Referrer management
In an acute or rehabilitation hospital, the term referrer management encompasses the establishment, management and controlling of structures, processes and measures that are geared towards cooperation with resident (specialist) doctors with the aim of improving patient flows influencing one's own home.
Goals of the referral management
One of the main goals is to influence patient flows. In order to be able to achieve this overarching goal, the following sub-goals are defined:
- Improve general communication
- Improvement of patient-related medical communication
- Establishing / maintaining personal contacts
- Creation of a valid database as a controlling instrument
Components of the instructor management
A professionally executed instructor management consists of the following core elements:
- Regular market and potential analyzes
- Regular internal, department-related analyzes of the performance figures (CMI and case numbers)
- Qualitative referral surveys
- Communication channels for the referring physician
- Action planning
- Project management
- Controlling
Significance within the organizational structure
In many hospitals, referrer management is part of the marketing / public relations area due to the marketing activities involved . This does not necessarily have to be the case. Other models are quite conceivable here, but are particularly necessary where there is no “marketing / public relations” position. A well-structured referral management can move revenues in a targeted manner. If it is used correctly as a tool for corporate management, it should also be anchored in the company on the same level as medical controlling and quality management. The referral management is to be seen as the intersection between the chief physicians, the medical controlling, the quality management, the administration and the marketing and thus contains a high complexity, which has to be countered by a clear regulation of the responsibilities.
In institutions in which, for reasons of resources, it is not possible to introduce a separate position for referral management, it can also be anchored in one of the other areas mentioned (preferably in marketing). It is of great importance that it is linked to a permanent person who has the main responsibility for the referral management and reports to the management.