Practical Guide: Steps to Starting a medical clinic

Opening your own medical clinic is a great journey towards liberal practice. Such journey requires careful preparation. In addition to steps required to create a «conventional» business, you must also comply with a number of regulations specific to the medical practice. Here’s a guide that would prove helpful in setting up your practice!

Conducting market research

As is the case with any business, you need to make sure your project is viable. Most importantly, try to determine:

- Whether there are sufficient potential patients in the region where you wish to settle;

- The unemployment rate and average household income in the region;

- The number of medical clinics already established in the area;

- Demographic trends in the region.

- Is the population growing or decreasing?

- Is it mainly made up of workers or elderly people?

Where to find this type of information? You will find many reliable economic and demographic indicators in the data published by your country’s institute of statistics.

Choosing the legal structure

SAS (Société par Actions Simplifiée, French for Simplified Joint Stock Company), sole proprietorship, LLC (Limited Liability Company), LLEC (Limited Liberal Exercise Company) ?There are many legal forms you can adopt in order to open a medical office. They all have their advantages and disadvantages: some are suitable for an individual installation, others are rather intended for the opening of a group practice. Learn about each of them carefully before making your choice.

Finding the perfect location for your medical clinic

Another essential step towards opening your medical clinic: finding a place that meets the establishment and security rules. It is therefore required that your clinic includes at least one consultation room, a waiting room and toilets. In addition, your consulting room must be equipped with a washbasin in order to disinfect your hands afterevery session.

When it comes to opening a group office, there are specific requirements for certain specialties (e.g.: Ophthalmology, gynaecology). Such specific requirements must be taken into account. Ideally, your space should also be accessible to people with disabilities.

Of course, you can also take over an existing medical office. Such manoeuvre may grant you the opportunity to acquire patients from the previous doctor. A patient transfer agreementcontaining various mandatory clauses, must then be signed between you, the patient and the moving doctor. Do not hesitate to seek the assistance of a lawyer if necessary.

Getting the required funds

As soon as you are capable of accurately assessing the required cost for establishing your clinic (e.g. purchase price of the premises, cost necessary for the acquisition of medical equipment and equipment for the waiting room, possible work to be planned). it is hence, recommended to write down your business plan. This document can help you acquire a bank loan if your personal contribution is insufficient to cover all costs.

In practice, the business plan consists of two main parts: the financial plan and a written part, mainly used to convince your interlocutors of the viability of your project. A simple way to design a business plan would be to use one of the many templates available on the Web or specialized software.

The main formalities required to open your medical office

The opening of a medical office also requires a number of formalities. The main ones are:

- Enrolling in the Order of Physicians specific to your country ;

- Registering your liberal activity with Health Insurance. One of their advisors will help you with certain important steps ;

- Register for professional liability insurance ;

- Open a bank account and phone line directly linked to your clinic.

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