| Q: Are patient newsletters permitted under HIPAA?
A:
Yes. Sending patient communications containing health information is permitted.
If patients no longer want to receive such information, remove them from your
list.
Q: Do I have to sign an annual contract?
A: No. You can
try a single issue without obligation. However, like chiropractic adjustments,
consistent and regular mailings seem to produce better results.
Q: Will
I get to see a proof before you print?
A: Yes. You’ll see at least
two proofs before we print. First, we’ll fax you a proof showing how we’ve
incorporated your information and designed your Personalization Panel. When you’re
happy with the layout, we Express Mail you an actual proof printed on the final
stock. Only then, with your approval do we go to press.
Q: Whom should
I send newsletters to?
A: Most offices send them to their active and certain
inactive patients whom they’d especially like to encourage referrals or reactivations.
Other offices hand deliver them to nearby businesses as a means to introduce themselves. And others get extras to handout at the front desk.
Q:
How do I mail the newsletters?
A: Offices with a mailing list of 500 or
fewer usually print mailing labels and have their staff apply a first class stamp
and drop them in the mail. By controlling your own mailing list you can better track
address changes.
Q: Do I need a bulk mail permit?
A: No. If you
intend to mail more than 500 pieces, work with a local
mail preparation facility. We can imprint their permit number and deliver them
to their facility for them to address, sort and mail.
Q: Must I supply content for the Personalization
Panel?
A: No. Each issue, we can create a “From the Desk of…”
article that we ghost write for you and you can edit if you wish. We make it easy! Q: What is the
“Designer Fee?”
A: The Designer
Fee is a flat fee we charge to take the materials you send us and fashion
them into something that looks good and matches the look and feel of the rest of the issue. It
includes file conversions, data entry, proofing, postage, phone calls and everything
else we need to do behind the scenes to produce a high quality newsletter.
Q:
Can I include patient testimonials?
A: Of course. But first be sure to
get their consent to use their name and/or picture. We assume that if you’re
supplying a testimonial, not only is it legal in your jurisdiction, but that you have permission
from the patient!
Q: Why aren’t there more purely chiropractic articles?
A:
Relief & Wellness News is designed to put chiropractic in the context of other
healthful information. This approach makes Relief & Wellness News interesting
to patients. Instead of a "themed" issue that some patients may not relate to, we offer variety. This way, you're seen as the natural health care expert.
Q: What if I don’t like some of the articles?
A:
That’s the beauty of Relief & Wellness News. Virtually anything in black
ink can be edited, modified or replaced. We regularly replace articles with those
submitted by our customers. Our goal is to produce a newsletter that you’re
proud of and that your will patients read.
Q: What can I expect from sending
Relief & Wellness News?
A: Many factors affect patient response.
Some offices experience a flood of reactivations soon after they mail. Others
find that interest builds after several issues. As good as Relief & Wellness
News is, many things outside our control influence reactivations and referrals.
However, experts agree that regular mailings, especially to those you’d like to see
return, is a good business investment, even if you don’t see instant results. Q:
Why is the newsletter only available quarterly?
A: Four times a year, coinciding
with the changing seasons, seems to be the right mix between being too often and
being too far apart and forgotten. If you’re interested in
more frequent mailings, enough back issues are available so you could send a different newsletter each month for several years. Or, Patient Media provides postcards,
letters and other
ways to keep in touch with your patients.
Q: When is each issue available?
A:
The Winter issue is available between January 1 and March 31. The Spring issue
ships between April 1 and mid-June. The Summer issue is mailed between mid-June
and the end of August. And the Fall issue is sent between September 1 and early December. Q:
Is there an electronic version available?
A: An e-Newsletter is included in our Perfect Patients website service. Because of the many advantages of the Internet, we send two newsletters monthly. Learn more by touring our sister company's website at: www.perfectpatients.com
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