20 Market Research Strategies To Reveal What Your Referring Physicians Value Most In Their Imaging Partners

If a doctor sends you every complex case with the line, ‘You always find the tricky stuff,’ that’s loyalty earned and data you can use to grow.

When you capture and analyze physician feedback, you start to see the patterns behind your strongest referral relationships. You learn whether it’s your reporting style, your turnaround times, or your service approach that sets you apart. 

Market research makes this process systematic. Instead of relying on chance conversations or occasional praise, you gather structured data from physicians, nurses, and office staff to understand what they value most. You’ll make smarter decisions about marketing, operations, and outreach so you’re not just keeping your best referrers happy, you’re creating more of them.

In this guide, you’ll find 20 proven market research strategies to uncover what referring physicians truly want from their imaging partners and how to use those insights to strengthen relationships, grow referrals, and stay the top choice in your market:

1. Referral Source Interviews

Start with one-on-one conversations with your top referring physicians. Ask what makes them choose your practice over others and what frustrates them. Keep it specific:

• “How do you decide where to send a patient?”

• “What do you look for in a radiology report?”

• “Where do we fall short?”

You’ll be surprised how candid doctors are when they’re asked directly.

2. Anonymous Surveys

Some physicians won’t be as direct face-to-face. Offer an anonymous survey with a mix of multiple-choice and open-ended questions. Include topics like:

• Report clarity

• Turnaround time

• Ease of scheduling

• Access to radiologists for consults

Anonymity can surface concerns they might not otherwise share.

3. Report Review Sessions

Invite a few physicians to review sample reports with you. Watch how they read them. Ask:

• “Do you find this layout easy to scan?”

• “Are there sections you skip?”

• “What would make this more useful at the point of care?”

The answers give you direct feedback on one of the most critical touchpoints you control.

4. Referral Data Analysis

Your own referral data tells a story. Look for:

• Which doctors refer most frequently

• Which modalities they use

• Seasonal or specialty-specific patterns

  
  

Data can reveal shifts before you hear about them, like a key doctor whose volume is dropping.

5. Competitor Comparison

Ask physicians (or check public referral patterns if available) where else they send patients. What do competitors offer that you don’t? Faster results? Subspecialty coverage? Online portals they prefer? Competitor intel helps you close gaps before you lose market share.

6. Turnaround Time Benchmarks

Few things matter more to referring doctors than speed. Track your report turnaround times and compare them to published benchmarks. Then ask physicians if your timing meets their expectations or if they need it faster for certain study types.

7. Focus Groups by Specialty

A cardiologist and an orthopedic surgeon may want completely different things from your reports. Run small focus groups by specialty to learn what matters most to each group.

Example:

• Cardiologists may prioritize structured, detailed echo reports.

• Orthopedists may want quick access to images for surgical planning.

Tailoring your approach builds stronger, specialty-specific relationships.

8. EHR/Portal Usability Testing

Physicians use your portals and EHR connections every day. Watch them log in, search for results, and download images. If they struggle, you’ve just uncovered a friction point worth fixing.

9. Referring Office Staff Feedback

Office staff often make the referral decision or handle the logistics. Interview schedulers and nurses:

• How easy is it to book an appointment with you?

• Do they get status updates promptly?

• Do patients ever call back confused about prep instructions?

Happy staff = more referrals.

10. Post-Report Follow-Up Calls

Pick a few cases and call the referring physician after they receive the report. Ask if it answered their clinical question and if anything was missing. This builds relationships and gives you immediate insight.

11. Review Complaint Logs

Look at past complaints or service issues logged by referring offices. Are there recurring themes like delayed fax reports, hard-to-reach radiologists, and billing questions? Each one is a clue about what physicians value most.

12. Observe the Workflow

Spend a morning shadowing a referring office. Watch how they select a radiology provider, handle orders, and follow up on results. You’ll spot bottlenecks you can solve on your end.

13. Analyze No-Show and Reschedule Data

If one referring office has higher no-show rates, find out why. Are your prep instructions confusing their patients? Are appointment times inconvenient? Fixing these issues makes the physician’s life easier (which they notice).

14. Host Physician Roundtables

Bring a small group of referring physicians together for breakfast or lunch and ask them what’s working and what’s not. Group settings often spark ideas that wouldn’t come up in one-on-one interviews.

15. Measure Radiologist Availability

Many referring doctors value the ability to speak directly with a radiologist. Track how often your team is available for consults and ask if the current level meets their needs.

16. Conduct Image Quality Audits

Ask physicians if the images they receive are easy to read, annotate, or share. Poor image quality frustrates them and slows care. Improving image resolution or viewer tools can be an easy win.

17. Partner With Hospital Committees

If you work with hospital-based physicians, join relevant quality or workflow committees. You’ll hear their pain points in real time and get insight into system-wide priorities.

18. Review Billing Transparency

Billing confusion reflects back on the referring physician. Survey them about patient complaints related to cost or surprise bills. Clearer communication can make them more comfortable sending patients your way.

19. Track Referral Leakage

If you notice physicians sending patients to multiple imaging centers, ask why. Sometimes it’s location convenience, sometimes it’s service level. Understanding leakage helps you win back volume strategically.

20. Close the Loop on Changes

Once you gather data and make improvements, tell physicians about it:

• “You asked for faster MRI turnaround. We cut it by 12 hours.”

• “You said your staff needed better scheduling tools. We added online appointment requests.”

Closing the feedback loop shows you’re listening, which builds trust and deepens the relationship.

Referring physicians are a customer segment with their own expectations, frustrations, and priorities. Market research helps you stop guessing at what they value in imaging partners and start acting on real data.

At Borrowed Pen, we help radiology practices turn raw research into messaging, collateral, and operational improvements that win physician loyalty. Work with us, and let’s make your practice the one doctors recommend first and most often.