Eight Creative Ways to Increase Patient Volume

Updated from November 17, 2022

Getting more patients is not just about visibility. It is about connection. These eight patient acquisition strategies help health systems grow by improving access, digital engagement, and trust. From rethinking your online presence to leveraging reviews, hyperlocal campaigns, and platforms like Healthgrades, creative and data-driven marketing can turn awareness into appointments and visibility into volume.

Today’s patients have more choices, higher expectations, and quicker access to care than ever before. For hospitals, delivering excellent clinical outcomes alone is no longer enough to attract new patients. Instead, connecting with the right people, in the right way, and at the right moment is key to boosting patient acquisition. It’s a complex challenge, but the right strategies can make it achievable.

How to Get More Patients into Your Health System

To stand out in a crowded healthcare market, you need to rethink how you engage people at every touchpoint. Whether you’re looking for creative ways to attract more patients or aiming to refine your current acquisition strategy, these eight approaches can help your health system boost patient volumes and turn interest into action.

1. Reevaluate Your Digital Front Door Experience

Your digital front door includes the online entry points where users first engage with your brand. This initial experience often determines whether a prospective patient stays, schedules with your health system, or looks elsewhere. It’s your first impression—and increasingly, your most important one.

A 2023 Redpoint Global/Dyanta survey found that 62% of patients expect their digital healthcare experiences to reflect the personalization and convenience of in-person care. So, if your website feels difficult to navigate, your scheduling tools are outdated, or crucial information is buried, you’re likely losing patients before you have the chance to earn their trust.

To modernize your digital front door:

• Upgrade appointment request forms to real-time scheduling tools that show up-to-date availability.
• Maintain robust physician profiles that include engaging bios, patient reviews, accepted insurance plans, and detailed specialties.
• Offer virtual care options, such as telehealth visits and secure follow-up messaging.
• Add AI-powered assistance to automate manual tasks and answer questions outside office hours.

By removing barriers and delivering a smooth digital experience, you make it easier for patients to choose your health system with confidence.

2. Manage Patient Reviews with Purpose

Patient reviews can make or break a healthcare decision, so it’s essential to incorporate feedback management as part of your broader acquisition strategy. In a Healthgrades study, 57% of respondents said they “frequently” or “always” read online reviews when researching a new doctor or healthcare professional.¹

Start by making it easy for patients to share their thoughts. Automate review requests after appointments through email or SMS, and direct patients to trusted platforms like Healthgrades, where their honest feedback can help others make informed healthcare decisions. Equally important is having a plan to monitor and respond to reviews in a timely, professional, and  HIPAA-compliant manner. Some best practices include:

• Thanking patients for positive reviews.
• Acknowledging concerns in negative reviews without disclosing personal health information and offering to resolve issues offline.
• Highlighting five-star feedback across your website and marketing channels to build social proof.
• Tracking trends in reviews to uncover operational gaps or recurring concerns at specific locations or within certain specialties.

With a purposeful approach, you can turn great patient experiences into public endorsements and start building trust, improving your online reputation, and attracting more patients to your health system.

3. Publish High Quality Healthcare Content

One of the most sustainable and creative ways to increase patient volume is to position your organization as a trusted resource, with content as the cornerstone.

According to a McKinsey study, 75% of people read health-related content at least once a week. To stand out, your hospital or practice should invest in original, patient-friendly content that addresses common conditions, symptoms, treatments, and wellness tips. Try incorporating insights directly from physicians to provide authoritative perspectives on patient concerns. For instance:

• Invite doctors to contribute blog posts, short educational videos, or social media snippets.
• Host live Q&A sessions or webinars around seasonal or groundbreaking health topics.
• Feature spotlights on healthcare professionals to humanize your care team and build patient trust.

Additionally, partnering with patient influencers who share real stories about care experiences can amplify your content’s reach and credibility. A video testimonial from a patient recovering from heart surgery or navigating a chronic condition will resonate more than any ad copy.

4. Use Hyperlocal Targeting

Healthcare is inherently local, and your marketing should reflect that. While many health systems run broad regional or system-wide campaigns, some of the most effective patient acquisition strategies focus on the neighborhood level. Hyperlocal targeting allows you to deliver tailored messaging to potential patients based on their specific community, lifestyle, and access points.

Say you have a primary care practice in a suburban zip code that has a low weekday volume. Rather than running a generic campaign across your entire metro area, a hyperlocal approach would target that specific zip code.  Ads could highlight walk-in availability and proximity, layered with messaging about evening or weekend hours that appeal to busy families. 

Similarly, if a new orthopedic specialist joins one of your clinics, you could launch paid search and social campaigns targeted to nearby zip codes. Featuring that physician’s photo, specialty, and appointment availability helps create a personalized connection that drives engagement.

The goal is to meet people where they are—not just geographically but also in the context of their daily routines and healthcare decisions. When patients see relevant, timely messaging tied directly to their unique needs, they’re more likely to engage and choose your health system when it matters most.

5. Tap Into Employer-Based Partnerships

For many, healthcare decisions begin at work. Employees frequently turn to their companies for support and resources that influence when, where, and how they seek care. According to the Kaiser Family Foundation, nearly 165 million people had employer-sponsored health insurance in 2023, making local businesses a highly strategic—and often overlooked—channel for growing patient volume.

Co-developing programs such as flu shot drives, mental health webinars, and preventive care campaigns can help you become the preferred healthcare option for entire workforces. These partnerships can also be mutually beneficial. As you expand your patient base, employers benefit from healthier teams, increased productivity, and greater workforce satisfaction. Plus, directly integrating a trusted health system into employees’ daily lives lowers the friction between needing and receiving care.

