting. That tells us something important. Sometimes resolution is not only about money. It’s about acknowledgement. It’s about answers. It’s about accountability, and it’s about knowing that something will change because of what happened. University of Michigan & Challenging Assumptions Dr. Barbara Hales 13:00 Here is the University of Michigan experience. This isn’t just a feel-good theory. One of the most frequently discussed examples came from the University. University of Michigan Health System. They developed an approach that moved away from automatically fighting every claim. When care was appropriate, they defended it. But when their investigation found that inappropriate care caused harm, they disclosed what happened and sought resolution, including compensation when appropriate. Researchers subsequently examined what happened to malpractice claims and costs, and here’s why that matters. The nightmare scenario many physicians imagine is if we start admitting that things went wrong, everybody will sue us. But that wasn’t what happened. The experience helped challenge the assumption that openness automatically creates more liability, and later research involving communication and resolution programs at other hosp

  6. Aug 27

    How AI Helps Doctors

    How AI Helps Doctors: 7 Ways AI Gives Doctors Back Their Time In this episode, Barbara discusses: Barbara Hales names the “invisible second shift”—the unpaid hours physicians spend at home on charts, portal messages, and paperwork—and how it steals time from family and rest. Barbara Hales shares seven practical ways to use AI as an assistant, not a replacement, including ambient scribing, drafting portal responses, summarizing research, and streamlining insurance and administrative tasks. Barbara Hales contrasts two physicians—one using AI and one doing everything manually—to show how saving just 30–60 minutes a day can compound into 120–240 hours a year. Barbara Hales explains how AI can multiply a physician’s impact by turning everyday patient questions and explanations into reusable education materials and marketing content that grow the practice without adding more work hours. Barbara Hales insists that doctors must “delegate the task, never delegate the judgment,” emphasizing privacy, safety, and clinical oversight so AI reduces burnout while preserving trust and the humanity of medicine.   Key Takeaways: “AI’s real power in medicine isn’t replacing physicians—it’s reclaiming the invisible hours lost to documentation and administration so doctors can be fully present with their patients and in their own lives again.”   Connect with Barbara Hales:  Twitter: @DrBarbaraHales Facebook: facebook.com/theMedicalStrategist Business Website: TheMedicalStrategist.com Email: info@TheMedicalStrategist.com  YouTube:@barbarahales LinkedIn: https://www.LinkedIn.com/in/barbarahalesBooks: Content Copy Made Easy 14 Tactics to Triple Sales   TRANSCRIPTION (245) 7 Ways AI Gives Doctors Back Their Time Chapter 1 — Why Physicians Need Their Time Back Dr. Barbara Hales 00:04 Hello, everyone. Welcome back to Marketing Tips for Doctors. When was the last time you finished seeing your last patient, and you were actually finished for the day? Not finished seeing patients… finished. No charts waiting for you. No patient portal messages. No paperwork you promised yourself you’d finished after dinner. No laptop sitting on the kitchen counter staring at you while your family is doing something without you. If you’re laughing right now, I understand because for many physicians, the workday doesn’t end when the office closes; it just changes location. You go home, have dinner, maybe spend some time with your family, and then out comes the laptop, and somewhere along the way, something happened to medicine. We became doctors because we wanted to take care of people. We did not go to medical school because we had a burning desire to become world-class data entry specialists. We didn’t dream about answering portal messages. We didn’t fantasize about prior authorizations, and I’m fairly certain that when you wrote your medical school application essay, you didn’t say, “My lifelong ambition is to spend more evenings completing documentation, yet here we are, and that is why I want to talk about artificial intelligence today. Not because AI is fashionable, not because everybody is talking about ChatGPT, and certainly not because I think technology should replace physicians. Quite the opposite. I think we need to ask a completely different question: Can technology give physicians enough time back that we can actually be physicians again? Apparently, doctors are beginning to think the answer may be yes. According to the American Medical Association’s 2026 Physician Survey on Augmented Intelligence, 81% of physicians now report using AI professionally. That’s more than double the percentage in 2023. Think about that. In only a few years, AI went from something many doctors viewed with suspicion to something being used in medical practices every day, and here’s another number that really caught my attention: 70% of physicians surveyed by the AMA said they see AI as a tool that can automate tasks contributing to work-related burnout. So today, I’m going to show you seven practical ways physicians can use AI to get some of their time back. But before we get to those seven, I want to talk about what we’re really trying to solve, because the problem is not technology. The problem is time. The invisible second shift. Picture a physician we’ll call Dr. Sarah. Sarah has a busy primary care practice. Her last patient leaves at 515. She gets home around Her husband has dinner waiting. Her daughter sits at the table, telling everyone about something that happened at school. Sarah is listening, sort of, because part of her brain is thinking about the unfinished charts. She knows there are 11 of them, so she eats dinner. She asks her daughter a few questions. She helps clear the table. And then she says the sentence that physician families know all too well. I just have to finish a few charts. She opens the laptop. 