Why the first order isn’t enough
A channel that brings in plenty of referrals can still be a poor one if those patients stop reordering, return equipment or drop off therapy early. Counting referrals or first shipments by channel misses all of that. Churn is where the cost shows up.
How to set it up
- Tag at intake. Record the channel on the patient, not only on the order: rep referral, physician portal, website, paid search, partner pharmacy, or whatever your channels are.
- Keep the tag. It stays with the patient through every reorder, return and cancellation.
- Join it to outcomes. Reorders, returns, cancellations and time on therapy come from the billing system’s data, matched to the patient.
- Report it live. Churn and returns by channel, next to how many patients each channel brought in.
What our client needed
The company’s orders ran through Brightree’s cloud-based system, which recorded the referring office well. The marketing channel, kept on the patient and joined to churn, returns and length of time on therapy, is what we added in a separate database beside it. An HME platform the client was quoted wouldn’t have tagged patients by intake channel at all.
When not to bother
With one dominant channel, there’s little to compare. The tag earns its place once marketing spend is split across several channels and someone has to decide where the next dollar goes.
Related questions
- Doesn't the billing system record the referral source?
- It records the referring office. Our clients also needed the marketing channel, kept on the patient and joined to what happened after the first order.
- Which marketing channels bring in patients who stay?
- That's the question channel tagging answers. It's different for every company, which is why it's worth measuring.