6. Build Stronger Community Connections

Marketing isn’t just about ad spend. By actively engaging with your community through activities such as sponsoring a local 5K, partnering with schools for back-to-school health screenings, or offering CPR training at a library, your organization demonstrates its commitment to the health and well-being of the entire community, not just those who walk through your doors. 

These touchpoints don’t need to be large-scale or resource-heavy to make an impact. Even small, consistent efforts such as neighborhood cleanups or wellness workshops show that you care long before patients need medical attention.

7. Launch Campaigns Around Patient Motivations

When patients decide to take action, it’s often triggered by something timely in their lives. They may have developed a new symptom, need to schedule a visit before their deductible resets, or want to focus on their mental health in a stressful season. Timing your outreach to these moments makes your campaigns feel relevant and supportive instead of disruptive.

For example, a “Back-to-School Wellness” campaign in August might highlight physicals, immunizations, and behavioral health support for children and teens. A “Stay Heart Healthy” push in February could align with American Heart Month, encouraging cardiac screenings and follow-up care. During open enrollment season, you can remind older adults about Medicare Advantage and annual wellness visits.

As you build out your campaigns, tailor your messaging to different life stages and priorities. Younger adults often value convenience and affordability, while parents may seek pediatric expertise and flexible scheduling. By aligning your outreach with real-life needs and moments, you position your health system as a trusted partner for timely, responsive care.

Explore our 2025 Health Observances calendar for timely ideas to inspire patient-centered campaigns all year long.

8. Partner with Third-Party Platforms for Better Discovery

When patients visit a healthcare directory, they are typically in the final stages of selecting a physician. Platforms like Healthgrades have become trusted resources for them to compare doctors, evaluate health system reputation, and look for care they can trust. 

For hospital marketers, this presents a valuable opportunity to appear right when patients are ready to act. Maintaining a strong, up-to-date presence across platforms like Healthgrades is key to increasing discovery, referrals, and conversions at scale.

To maximize the impact of third-party directories:

• Claim and complete all doctor and location profiles with updated bios, accepted insurances, clinical specialties, and professional photos.
• Use consistent branding and messaging to reinforce trust and present a cohesive identity across all listings.
• Take advantage of features that showcase your physicians alongside similar local specialists, expanding reach and patient choice.
• Consider premium placements to boost visibility for key specialties or high-growth service lines, like those offered through Healthgrades’ Advertising Solutions.

When leveraged effectively, platforms like Healthgrades become one of the most efficient and scalable ways to drive patient acquisition and boost local awareness at critical decision points.

To go even further, using Healthgrades’ Advertising Solutions can help connect your brand with the nation’s largest online audience of motivated healthcare shoppers.

Turn Visibility into Visits with Healthgrades

Every year, half of all U.S. healthcare consumers who see a doctor visit healthgrades.com. As a Healthgrades partner, you can tap into the industry’s most qualified and motivated healthcare audience with solutions built to drive measurable results.

For Medical Practices

Our Advertising Solutions put your health system front and center at the point of decision. With two-thirds of Healthgrades profile visitors scheduling care within a week, you’ll reach high-intent patients when they’re ready to choose a doctor. We’ll help you with:

• Increased visibility: Prominent branding and calls to action on healthgrades.com physician search results pages and physician profiles.
• Competitive intercept: Promote your brand and present your medical staff as alternative options directly on your competitors’ profiles.
• Syndication network: Reach consumers where they are by extending your brand across the web with our partner sites’ look and feel to provide a seamless user experience.
• Easy conversion: Integrate online appointment scheduling for in-person and telehealth services directly into your profiles to convert patients ready to appoint.
• Expanded access to alternative doctors from the same practice: If prospective patients land on the sponsored profile of a doctor who is not accepting new patients, they are shown available alternatives from the same practice. This feature keeps consumers within your health system while resolving capacity issues—ultimately enabling patients to schedule care.

Our Automation Solutions for Health Systems and Practices streamline patient communications and improve operational efficiency. Powered by Medchat•ai, a customizable AI platform, these tools automate everything from appointment scheduling and routine calls to specialty pharmacy enrollments. With HIPAA and SOC 2 Type 2 compliance, Medchat•ai provides a seamless experience for both patients and healthcare teams.

To further support your outreach, Healthgrades’ Brand Solutions reach a highly qualified audience across media platforms and grow brand awareness. Healthgrades Audience Intelligence leverages billions of consumer interactions and HIPAA-compliant data, combined with advanced machine-learning models, to identify and engage patients most likely to book an appointment. Tools like PatientConnect and PatienTarget offer hyper-targeted display advertising across digital platforms—including web, video, connected TV, and audio—ensuring your health system reaches parents wherever they are without sacrificing scale or efficiency.

For Physicians and Other Healthcare Professionals

A crucial step to enhancing your online presence is to claim your Healthgrades profile. It’s free and ensures your information is accurate and complete. With your profile, you can:

• Upload a professional photo
• Share your personal bio and background
• Respond directly to patient reviews

It’s a quick and impactful way to build trust and increase your visibility online, making it easier for patients to choose you with confidence.

Looking to make an even stronger impression online? An Elevated Profile on Healthgrades does more than keep your information current. It helps you make a stronger impact when patients decide where to go for care. This upgrade allows you to differentiate yourself in a crowded digital marketplace by presenting a polished, distraction-free page that focuses entirely on your expertise and the care you provide. Your Elevated Profile features a clean, ad-free layout that highlights your brand, removes competitor and consumer ads, and includes a direct link to your online scheduler. It’s a simple, effective way to expand your web presence and convert profile views into real appointments.

Take your patient acquisition strategy to the next level. Get in touch today to learn more about how Healthgrades can turn your marketing goals into real results.

1. Reviews and Online Appointment Scheduling survey, Healthgrades Study using Suzy Online Survey Platform, April-May 2025, n=1089