A Look at the Doctors’ Choice Awards Program and Its Importance to the Medical Community

Being a physician in the social media era can be a challenging task. You need to convince prospective patients, who have access to a wealth of information online, that you are as good as you claim to be and a better choice than your peers.

Patients today no longer rely on personal recommendations from family and friends alone when it comes to choosing a physician for themselves or a loved one. They tend to check out your website or online profile (if you have one), look at doctor rating sites, and then decide if you are the right choice. So, it is absolutely necessary for you to have a strong online presence as well as social proof of your professional accomplishments. This is where the Doctors’ Choice Awards (DCA) program can help you.

What Is It?

The Doctor’s Choice Awards program is instituted to recognize and honor doctors for their professional achievements and their service to the community. The program brings together a large number of medical professionals from different fields and allows them to review and rate each other based on their achievements.

As a physician, you can enter into the program and ask your friends and colleagues from the medical community to review your profile and nominate you for the award. If you are among the top-rated doctors, you stand to win the National Award (best doctor in the country), City Award (best doctor in the city), or the Top Doctor of the Month Award. Every physician who receives a minimum of three positive reviews can become a nominee and receive a Doctors’ Choice Awards badge.

Why Do Doctors’ Choice Awards Matter?

One of the most effective ways to market your services to prospective patients is by using the urgency/scarcity principle. The principle states that when an item is scarce and not readily available, people tend to be more attracted to it and are more likely to buy it. If there is a sense of urgency or scarcity, people tend to act quickly and impulsively, rather than deliberating and thinking about it too much.

The Psychology of Scarcity

The reason why the urgency/scarcity principle works is quite simple. That which is scarce and not readily available is generally seen as having greater value. Moreover, a cognitive bias called ‘loss aversion’ is also at work here. Behavioral psychologists say that the fear of losing something is almost always greater than the pleasure of gaining something. This is why people tend to rush to buy something if it is in great demand, so that they do not lose out.

Moreover, acquiring items or using services that are in great demand is a way for people to gain the admiration of their peers. This is why people usually opt for products or services that are marketed as ‘rare’ over regular products, even if they are of the same quality and offer the same value.

Now, let us find out how you can apply this principle to your profession successfully with the help of Doctors’ Choice Awards.

Creating a Sense of Scarcity/Urgency

One of the best ways to create a sense of scarcity is to let prospective patients know that your accomplishments and services are one of a kind. The number of physicians per capita has increased considerably over the years and the competition among physicians in different fields has also increased by a great extent. So, you need to stand out from the rest – it is the only way to make sure prospective patients notice you.

A Doctors’ Choice Award can highlight your credentials, validate your claims about yourself, and help you carve a niche for yourself in your chosen field. More importantly, it separates you from the rest and helps you stand on the strength of your professional achievements.

The award shows that your achievements are recognized by your peers, your services are immensely valuable, and you are one of the most sought-after professionals in your chosen field. It can persuade even the most cynical of prospective patients to select you as their physician of choice.

Creating a Sense of Difficulty

According to the theory of effort justification, anything that is hard to attain is valued greatly by people. In this context, top-rated doctors and award-winning doctors are generally sought after by a number of people and their services are in great demand. So, winning a DCA can work to your advantage and make you look more appealing to prospective patients.

Creating a Sense of Competition

If there is one thing that people love, it is a good competition. They love to compete with each other to consult an award-winning physician, whose accomplishments in his or her chosen field are second to none. They choose top-rated doctors for the same reason they buy a top-selling product – it is a sign of societal status and a way to gain the respect and admiration of their peers.

DCA – Your Ticket to Gain More Patients

A Doctors’ Choice Award is a sign of exclusivity and makes you a rare commodity in your field. If you are looking to stay a step ahead of your competition, earn the trust of your patients, gain new patients, and grow your practice in the long run, enrolling in the DCA program is your best bet.