8 o’clock becomes nine. Nine becomes 10. Her daughter goes to bed. Sarah finally closes the computer at 1037, and here’s the sad part: nothing particularly unusual happened that day. There wasn’t an emergency. Nobody crashed. There wasn’t a complicated admission. It was simply Tuesday. That story is a composite, but I’ll bet many physicians listening recognize themselves in it. This is what I call the invisible second shift of medicine, and this is precisely where I believe physicians should begin thinking about AI, not with robots, not with futuristic diagnostic machines. Start with what I do every day that doesn’t actually require me to be a physician, because that is where your time is hiding. Let’s begin with the obvious one: documentation. AI-powered ambient scribes can listen to the physician-patient conversation with appropriate systems, safeguards, and consent procedures, and generate a draft clinical note. You review it, you correct it, you approve it. The physician remains responsible, but you’re no longer starting with a blank page. And this isn’t just theoretical. In one medical group study involving 79 providers and more than 25,000 AI-generated notes across 23 specialties, high users of an ambient AI scribe had a 21% decrease in time spent on notes per day.   Chapter 2 — AI for Documentation, Inbox, and Patient Education Dr. Barbara Hales  07:26 Even more interesting to me was what happened after work. Before the pilot, about 32% of participating providers reported spending eight or more hours per week documenting outside clinic hours during AI use, which dropped to about 8%. Think about it: 32% to 8%. That’s not just an efficiency statistic. That’s dinner. That’s exercise. That’s reading a book. That’s going to your child’s soccer game. That’s sitting on the couch and doing absolutely nothing and not feeling guilty about it-that is life. Imagine Sarah again. Only now her practice introduces a properly vetted ambient AI documentation system. At first, she’s skeptical. She checks every note carefully, and she should, but gradually something changes. Instead of writing the entire note after the visit, she reviews and corrects a draft. One evening, she gets home. She puts her purse down. She walks into the kitchen, and her daughter looks at her and says, “Mom, where’s your computer? Sarah says, “In my bag. Her daughter looks confused. “Aren’t you going to take it out? And Sarah says, “Nope, I’m done. Now that’s an illustrative story, but that is the outcome we’re talking about. We’re not trying to make physicians type faster. We’re trying to make it possible for physicians to stop typing. Next, the inbox. Ah, yes, the inbox-the place where a message that begins with “Quick question, doctor, occasionally contains 14 questions, three attachments, and a medical History going back to 1987. AI can help draft responses to routine patient communications. Notice the word I used: draft, not diagnose, not independently prescribe, not send medical advice without physician review. Draft. You provide the judgment. AI provides the first pass. The 2026 AMA survey found physicians are already using AI to generate draft responses to patient portal messages; think about the difference between writing 20 responses from scratch and reviewing 20 reasonable drafts. Even saving two or three minutes per message adds up, and there’s another benefit: AI can help you turn a rushed answer into a clear, patient-friendly explanation. You still decide what is medically appropriate, but AI can help you communicate it more efficiently. AI use number three: patient education. Here’s an area I think is enormously underused. How many times have you explained the same thing? What does pre-diabetes mean? Why do I need this medication? What should I expect after this procedure? What does this lab result mean? Why do I need to come back in six months? You explain it Monday, then Tuesday, then Wednesday, and Thursday morning. You’re explaining it again. What if you created a physician-approved library of patient education materials? AI can help you take your explanation and turn it into a one-page handout, a frequently asked questions sheet, a patient-friendly email, a short video script, or instructions written at a more accessible reading level. You review it for accuracy. Then you have something reusable. This is where AI becomes more than a time-saving tool; it becomes a way to multiply a physician’s knowledge without multiplying their hours. Doctor using AI versus doctors who aren’t. Now let’s compare two physicians. Same specialty, same number of physicians, same number of patients, same clinical ability. Doctor A is not using AI. Every note begins from scratch. Every patient handout is created manually, or the staff searches for one. Every portal response is typed individually. Every complicated article takes 20 minutes to read before Doctor A determines whether it matters. Ev

