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Physician Referral Development Program (PRDP)

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** The Better Hearing Institute is no longer accepting enrollments**

The Physician Referral Development Program is the "heartbeat" of BHI. If you are viewing our website, and particularly this section of the website, you are most probably an audiologist, hearing aid specialist or a physician who has heard about our program. For years, both the manufacturers (including scientists and engineers) in the hearing industry and the clinicians who evaluate and treat hearing loss have understood its profound impact on quality of life and functional capabilities. Through this program, it is our mission to get this information in an effective way to those who could benefit from our services through the primary care physician.

• If you are a physician, please proceed to the "Physicians" page on this website where you can access multiple resources for additional information on hearing loss and available treatment options.

The Basic Statistics

• 31.5 million people in the United States experience hearing loss — 10% of the American population.
• Fewer than 24% of these people have ever sought treatment or obtained hearing aids.
• There are 78 million baby boomers approaching senior adulthood. The total number of people with hearing loss will grow significantly in coming years.
• While we have a good relationship with Otolaryngologists, there are only 8000 ENT physicians nationwide in the U.S.

There are nearly 250,000 primary care physicians in the U.S. — This is where your patients are.

Focus on the Family Physician

The BHI Physician Program is anchored on the concept that we will never reach the 31.5 million people in this country who have hearing loss until we reach their family physicians. Hearing loss is a medical condition in most people's minds. It involves something gone wrong with the human body, much like vision impairment or dental problems. If the primary care physician does not regard hearing loss as important — as something which must not be ignored — then the patient will never feel compelled to seek treatment. Fortunately, we now have clinical data to verify the things we have known for years: 1) Hearing loss has a profound impact on quality of life and functional capabilities; and 2) Amplification is proven to be highly effective in treating sensorineural loss."

Become A Valuable Member of the Total Healthcare Delivery Team

The BHI Physician Program prepares hearing professionals to think, act and position themselves as an important spoke in the wheel of healthcare professionals who surround any primary care practice. Family physicians refer to a host of specialists every day --- both physicians and non-physicians. Each of these clinical professionals interacts with the primary care office in a very predictable and consistent way. This BHI program addresses the strategies and tactics that will enable the hearing professional to assume an appropriate position alongside fellow clinicians from fields like optometry, home healthcare, respiratory care and other diagnostic and therapeutic services.

Training in The Basics of Physician Marketing

The first step for any new audiologist or hearing aid specialist who enrolls in the BHI Physician Program is a training module in The Basics of Physician Marketing. This seminar on CD-ROM is built around actual input from primary care physicians and hearing professionals who have already proven to be highly effective in building referral relationships with physicians. There is an emphasis on:

• How to initiate a relationship with a physician and the office staff
• Why the primary care physician is so important to the hearing healthcare professional and to those patients with hearing loss
• How to develop and project the traits that are essential to earning the trust of the physician
• What works and what does not work when trying to earn a physician's respect and trust
• How to use the outreach tools which BHI provides to all enrolled participants in the program
• Message training (i.e., What are the key points I must convey every time I visit a physician's office?)

Successful completion of the training seminar is highly suggested for all enrolled participants in the BHI Physician Program, but is not required.

Materials for Physicians

The Better Hearing Institute is no longer accepting enrollments. You may order materials by clicking here.

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