How to Add More Streams of Revenue to Your Pediatrician Practice
Updated: Oct 28, 2023
Are you a pediatrician who's feeling burnt out and struggling to provide the care that you know your patients deserve? In today's ever-changing healthcare landscape, it's more important than ever to find ways to provide a more balanced approach to pediatric care, one that supports the whole family and takes into account their unique needs while also feels manageable as a healthcare provider.
In this blog post, we'll be sharing insights into the current state of healthcare and provider burnout, and exploring what families are looking for in a healthcare provider for their children. We'll also be offering ideas for providing a more balanced approach to pediatrics, including becoming a certified sleep consultant, hiring a certified sleep consultant, or hiring a lactation specialist to work out of your practice in order for you to provide families with the care and resources they need to thrive.
The Current State of Healthcare and Provider Burnout
For many pediatricians, the demands of the job can be overwhelming. Long hours, high patient loads, and constantly changing regulations can make it difficult to provide the care that you know your patients deserve. In fact, according to a recent study in the Pediatrics journal by MD Edge, over 40% of pediatricians report experiencing burnout, with many feeling exhausted, cynical about their work, and emotionally drained.
Ask a handful of physicians themselves about it, and you’ll collect some anecdotal evidence that supports this as well. Even taking our own children to their well-child appointments is evidence enough that there is some major burnout happening in the healthcare field.
Healthcare workers are experiencing burnout due to various reasons. Some of the factors contributing to burnout include:
Excessive workloads: Healthcare workers often face high patient loads and long working hours, leading to exhaustion and an inability to maintain a healthy work-life balance.
Administrative burdens: The increasing administrative tasks and paperwork take time away from direct patient care, contributing to feelings of frustration and stress.
Limited control over work schedules: Healthcare workers often have limited control over their schedules, which can lead to feelings of being overwhelmed and a lack of work-life integration.
Organizational support: Inadequate support from healthcare organizations, such as lack of resources, staffing shortages, and insufficient leadership, can contribute to burnout among healthcare workers.
Moral injury: Healthcare workers may experience moral distress when they are unable to provide the level of care they believe their patients deserve due to systemic constraints or resource limitations.
Emotional demands: Dealing with high-stress situations, difficult patient outcomes, and emotional strain can contribute to burnout among healthcare workers.
It's important to note that burnout is a complex issue with multifactorial causes and may vary among healthcare professionals and specialties. Recognizing and addressing these factors is essential in preventing and mitigating burnout among healthcare workers.
What Families Are Looking for in a Healthcare Provider for Their Children
As tired and stressed parents, we want nothing but the best for our little ones. That's why it's so important for pediatricians to offer not only clinical expertise but also a compassionate, family-centered approach to care.
According to the American Academy of Pediatrics, families are looking for several qualities when it comes to quality pediatric care for their children. These include:
Safe care that minimizes medical errors and adverse events.
Effective care that uses evidence-based practices to improve health outcomes.
Patient-centered care that considers the preferences, needs, and values of the patient and their family.
Timely care that reduces wait times and delays in receiving services.
Equitable care that is delivered without bias or discrimination and considers social determinants of health.
Efficient care that minimizes waste and reduces healthcare costs.
Continuity of care that provides consistent and coordinated care over time.
These are essential qualities that families look for when seeking quality pediatric care for their children, and healthcare providers should strive to meet these expectations to ensure the best possible outcomes for their patients.
Families want to feel that their pediatrician truly cares about them, listens to their concerns, and takes a collaborative approach to treatment. This means taking the time to get to know your patients and their families, understanding their unique needs, and providing personalized care that takes into account the whole family's wellbeing, including their sleep health.
As tired parents ourselves, we understand the demands of caring for little ones and the impact that lack of sleep can have on the whole family, and we bet that’s a question you get asked frequently by patients in your practice.
Providing a More Balanced Approach to Pediatrics
One way to provide a more balanced approach to pediatrics is to offer sleep consulting services. Sleep is crucial to a child's development, and yet many families struggle to establish healthy sleep habits for their little ones. As a pediatrician, you have a unique opportunity to support families on their sleep journey by providing evidence-based sleep advice, as well as offering more intensive sleep consulting services.
Ideas for Providing a More Balanced Approach to Pediatrics
Becoming a Sleep Consultant and Offering Sleep Consulting Services
For pediatricians who are passionate about sleep and want to offer more specialized support to families, becoming a certified sleep consultant through The Collective for Family Rest and Wellness's Sleep Consultant Academy could be the perfect solution. The program covers everything you need to know about pediatric sleep, from newborn sleep patterns to sleep training methods, and offers ongoing mentorship and support.
