How to nurture med spa patient relationships between visits

The quality of the provider-patient relationship can be the difference between a positive patient experience and a negative one.

In addition to elevating the patient experience, strong provider-patient relationships increase loyalty and improve treatment outcomes. 

And they aren’t only built in-person.

Nurturing them between appointments is just as important.

Here are three things you can try today to build stronger relationships with your med spa patients between visits.

Call patients to check in after treatments.

The simplest thing you can do to improve patient relationships is to follow up with them after treatments.

How often would you say you do this?

It can be tempting to rely on digital automation tools for patient follow-up, but there's nothing like the human touch.

Be the med spa that follows up by phone and leaves a lasting impression on patients.

Phone calls build rapport, and over time, loyalty.

They demonstrate your investment in your patients, and give them an opportunity to ask sensitive questions. 

While it’s not feasible to call every patient after every visit, you can come up with a system that works for you and your staff.

For example, you may choose to follow up by phone after treatments with longer recovery times, like laser skin resurfacing or body sculpting.

Calling new patients to check in after their first treatment with you is another great gesture.

Your patients will appreciate your dedication and be more likely to come back for their next aesthetic treatment.

Give them a reliable way to contact you outside of appointments.

In a Cleveland Clinic study, 20% of patient portal messages never got a response or didn't get one for more than three business days.

Unreliable communication like this reduces patient satisfaction and can hurt treatment outcomes. 

Don't just offer patient communication channels like text, email, or a patient portal—make timely responses a priority.

Set a policy that you will reply to messages and calls within a short but realistic time frame, like 24 or 48 hours. 

Communicate your policy to patients, stick to it, and be consistent. 

Here’s an example of a straightforward policy from Clear Skin Dermatology, a practice based in Chicago that offers both cosmetic and non-cosmetic services. The policy makes it clear that the practice is responsive and sets expectations for response times during and after hours.

Clear policies like this reassure patients, foster trust, and contribute to strong provider-patient relationships. 

Send them tips for maintaining or improving results.

Patient education shouldn’t end when the appointment does.

Share aftercare tips, advice for maintaining and improving results, and other educational content via your communication channel of choice.

Sharing valuable advice with patients between visits demonstrates your commitment to patient care and leaves a good impression.

It’s also a great way to showcase your expertise and stay top-of-mind so patients book with you instead of a competitor when it’s time for their next tox injection or chemical peel. 

Educational content can take the form of one-pagers, blog posts, videos, or guides.

If you have the bandwidth, create your own content. This article on how to create educational blog content offers lots of pointers and examples from real practices.

If not, you can always share content from organizations like Allergan Advantage, The Aesthetics Society, or the American Board of Facial Cosmetic  Surgery. Publications like RealSelf or NewBeauty are also good options.

Following up by phone, staying accessible, and sharing valuable tips help you stand out from providers who may put less effort into building patient relationships beyond the appointment. 

When your patients get both the results and the experience they want, they’re more likely to tell their friends, write positive reviews, and come back again and again.