I often lament the fact that my patients do not realize the full scope of family practice — or of my practice. It is not uncommon for them to self-refer for what they perceive as specialty care. Fortunately, I’ve discovered one highly effective and very economical way to address this problem.

Using Microsoft Publisher, a commercial PC desktop publishing program, my wife designed a poster identifying some of the most common procedures performed in my office (see the illustration). A framed 8 ½″ × 11″ copy hangs in each exam room. Many patients have commented that they would have gone elsewhere for their procedures if they had not seen the sign in my exam room. This extremely inexpensive form of advertising proves that one of our best marketing targets is our current patients — while at the same time it helps promote continuity of care and keeps our patients’ costs down.