As a certified sleep consultant, you can offer a range of services to families, including sleep assessments, customized sleep plans, and ongoing support and guidance. These services can be offered as part of your pediatric practice, providing a valuable new revenue stream while also allowing you to provide more comprehensive care to your patients and their families.
The Sleep Consultant Academy course from The Collective for Family Rest and Wellness could be a good fit for a pediatrician looking to expand their sleep knowledge or become a certified sleep consultant for several reasons.
First, the course is specifically designed for pediatric sleep consulting, which aligns with a pediatrician's expertise in child health and development. The curriculum covers topics specific to pediatric sleep issues, such as common sleep disorders in children, age-appropriate sleep habits, and strategies for addressing sleep challenges in different age groups. This specialized focus can enhance a pediatrician's understanding and ability to provide comprehensive sleep care for their young patients.
Second, the course provides a certification upon completion, which can add credibility and professional recognition to a pediatrician's resume. Being a certified sleep consultant can demonstrate a commitment to delivering evidence-based sleep solutions and may attract families seeking expert guidance in managing their children's sleep concerns.
Additionally, the course offers practical training and resources for establishing a sleep consulting business. For a pediatrician interested in expanding their practice or offering additional services, this can be valuable. It covers topics such as business development, marketing strategies, and client management, providing the necessary knowledge and skills to start a successful sleep consulting practice which can be invaluable if you’re looking to step away from heathcare.
Lastly, the flexibility of the course may be appealing to pediatricians who already have busy schedules. Online or self-paced learning options allow individuals to access the course material at their own convenience, fitting it into their existing commitments.
Overall, the Sleep Consultant Academy course can benefit a pediatrician by deepening their sleep knowledge, providing a certification, offering practical business training, and accommodating their busy schedule.
Hiring a Sleep Consultant to Work Out of Your Practice
If you're unable or not interested in becoming a certified sleep consultant yourself, another option is to hire a sleep consultant to work out of your practice. By offering sleep consulting services onsite, you can provide a more comprehensive approach to care, and families can benefit from having all their healthcare needs met in one convenient location.
Furthermore, by partnering with a certified sleep consultant, you can offer families a trusted resource who can provide expert sleep advice, customized sleep plans, and support throughout their sleep journey. This not only helps to strengthen your relationship with your patients but also provides an additional revenue stream for your practice.
Hiring a Lactation Specialist to Work Out of Your Practice
Another way to provide a more comprehensive approach to care is to hire a lactation specialist to work out of your practice. Just as sleep is important, breastfeeding is also an important part of a child's growth and development, but many families struggle to establish successful breastfeeding due to a variety of factors, including lack of support and guidance.
By hiring a lactation specialist to work out of your practice, you can provide families with expert support and guidance on breastfeeding, as well as providing a range of services, including prenatal counseling, breastfeeding support groups, and lactation consultations. This not only helps to support families on their breastfeeding journey but also provides a valuable new revenue stream for your practice.
Neither of these sound like something you want to do? We’ve got a few more ideas for you to explore.
Other ways pediatricians can expand their services to provide more comprehensive care for their patients:
Offering telemedicine services can increase access to healthcare for patients who may be unable to visit the clinic physically, especially for those in rural areas. Telemedicine has also been shown to improve patient outcomes and satisfaction.
Providing group visits for patients with similar health needs, such as those with asthma or diabetes, can allow the physician to see multiple patients at once while still providing personalized care.
Integrating mental health services into pediatric care can improve access to mental healthcare for children and adolescents, who may otherwise not receive treatment.
Implementing a nutrition or weight management program can improve patients' overall health outcomes and manage childhood obesity.
Partnering with community organizations to offer health screenings or education events can help to address social determinants of health and promote overall health and wellness.
By expanding their services, pediatricians can ensure that their patients receive comprehensive and high-quality care that addresses their individual needs.
Final Thoughts
If you're a pediatrician looking to provide a more comprehensive, family-centered approach to care, then we highly recommend learning more about The Collective for Family Rest and Wellness's Sleep Consultant Academy. Whether you're interested in becoming a certified sleep consultant yourself or want to hire a sleep consultant to work out of your practice, this program can provide you with the knowledge, skills, and support you need to succeed.
Don't let burnout and fatigue get in the way of providing the best care to your patients. By offering sleep consulting services and other specialized services, you can create a practice that supports the whole family, while also promoting the wellness of your patients and your practice. Together, let's build a better future for pediatric healthcare.
