BUSINESS

Read all about it: How to publish for your practice

Patient newsletters can go beyond education and be a good marketing tool. Here's how to put together a newsletter that helps both you and your patients.

By Robert Kazel, AMNews staff. July 26, 2004.

A couple of times a year, Arthur Frank, MD, and his staff engage in some do-it-yourself journalism. The Washington internist's employees divvy up freshly-printed copies of Weight Management News, using time between patients to affix mailing labels generated from lists of current and former patients and people who've inquired about treatment. Employees then stick on stamps, pile the newsletters in boxes and drive them to the post office, which mails them to 6,000 recipients.

The stories in each edition, all written by Dr. Frank and colleagues, might not always be of interest to the mass media. Big stories in past editions have included, "A restaurant outing need not be a dining disaster," and "Whole grains: Why do we ignore this nutritional treasure?"

But Dr. Frank contends that the newsletter, published for more than a decade, is valued for just that reason: It targets overweight patients directly, providing practical information they might not find elsewhere. Like all good editors, he says he tries to stress objectivity. He doesn't shy away from what he views as controversies, such as comparing the Atkins and Dean Ornish diets, or exploring the pros and cons of bariatric surgery.

Practice newsletters can benefit you as a doctor, too. There is an altruistic reason to publish them, such as keeping patients updated on wellness issues and new treatments. But newsletters also can help build patient loyalty and goodwill, and increase referrals if patients pass them on to friends and family.

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