Podcasting for physicians and independent practices
Patients choose a doctor they feel they already know.
A podcast for a practice is not medical advice for strangers. It is a recorded conversation every two weeks with the specialists, therapists and community groups around your patients, plus episodes that answer the questions patients ask at every visit. People get to know you before the first appointment.
The golden rule
Interview the people who meet your patient just before you do, or just after.
They know your future patients. They see them first, often months before anyone calls you.
Your listener needs them. That is what makes the episode worth hearing.
Both, ideally. The best guests are useful on the mic and generous off it.
Who you interview
Walk your patient's journey, and there's a guest at every step.
Not your customers. The professionals and neighbors who surround them.
Before the first visit
They see patients before you do.
- Urgent care physicians
- Benefits advisors and HR leads
- Health insurance brokers
- School nurses and coaches
- Free clinic leaders
Alongside care
They treat the same patients.
- Specialists you work with
- PAs and nurse practitioners on your team
- Clinical pharmacists
- Registered dietitians
- Behavioral health clinicians
- Practice managers and EHR consultants
After the visit
They carry the recovery forward.
- Physical therapists
- Athletic trainers
- Care coordinators
- Home health nurses
- Palliative care and hospice teams
- Medical billing and insurance specialists
The community
They are where health happens between visits.
- County health department staff
- Faith community health ministries
- YMCAs and senior centers
- Running clubs and adult leagues
- Local employers that offer direct care
What about patients? Patient stories need a signed HIPAA authorization, and an "anonymous" case can still be recognized in a local practice. Most practices lean on guests and on the questions patients ask. A physical therapist explaining the first six weeks after surgery builds trust without anyone's chart.
Where patients come from
How the show turns into patients
The guest is one way in, and often not the main one. Here is what does the work in your field.
- 1
Patients pick a doctor they feel they know
People looking for a new physician listen first. Hearing how you explain things makes booking the new patient appointment an easy call.
- 2
Episodes answer the questions from every visit
Send the episode on what to expect before a procedure or how membership care works, instead of explaining it again. Patients arrive informed.
- 3
Clinicians nearby get to know your practice
An hour with a physical therapist or a dietitian is how working relationships start. Invite guests for the topic, never in exchange for referrals.
Can the guest be a patient? Rarely. A patient can tell their own story only after signing a HIPAA authorization. Invite clinicians for what they know, not for the patients they could send.
Pick a format
Three ways to run the show
Interview show
Best for relationships
Everything above: one guest every two weeks, each one bringing what they know and sharing the episode with their own audience.
Solo show
Best for your brand
Just you, 10 to 20 minutes, answering the questions patients ask every week. No scheduling, and your voice and point of view become the brand. It also fits between interview weeks.
Short series
Best for new patients
Five to ten episodes on one problem, titled with the words people search for. Short enough to finish in a weekend, and built to lead to one next step with you.
“A limited series podcast is meant for movement.”
Cliff Ravenscraft, the Podcast Answer Man, made the case for short series at PodFest. A show titled after a problem gets found in podcast search, binged in a few days, and recommended by name.
His six-episode series on mastermind groups launched with almost no promotion. Within 45 days, four listeners who had never heard of him joined his $15,000-a-year mastermind. More than 7,000 people have listened to all six episodes, and three of the six came from his archive with a new intro and call to action. A 38-episode show he stopped making 15 years ago still brings in about $75,000 a year in coaching.
A short series for physicians and independent practices
Back to Sport After an Injury
6 episodes
From the first appointment to the first game back, with a sports medicine physician, a physical therapist and a coach as guests. General information, never advice for one listener.
Every episode ends with one next step: a free return-to-sport question list for your next appointment. No ads, just yours.
The road
Seven steps, in this order.
- 1
Name it after your town or your patients
"Healthy in Fairfax" shows up in local search and gives guests something they are proud to share.
- 2
List 20 local pros you want to know better
Open your phone. That list is your first 20 episodes.
- 3
Start with your warmest relationship
Episode one should be a yes before you finish asking.
- 4
Record a 30-minute video call
No studio needed to start. A good conversation beats good gear.
- 5
Hand the guest a promo kit
Clips, quote cards and a link, so their audience sees you introduced by someone they trust.
- 6
Follow up over lunch
You just spent an hour learning from each other. Good working relationships start there.
- 7
Repeat every two weeks
Consistency matters more than polish. Most shows that fail simply stopped.
One host, one year
What every other week adds up to
Measure conversations and referrals, not downloads. A few hundred listeners in your market can matter more than thousands anywhere.
58% of Americans 12 and older listened to or watched a podcast in the last month. Edison Research, The Infinite Dial 2026
For teams
One practice show, rotating physicians
The practice owns the show and the production. Physicians, PAs and nurse practitioners take turns hosting the specialists and therapists they work with. Nobody carries a show alone, and patients hear the clinicians they will actually see.
Keep it compliant
Keep patients off the show unless they sign a HIPAA authorization first, and never confirm that someone is your patient. Record in an office, not an exam room; blurring afterward does not fix a recording where patient information shows. Keep it to general education and tell listeners to see their own physician. A referral source on your show is getting something of value, so pick guests for the topic and never tie airtime to referrals. Say "board certified" or "specialist" only as your state allows, and skip "best" claims.
General guidance, not legal advice. Rules vary by state; check with your compliance team or a lawyer.
Every show, every field
Before you hit record
- Tell every guest you are recording and get their OK at the start. Maryland requires every person on the call to agree.
- Get a signed release that covers the episode, the clips, and any use of their name, voice or face in ads.
- Say on air when a guest is a referral partner, patient, employee, relative or sponsor.
- Use only music licensed for podcasts. Radio-style licenses like ASCAP and BMI do not cover it.
- Post a transcript or captions so every listener can follow along.
How PodGlue fits
Built for shows where the guest sharing the episode is the whole point.
PodGlue handles the busywork around every conversation, so the show keeps going after the first month.
Start your 14-day free trial- A booking page guests use to pick a time and fill in their details
- A guest page for every episode with clips, quote cards and social copy
- Automatic follow-up emails after the episode goes live
- Show notes and social posts drafted from each conversation
Questions
What people ask first
Can a podcast help a medical practice get new patients?
Yes, mostly by letting people hear you before they book. Episodes that answer common questions get found by people choosing a doctor, and guests from nearby therapy clinics and practices share them with their own patients.
Who should a physician interview?
The clinicians and community groups around your patients: specialists, physical therapists, pharmacists, dietitians, behavioral health clinicians, school nurses, coaches, benefits advisors and the county health department. If you own your practice, add the people who keep it running: practice managers, EHR consultants and the billing specialists who can explain a confusing bill to a patient.
Can a doctor give medical advice on a podcast?
Keep it to general education. Answering one listener's own case can start a doctor-patient relationship, and listeners may live in states where you are not licensed. Say in each episode that it is general information, not medical advice, and encourage listeners to talk with their own physician.