  7. Aug 17

    The Mistakes That Make You Scroll

    In this episode, Barbara discusses: Why so many viewers watch with the sound off, and why strong headlines, captions, and on-screen text are essential to stop the scroll and immediately communicate your video’s value. How trying to teach everything in one video overwhelms viewers, and why breaking complex topics into multiple short, focused clips creates a powerful, bingeable video library for patients. Why you don’t need expensive cameras, microphones, or lighting to succeed, and how a simple smartphone plus clear, compassionate communication beats “perfect” production quality. How most physicians fail with video by quitting too soon, and why consistent publishing—like planting a tree—allows trust and patient relationships to grow over time. The importance of always telling viewers what to do next, whether that’s subscribing, visiting your website, sharing the video, or scheduling an appointment, so every video leads to a clear next step. Key Takeaways: “Video marketing works for physicians not because it’s flawless or flashy, but because it consistently delivers short, focused, clearly captioned answers to real patient questions—and always guides viewers toward a simple, obvious next step.”   Connect with Barbara Hales:  Twitter: @DrBarbaraHales Facebook: facebook.com/theMedicalStrategist Business Website: TheMedicalStrategist.com Email: info@TheMedicalStrategist.com  YouTube:@barbarahales LinkedIn: https://www.LinkedIn.com/in/barbarahalesBooks: Content Copy Made Easy 14 Tactics to Triple Sales Power to the Patient: The Medical Strategist   TRANSCRIPT (244) Introduction: The Next Five Video Marketing Mistakes   Dr. Barbara Hales 0:02 The five video marketing mistakes that make patients keep scrolling. Hello, everyone, and welcome back to Marketing Tips for Doctors. Last week we talked about the first five mistakes physicians make with video marketing. Today we’re going to cover the next five, and I have to tell you, some of these surprise me, not because I did not understand marketing, but because I’ve been learning short-form video myself. Sometimes the smallest changes make the biggest difference. So let’s jump right in.   Mistake #6: Forgetting That Many People Never Hear a Word You Say   Mistake number six: forgetting that many people never hear a word you say. This may be the most overlooked mistake in video marketing. Many people watch videos with the sound turned off. Think about your own habits. You’re sitting in a waiting room. You’re standing in line at the grocery store. You’re waiting to board an airplane. You don’t want to disturb the people around you, so you scroll silently. Now imagine a physician appears on your screen. They are obviously talking, but there are no captions, no headline, no text. Nothing tells you why you should stop. What happens? You keep scrolling, not because the doctor wasn’t knowledgeable, not because the information was not valuable. You simply had no idea what the video was about. Now imagine that same video begins with large text that says, “Three signs your blood pressure may be too high, or, “The biggest mistake patients make after knee replacement. Suddenly, you know exactly why you should stay. Captions don’t simply help people hear you; they help people understand you before they ever turn the sound on. Think of on-screen text as the title on the cover of a book. Without the title, many people never bother opening the book.   