One of the constraints for most patients while trying to choose the most competent doctor or dentist for treatment is that they have no way to authoritatively determine the best choice in their local area. In almost every case, the patient must depend on sources such as referrals, testimonials from past and present patients, doctor ratings and reviews, the doctor’s website and other easily accessible information about the doctor or dentist on the Internet to make a decision.

Therefore, when a doctor or a dentist becomes a thought leader in his or her area of specialization, it can facilitate the decision making process of potential patients, and provide a big opportunity for the doctor or dentist to find new patients regularly. This can be the most effective form of medical marketing, without really having to resort to conscious self-promotions of any kind.

A doctor or a dentist can achieve thought leadership through writing authoritative online articles and medical blogs, getting involved with patient education websites, participating in seminars and webinars for a wider audience, sending online newsletters to potential patients, and engaging in social networking to disseminate useful information and advice.

Another aspect of thought leadership that is crucial to medical marketing today is to offer differentiated medical or dental services to patients who are looking for the best of healthcare and are willing to pay for it. A number of doctors today are offering cutting-edge telemedical solutions to their patients in order to provide state of the art medical services. These may include tech-friendly multi-pronged longevity programs, online and smartphone based healthcare, and disaster family medical management and real-time responsiveness.

The future course for competitiveness in medical and dental practices is already carved out. Practitioners who adopt advanced medical and dental methodologies, delivery systems and medical marketing techniques are going to achieve thought leadership in their fields, and thereby receive the largest number of well-informed and discerning patients looking for the best in healthcare.