How Providers Can Support Families Seeking Back-to-School Care

The back-to-school season is a great opportunity to attract new families seeking healthcare for their children — and to potentially reengage existing patients and clients. But to get those families in the door and support them in this busy season, it’s vital to spread the word about the services you provide. With some strategic planning and effective patient communication, you can position your practice as a trusted partner in children’s health and wellness.¹

Delivering Back-to-School Care

Whether families are seeking required school health exams or just catching up on care, the back-to-school season is an opportunity for your practice to deliver the care they want and need.

Back-to-school checkups may include:

• Annual wellness exams
• Dental cleanings
• Eye exams
• Hearing tests
• Immunizations
• Mental health screenings
• Prescription renewals (e.g., inhalers, EpiPen® injectors, ADHD medication)
• Sports physicals

For example, every state requires students to get certain vaccines to attend school.² Pediatricians may therefore see an influx of patients during back-to-school season. Not only that, but many kids who participate in sports will need sports physicals to help ensure safe participation during the school year.³ In addition, families may seek recommended eye exams before a child turns 5, prior to junior high school and before heading off to college.⁴

Pet parents may also be preparing their furry companions for shifting schedules in fall. Beyond regular checkups and preventive care, veterinary practices can encourage families to bring their pet in for a checkup if they’re experiencing anxiety or stress from the back-to-school transition.⁵

13 Strategies to Help Boost Patient Engagement This Fall

Looking for ways to help your business or practice support families seeking back-to-school care? Consider these helpful strategies.

1. Optimize your website

To get your practice website ready for fall, you may want to feature information about any back-to-school services you offer, along with the benefits of scheduling preventive care before the school year starts. Create a dedicated section or landing page with information on topics such as vaccination requirements, backpack guidelines and sports physicals.

Use relevant keywords like “back-to-school checkups” to help increase visibility, and a call to action like “Book Your Back-to-School Checkup Now.” These kinds of dedicated landing pages may resonate with families seeking back-to-school care, supporting them in their quest to find a trusted provider — and helping your practice turn leads into patients or clients.⁶

2. Showcase educational content

In a 2024 McKinsey U.S. Consumer Health Insights Survey, 42% of respondents said they were somewhat or much more likely to schedule an appointment with a healthcare provider if they offered relevant content on healthcare topics.⁷ To prepare for fall, dentists might create social media posts about the importance of back-to-school dental checkups, while orthopedists could feature blog posts about school sports and injuries that may arise during the school year. Not only can educational content raise awareness about key health topics, but it can also enhance patient engagement with your practice.⁸

3. Offer back-to-school promotions

To encourage new patients and clients to check out your practice or remind existing patients to return for care, consider offering back-to-school promotions.

Here are a few promotional ideas:

• Create a Facebook event for free or discounted back-to-school screenings and invite local families to participate.
• Design a website landing page offering a special discount for new patients or clients, with a headline like “Get Your Child’s Smile Ready for School” or “Back-to-School Hearing Special.”
• Host a contest on Instagram — for example, people can post an ugly glasses photo with your vision practice’s hashtag, and the person with the most likes can win a credit toward eyewear.

4. Create a child-friendly office

A child-friendly health and wellness environment can help reduce kids’ anxiety and promote better outcomes.⁹ To help children feel comfortable in your practice, consider adding kid-friendly artwork and colorful decorations such as stick-on figures and designs. Make sure that chairs, beds and any equipment are appropriately sized for children and their parents. You can also add a play area with clean toys, books and games to help alleviate any stress and improve the patient experience.

5. Present kids with goody bags

When children visit your practice, consider giving them something special to take home with them, such as a fun prize or other token that incentivizes positive health practices. You can even order branded merchandise to help remind families of your practice in between appointments.

Consider these types of promotional items:

• Audiology practice: Earbuds or earplugs
• Chiropractic, orthopedic or physical therapy practice: Sports cooling towel or hot/cold pack
• Dental practice: Sugar-free lollipops
• Dermatology practice: Trial-size sunscreen or lip balm
• Mental health practice: Stress balls or fidget poppers
• Optometry or ophthalmology practice: Sunglasses
• Pediatric practice: First aid kit or hand sanitizer

6. Make use of email marketing

To help support existing patients and clients in a hectic season, send reminder emails to parents who haven’t yet scheduled appointments for their children. Use catchy subject lines to highlight the importance of back-to-school checkups and any special offers or incentives you’re providing. In all your patient communication, emphasize the value of timely checkups to help ensure children are prepared for the school year.