Mistake #7: Trying to Teach Everything in One Video   Mistake number seven: trying to teach everything in one video. Here’s another mistake I see all the time. Doctors try to explain everything. We want patients to understand the whole picture. That’s wonderful inside the exam room. It’s not wonderful in a 92nd video. I remember working with a physician who wanted to make a video about high blood pressure. He covered how blood pressure works, every medication, diet, exercise, complications, kidney disease, stroke, heart attacks, everything. It was an outstanding lecture. It was also far too much for one video. Now imagine a different approach. One video answers one question: Does high blood pressure have symptoms? Another asks: Why do I need medication if I feel fine? Another: Three foods that quietly raise blood pressure. Instead of one overwhelming lecture, you’ve created an entire video library. Patients can watch exactly what they need, and every video becomes another opportunity for someone to discover you.   Mistake #8: Thinking You Need Expensive Equipment   Mistake number eight: thinking you need expensive equipment. Let me save you some money. You probably don’t need another camera. You probably don’t need another microphone. You probably don’t need another light. You definitely don’t need to wait until everything is perfect. The smartphone in your pocket can produce remarkable videos today. Better equipment will help eventually, but better communication will help far more. People forgive average video quality; they rarely forgive boring content. Focus on helping people. The technology can improve later.   Mistake #9: Quitting Before the Results Show Up   Mistake number nine: quitting before the results show up. Here’s one of the biggest reasons physicians fail with video: they stop. They record three videos, maybe five. They don’t go viral. They don’t receive hundreds of comments, so they conclude video marketing doesn’t work. Imagine planting a tree. Would you dig it up after one week to see if the roots were growing? Of course not. Trust grows exactly the same way. One helpful video, then another, then another. Months later, patients begin saying, “I’ve been watching your videos. Those are some of the most rewarding words you’ll ever hear, because by then the relationship has already begun.   Mistake #10: Never Telling People What to Do Next   Mistake number 10: never telling people what to do next. You’ve educated someone. You’ve answered their question. They’ve watched until the end. Now what? Too many physicians simply stop talking. Don’t make people guess. Invite them. If you’d like more practical medical advice, subscribe. To learn more, visit my website. If this helped you, share it with someone you care about. If you’re looking for a physician, schedule an appointment. Every good conversation has a next step. Your videos should too.   Lesson: Focus on Communication, Not Technology   Here’s something I learned recently. I spent far too much time trying to make a better editor. Then I realized that’s not my job. My job is to communicate.   Dr. Barbara Hales 7:47 Technology can help me edit. Only I can bring my expertise, stories, personality, and compassion. Don’t let the technical side keep you from helping people.   This Week’s Challenge: Record One Helpful Video   This week’s challenge: Record one video, answer one patient question, and keep it under two minutes. Don’t aim for perfection. Aim for helpful. Press, publish. Then next week, do it again.   The Real Purpose of Video Marketing   Video marketing isn’t really about cameras. It isn’t about software. It isn’t about algorithms. It’s about becoming the physician people already know and trust before they ever walk through your door.   Closing: Communicate With Purpose   Thank you so much for spending part of your day with me. If you enjoyed today’s episode, I’d really appreciate it if you’d subscribe to Marketing Tips for doctors. Every week, I share practical strategies to help physicians attract better patients, build stronger practices, and enjoy medicine again. Until next time, keep communicating with purpose, because every question you answered today may change someone’s tomorrow.   The post The Mistakes That Make You Scroll first appeared on The Medical Strategist.

