Common Characteristics & Best Practices of Successful Weight Management Programs

Question 1

Factors for successful program?

Answer 1

commitment from leadership and staff
program planning
comprehensive approach
initial and ongoing training
aggressive marketing
analytics

Question 2

What should be most important characteristic about staff?

Answer 2

passionate, motivated staff

customer service oriented

Question 3

Tips for program planning

Answer 3

program runs as a business with a mission statement and SMART goals for growth
i.e:
enrolling a certain amount of patients by a certain date
revenue goals

Question 4

Business planning questionnaire outline

Answer 4

program mission statement
program structure and products/services offered
staffing and roles
competition
marketing
fee schedules - billing

Question 5

SMART goals

Answer 5

Specific: What do you want to accomplish
Mensurable: How will you know when you accomplish goal
Attainable: Goal realistic
Relevant: is goal worth the effort
Timely: when will it be accomplished

Question 6

SWOT analysis

Answer 6

Internal strengths
Internal weaknesses
Opportunities for growth
Threats to program

After fill out: action items and goals

Question 7

components of a structured, comprehensive, multi disciplinary approach

Answer 7

medical tx protocol
phased program
meal plans
meal replacement
pt education modules
maintenance
myhealthjourney (app and provider portal)
ancillary products/services to assist pts needs

Question 8

two ways to market

Answer 8

internally to existing pts

externally to attract new pts

Question 9

best practices for marketing

Answer 9

patient referral program
physician referrals
corporate wellness programs
website/social media
ongoing reactivation efforts (reactivation for old pts)

radio/tv
online ads
print ads
direct to consumer coupons
health fairs/open house
community talks

Question 10

program analytics

Answer 10

track your treatment outcomes and marketing efforts

Question 11

7 Rs of weight loss

Answer 11

results
recruitment
retention
reactivation
referral
revenue
review

Question 12

Results

Answer 12

weight loss results
reduction in health issues
BMI reduction
lifestyle and behavioral changes
maintenance

best practice to review pt charts every work to see if helping them hit their goals

Question 13

Recruitment

Answer 13

internal and external marketing efforts to get new patients - esp after program is up and running

Question 14

Retention, customer service strategies

Answer 14

Weekly coaching
pt education program
weekly in review recap
apps/technology
weekly weight in and strategies for success
monthly personal success visits - review progress to date

Question 15

Ways to help with Reactivation

Answer 15

pts that have dropped out, contact via phone call, email, cards

try to find out why they dropped and out, and get them back in

create database of past pts to do periodic contacting of them

Question 16

Most effective type of Referral

Answer 16

patient and physician referrals

Question 17

Revenue tips

Answer 17

Weekly: product sales, program sales, misc sales

important to track on weekly and daily basis

Question 18

Review

Answer 18

Key operative statistics

clinical results
marketing results
areas in need of improvement
yearly SWOT
weekly/monthly meetings for review of the 7Rs