7. Offer flexible payment options

In a 2023 Synchrony study, 64% of patients surveyed said that a healthcare provider offering a variety of payment options, including special financing, is highly important and influences where they will go for treatment or service.¹⁰ By offering flexible patient financing, your practice can help make it easier for families to move forward with care. The CareCredit credit card is one financing solution that allows patients and clients to split the cost of care into convenient monthly payments — so families can pay for back-to-school appointments over time.*

8. Build partnerships with local schools

To help build relationships with families in your community, contact local schools and offer to host family workshops, give interactive presentations on kids’ health topics or provide pro bono services for a day (e.g., free vision screenings). Partnering with schools can be an excellent way to help your practice stand out this fall — and establish your practice as a trusted resource for children’s care all year long.¹

9. Get involved in community events

If your town hosts any fairs, festivals or sports tournaments during the back-to-school season, find out if your business or practice can participate. You can set up a booth with giveaways, games, crafts and handouts featuring healthy back-to-school tips. This can be a great way to connect with new families in a fun and relaxed environment, and to showcase your commitment to your local community.¹¹

10. Leverage social media

Social media is another good place to promote your services and interact with current and potential patients and clients. Beyond educational content, you can share patient testimonial videos as well as sneak peeks of your staff preparing for the school year. Consider hosting a live Q&A session where a provider answers pressing questions about back-to-school care, and use hashtags like #BackToSchool to help increase your posts’ visibility.

11. Provide convenient and flexible scheduling

According to the 2023 McKinsey Consumer Health Insights Survey, 27% of the 60% of respondents who experienced scheduling obstacles decided to schedule an appointment with a new provider.⁸ To help remove this hurdle — particularly during a busy time of year — consider integrating real-time online scheduling tools into your website, emails, texts and ads. A quick and easy online scheduling process can save families valuable time and reduce phone call volume for your staff.¹ You might also consider offering extended hours a few evenings each week or Saturday morning appointments to help busy families find appointments that work with their schedule.

12. Offer telehealth appointments

Families may also appreciate the option to engage with your business or practice virtually during the bustling back-to-school season. Consider offering telehealth appointments for initial assessments, minor concerns or follow-ups. These virtual consultations can provide a convenient way for parents to discuss their child’s health and wellness without visiting the office. If you offer this service, be sure to promote it on your website and social media channels.

13. Partner with local businesses

To help raise your exposure to potential patients and clients, consider collaborating with businesses that cater to families, such as children’s clothing stores, toy stores or bookstores. You can exchange promotional materials or even offer mutual discounts that encourage families to visit both businesses.

Elevating the Patient Experience

During the busy back-to-school season, your business or practice has a chance to establish strong relationships with local families and set yourself apart from others in the health and wellness marketplace. By employing strategies like email marketing, real-time online scheduling and community involvement, your practice can be seen as a trusted provider of care — helping improve patient engagement, loyalty and acquisition.⁶

Offer Flexible Financing at Your Practice

If you are looking for a way to connect your patients or clients with flexible financing that empowers them to pay for the care they want and need, consider offering the CareCredit credit card as a financing solution. CareCredit allows cardholders to pay for out-of-pocket health and wellness expenses over time while helping enhance the payments process for your practice or business.

When you accept CareCredit, patients or clients can see if they prequalify with no impact to their credit score, and those who apply, if approved, can take advantage of special financing on qualifying purchases.* Additionally, you will be paid directly within two business days.

Learn more about the CareCredit credit card as a financing solution or start the provider enrollment process by filling out this form.

Author Bio

Robyn Tellefsen is a freelance writer and editor with more than 20 years of experience covering health and wellness, finance and more. Her work has appeared on sites such as LoopNet, Beachside Rehab, First Horizon Bank, SoFi, A Place for Mom, American Express, Chase and more.

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