  8. Aug 10

    5 Video Mistakes You Make

    In this episode, Barbara discusses:    Dr. Barbara Hales explains why video is a powerful way for physicians to connect with future patients where they already are—on platforms like YouTube, Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, and LinkedIn.  Dr. Barbara Hales shows that physicians already have endless video topics by turning common patient questions into short, helpful content.  Dr. Barbara Hales warns against waiting for perfection and urges doctors to start recording imperfect but useful videos instead of obsessing over equipment or appearance.  Dr. Barbara Hales emphasizes speaking in simple, patient-friendly language (not like a medical lecture) and getting to the point quickly to keep viewers from scrolling away.  Dr. Barbara Hales highlights the importance of focusing on the patient (not the doctor’s credentials) and using strong visuals and demonstrations so videos build trust and are memorable.   Key Takeaways:  “Video works for physicians not because it’s perfectly produced, but because it quickly, simply, and visually answers the patient’s real questions in a way that feels personal, trustworthy, and focused on them.”    Connect with Barbara Hales:  Twitter: @DrBarbaraHales Facebook: facebook.com/theMedicalStrategist Business Website: TheMedicalStrategist.com Email: info@TheMedicalStrategist.com  YouTube:@barbarahales LinkedIn: https://www.LinkedIn.com/in/barbarahalesBooks: Content Copy Made Easy 14 Tactics to Triple Sales Power to the Patient: The Medical Strategist   TRANSCRIPTION (243)   Chapter 1: Why Video Matters for Physicians  [0:00:02 – Dr. Barbara Hales] Welcome to another episode of Marketing Tips for Doctors. I’m your host, Dr. Barbara Hales. Today we are going to be discussing something that has become one of the most powerful marketing tools available to physicians: Video, but ask yourself why your medical videos aren’t working. Today, we’ll discuss the first five mistakes most physicians make.  [0:00:38 – Dr. Barbara Hales] Before you think, I don’t have professional cameras. I don’t know how to edit. I don’t have enough time, or I hate seeing myself on camera. I want to tell you a little story, because over the last few weeks, I’ve been learning something completely new, not medicine, not practice management, not marketing strategy. I’ve been learning how to create short-form videos, and let me tell you, it has been humbling. I honestly thought the difficult part would be coming up with ideas. It wasn’t. The difficult part was editing. One afternoon, I spent hours trying to edit what should have been a very simple product video. Hours. I watched tutorials. I clicked the wrong buttons.  [0:01:45 – Dr. Barbara Hales] I undid things I had just done. At one point, I honestly wondered if I was ever going to finish. Then I had a realization: I don’t need to become a professional video editor. I don’t need to look like it was made by a professional. I need to become a better communicator.  [0:02:14 – Dr. Barbara Hales] Those are two completely different skills. Technology can help me edit. Only I can communicate with authenticity, and I realize something else. If I felt overwhelmed, imagine how many positions feel exactly the same way. So, if you’ve been putting off video because it seems complicated. This episode is for you. Why now? Let’s start with a simple question: Why should physicians even bother making videos? Because that’s where your future patients are. Years ago, people searched Google. Today, they search Google, YouTube, Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, even LinkedIn.  [0:03:15 – Dr. Barbara Hales] Patients don’t just want information anymore; they want connection. They want to know what kind of doctor you are. Will you explain things clearly? Will you listen? Will you make them feel comfortable? Video answers all of those questions before they ever schedule an appointment. Here’s another reason: you already have an unlimited supply of content. Every single day, patients ask you questions-questions you’ve answered hundreds of times, questions that seem routine to you-but those same questions are brand new to someone hearing the answer for the first time.  [0:04:06 – Dr. Barbara Hales] Should I worry about this symptom? Why do I need this medication? How long will recovery take? Can I exercise after surgery? What’s normal? What isn’t? Those aren’t just questions. Those are videos. Seasonal illnesses, flu season, travel medicine, heat exhaustion, spring allergies, sports physicals, Heart Month, Breast Cancer Awareness Month, Diabetes Awareness Month. The ideas are endless, which brings me to what I think may be the most important sentence in today’s episode. Every question you answer in the exam room today. Is probably being typed into Google, YouTube, Facebook, Instagram, or TikTok by hundreds, if not 1000s, of people tonight. Then think about it.  [0:05:16 – Dr. Barbara Hales] Those questions, the ones that have become second nature to you, they’re exactly what people are searching for. They’re looking for answers. They’re looking for reassurance, and perhaps most importantly, they’re looking for someone they can trust.    