title: Costs and prevention of patient defection.
abstract: Although other industries have recognized that increased customer loyalty brings increased revenues and profitability, few medical practices have sought even to measure patient retention or loyalty. When patients leave a practice, new patients must be attracted to replace lost ones at significant cost, often invisible to and underestimated by physicians. Understanding the lifetime value of a patient may be one route that leads to better patient loyalty practices and enhanced profitability.
authors.affiliation: Boston University Health Care Management Program, 595 Commonwealth Avenue, Boston, MA 02215, USA. rclarke@bu.edu
authors.forename: R N
authors.initials: RN
authors.lastname: Clarke
mesh_terms: D006801:Humans; D007182:Income; D007349:Insurance, Health, Reimbursement; D008389:Marketing of Health Services / Q000191:economics; D009937:Organizational Objectives; D017060:Patient Satisfaction / Q000191:economics*; D011216:Practice Management, Medical / Q000191:economics / Q000592:standards*; D014481:United States