Patients are often aware of physicians' reputations - whether their doctors are considered the "best in their field" while referring physicians typically know which specialists are thought of as excellent. Credibility is what both groups perceive the "best" doctors as having, but credibility can be an elusive concept.
In an academic setting, it comes to those who, among other things, publish medical research. Apart from the value of such research to medicine, the studies an academic physician conducts have a cumulative weightiness that lends stature to his or her assertions and medical practice. Such doctors may eventually be known as experts, and may even become one of a handful authoritatively associated with their research niche. This kind of credibility helps build a practice and can even do so on a national level, with patients traveling from various parts of the country to see a well-known expert on their particular medical problem.
While the physician in a community setting may not have access to research grants funded by national institutions, it's still possible to conduct a simple, practice based study. The results can be published in a non-academic trade journal that goes to potential referral markets - industrial health managers, say. Or they can be used to reach the area media, since statistics gathered from even 100 patients automatically make something newsworthy. This kind of study can open the door for a physician to discuss his or her findings with a local newspaper or radio station. (On the national level, a day doesn't go by without the media reporting statistics, whether it's the number of people afflicted by sinus trouble, or the percentage of children under age 6 who have lead paint poisoning. Statistics have become a form of instant news, a way to lead into a larger topic area.)
But how do you, a community-based physician, generate viable numbers, i.e., numerical facts? Start by isolating a corner of your practice. Mentally gather the patients who have received a special procedure, or a type of patient you'd like to specialize in treating, and design a questionnaire for them. Since time away from work while undergoing medical treatment, and the cost of treatment itself, are issues circulating in the larger society. it's a good idea to address both in the questions you ask your patients. You might want to track how soon a particular patient group was able to return to work following a specific surgical procedure. If you can demonstrate a quick recovery period, or if you can offer a more cost-effective treatment, so much the better. Statistics like these will be of interest to occupational health and industrial health professionals.
A good questionnaire will address all the areas of concern to patients. What were their original symptoms? How long had they suffered with them? How did they feel about every phase of their treatment? Were they satisfied with the results and the follow-up care? Would they recommend your practice to their relatives and friends? Also include the all-important question about how soon they returned to work, and the total cost of care.
Note too, there may be an additional benefit to you, the physician, in asking your patients questions. You may not know, for instance, that patients who have been out of work- off and on prior to seeking surgical treatment statistically do not recover as quickly as those who are treated when they have their first serious symptoms. Obvious though this may seem, having the statistical proof can be used in communicating with patients as well as the media. It's a lot more convincing for you to say, "Eight out of ten patients..." or "85% of all patients treated...," than it is to say, "Patients who get early treatment typically..."
Once you have the results of your study (you needn't do anything more involved than a simple percentage analysis), put them in a letter to current patients, as well as a release that will go to the local media. To patients, this will illustrate the fact that you have a broader view of a particular medical problem, and that you're interested in "patient-friendly" treatment and follow up care. To the media, it will begin to position you as an area physician willing to talk about medical treatment for an area audience. And if the media then covers your findings, you can reprint the article and mail it to both patients and referral sources.
In time, the credibility you create by studying your own patient populations could lead to the enhancement of your local stature and draw more patients to your particular market niche. But a practice-based study is the first step in building the credibility you seek.