Chapter 2: Mistake 1 – Waiting for Perfection  [0:05:35 – Dr. Barbara Hales] If you’re the physician consistently providing those answers, you’re not just creating videos; you are building relationships before the first appointment ever happens. Now, let’s talk about the first five mistakes I see physicians make with video marketing. Mistake one: waiting for perfection. Let’s start with the biggest mistake of all: waiting until everything is perfect. I understand why physicians do this.  [0:06:15 – Dr. Barbara Hales] We’ve trained to strive for precision. In medicine, details matter, accuracy matters, getting it right matters. So naturally, we carry the same mindset into marketing. We think, I’ll record a video after I buy a better camera. I’ll start once my office is renovated. I’ll wait until I learn how to edit. I’ll do it when I lose a few pounds. I’ll do it when I feel more comfortable on camera.  [0:06:52 – Dr. Barbara Hales] Can I tell you something? Your future patients aren’t waiting for perfection. They’re waiting for someone who can answer their questions. Patients don’t expect Hollywood. They expect honesty. They expect clarity. They expect someone who feels genuine. Ironically, sometimes the videos that perform the best are the ones that feel the least polished. Why? Because they feel real. People connect with people, not perfection.  [0:07:37 – Dr. Barbara Hales] If you keep waiting until every detail is perfect, you’ll still be waiting a year from now. Instead, record one helpful video, learn from it. Record another. Your first video isn’t supposed to be your best video. It’s simply supposed to be your first. Mistake two: talking like you’re giving a medical lecture. Once physicians finally press record, many make the same mistake. They forget who they’re talking to. You aren’t speaking to your colleagues. You’re speaking to Patients; patients don’t want to feel like they’re sitting through grand rounds. They want someone who can explain complicated information in a way that’s reassuring and easy to understand.    Chapter 3: Mistakes 2 & 3 – Overly Technical and Too Slow to the Point  [0:08:36 – Dr. Barbara Hales] One of my favorite communication tests is this: Could a high school student understand what you’re saying? If the answer is yes, you’re probably communicating well. Simple doesn’t mean you’re dumbing things down. Simple means you’re making knowledge accessible, and that’s one of the greatest gifts a physician can offer. Mistake three: taking too long to get to the point. You know this is something that we’ve all done at one point or another.  [0:09:12 – Dr. Barbara Hales] Now let’s talk about attention. Years ago, people would patiently watch an introduction. Not anymore. Today you’re competing with 1000s of videos. If your opening doesn’t answer one question, why should I keep watching? People simply scroll instead of beginning with “Hello everyone, I’m Dr. Smith.  [0:09:40 – Dr. Barbara Hales] Try beginning with three reasons your blood pressure medication may not be enough, or the biggest mistake I see after knee replacement surgery, or if you wake up with headaches every morning, don’t ignore the. Lead with the problem. Curiosity is one of the most powerful marketing tools you’ll ever use. Mistake number four: making the video about you instead of the patient.    Chapter 4: Mistake 4 – Making the Video About You, Not the Patient  [0:10:20 – Dr. Barbara Hales] Here’s another trap physicians fall into. They spend the first minute talking about themselves, where they trained, how many years they practiced, their credentials. Now, don’t misunderstand me. Credentials matter, but not in the first 30 seconds. Patients are thinking about one thing: themselves, their symptoms, their concerns, their questions. Meet them where they are, instead of saying, “I’ve been practicing medicine for 25 years. Try saying, “Here’s something every patient should know before. See the difference. The first sentence is about you.  [0:11:13 – Dr. Barbara Hales] The second sentence is about them, and that’s where trust begins. Let me tell you something I’ve observed over the years. I’ve worked with physicians who had nearly identical credentials, excellent schools, board certifications, years of experience. Yet one physician always seemed to have a waiting room full of new patients, while another struggled.  [0:11:44 – Dr. Barbara Hales] Why? Because patients don’t choose the doctor with the longest resume; they

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About

This podcast is for you if you are a doctor, dentist, integrated health physician, chiropractor, or any other type of health provider. Learn how to free up your time, earn 5-star ratings, and learn marketing secrets that have been proven to work on this show with Barbara and her guests. As medical pros, you have to market yourself to be successful. Listen and hear more about how Barbara created her proven marketing system for her thriving private practice. Master the marketing techniques to attract ideal patients, develop a stronger rapport, grow your practice and boost your rankings!

Information

  • Creator
    Barbara Hales
  • Years Active
    2019 - 2026
  • Episodes
    236
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © Barbara Hales
  • Show Website
    Marketing Tips for Doctors