Telehealth has changed everything for aesthetic providers. Both providers and patients are saving time by electing to have video consultations for aesthetic treatments. The term tele-aesthetics has come to fruition with just about most types of healthcare now available for a variety of conditions. But how about aging and aesthetics?
Aesthetics may benefit more from than any other field of medicine. Mostly everything is surface-level; therefore, everything can be seen easily and examined through a virtual consultation.
As we all know, the challenge is that the patient is not able to get treated via video. In these cases, this can hinder an opportunity to generate revenue for the practice.
BOTOX, Fillers, Plastic Surgery, Laser treatments and just about all aesthetic treatments can benefit from a virtual consultation.
Although, most good faith providers will never pressure patients to get treated, some patients make impulse decisions that will have them opt in to get treated the same day, most often right after the consultation.
This opportunity is lost during the tele-aesthetics consultation.
Or is it?
So how do we make the most of the consultation in addition to providing an ideal patient experience? As well as converting them to a booking and or paying for a treatment.
If you’re ready to take advantage of virtual consultations for your aesthetics practice and hold your first virtual meeting, here are some tips to conduct a successful tele-aesthetics consultation for both your practice and your patient.
[Save this page as we’ll continue to add best practices as virtual consultations for aesthetics evolves]
First and foremost, patient privacy methods must be established.
You will need a plan to charge your clients, as well as a process for collecting payment. Aesthetics is easier than any other field of telehealth in this regard, since you won’t have to worry about the insurance coverage side of things.
Most providers will not be prepared for this instance. The patient might be excited about the treatment and it’s best to provide an easy path for booking and or payment.
Because the patient is not in the practice, you’ll need to provide a quick and easy path for processing payment for the treatment or a deposit. Shoot for a deposit if the patient is excited about the treatment.
Image and audio quality will dictate the success of the virtual consult. Poor communication leads to a messy experience.
Choose hardware and software that will produce the best virtual experience. Ask associates or experts for recommendations. Test the quality of your audio, video and connection every morning before starting your virtual calls.
We highly recommend a test run with a staff member prior to doing your first tele-aesthetics consultation.
Tele-aesthetic consultations can take a turn for the worse if there are WIFI complications, password problems, or internet server issues.
Have a plan for any technological difficulties that may arise during a consultation. Depending on the issue, the backup plan might be connecting with the user via Apple FaceTime, Google Duo or a phone call.
Having both a laptop, tablet or phone handy in case you’re having connection or device issues will save a lot of frustration.
Let your patients choose between in-person or video consultations. Why?
The patient who is excited about the convenience of telehealth is likely to have a successful tele-aesthetics consultation. However, some patients favor in-person consultations. To maximize your conversions from consultations to surgeries, let patients choose the consultation experience they prefer.
We are still gathering data, but it can be likely that virtual consultations have a higher show rate than in-practice consultations.
Scheduling consultations correctly will make them successful for both you and your patient.
Have a team member call the patient and walk them through their upcoming virtual consultation. The patient should know exactly what to expect from the appointment.
Ask your patient what their priorities are for the appointment. You might ask them to supply photos of the area of the face or body that will be discussed during the consult.
Your patient will probably be wondering:
Take ample time before each tele-aesthetics consultation for planning in order to maximize your time.
Give your patient your full and undivided attention, the same way you do during an in-person consult.
Turn off your phone, messaging platforms and anything that makes a sound when you receive a message. Little distractions can cause hiccups during the call that can lead the consultation off track.
Think about the tasks you would usually do in-person during the consult, and guide the patient to do it instead. For example, show your patient ideal facial expressions and posture so you can get a true angle of your patients' concerned areas.
Before the end of the consultation, set up the next steps. Schedule the follow-up appointment, send appointment notes to your EMR or wherever you store patient files so you can be prepared when they show up for treatment.
Get your patient on the right path so they don’t get lost after the consultation. Don’t hesitate to request feedback. At the end of the appointment, ask new virtual patients what they thought about their tele-aesthetics consultation so that you can continue to improve.
The initial conversation might be just to build trust with the patient so they can be more likely and better yet ready to take the next step and come in for a treatment. Setup a closing statement that is soft yet assertive. Such as, “we’re excited to see you come in to have the rest of your questions answered and get treated, does this Friday afternoon work for you”.
Telemedicine is saving money and energy for providers and patients across the globe. In the aesthetics realm specifically, telehealth is eliminating many of the barriers that typically prevent patients from learning more about cosmetic procedures. Tele-aesthetics consultations appeal to:
With a little preparation and practice, tele-aesthetics consultations can revolutionize your practice, making work more relaxing and more profitable.
