From Supplements to Telehealth to Programs — What Makes Sense for your Practice?

 

Growth is exciting. New services, new technologies, and new client needs can make it seem as opportunities are everywhere. In fact, you are likely approached with the “perfect opportunity” for your practice fairly often. And, while it may be a great opportunity, it is important to remember that staying focused is what keeps you profitable. Adding revenue streams without a clear plan can dilute your core program, confuse clients, and burn out your team.

 

Whether you’re considering supplements, telehealth, longevity services, aesthetics, or a structured program package, the key is to evaluate each option carefully before you jump in. This blog outlines a simplified roadmap to help you diversify wisely.

 

Start By Identifying Your Primary Focus

Before adding any new product or service, clearly define your one-sentence promise to clients. For example: “We provide medically supervised weight loss that protects lean body mass, improves metabolic health, and supports long-term maintenance.”

 

Every potential revenue stream should be run through this filter. If it doesn’t reinforce your promise or mission both clinically and operationally, it’s probably a distraction.

 

Four Questions to Guide Your Decision

So how do you decide what to consider? Below are four considerations every practice should determine before adding a new service line or product:

 

1. Is this a demand or distraction?
   Are you meeting a genuine client need, or chasing a trend? Review your local market, competitor offerings, and client feedback. A simple client survey can reveal whether there’s true demand or just passing curiosity.
2. What is my predicted (realistic) profitability?
   Run a simple pro forma, even for small projects. Factor in start-up costs, staffing, regulatory requirements, pricing, and the number of units or visits needed to break even. If you’re working with a vendor, ask them to create a pro forma tailored to your local market and client base.
3. Can we complete a pilot test or create a clear blueprint for success?
   If feasible, pilot the service or product with a small group to gather testimonials, measure outcomes, and track staff workload. If piloting isn’t possible (for example, when equipment must be purchased up front), create a detailed blueprint with defined milestones and metrics, roles/responsibilities, deadlines for implementation, and frequency of identified metric measurements.
4. Does this align with our brand/focus?
   Protect your brand and your vision. New services should complement your mission and enhance client outcomes or experience, not pull you into a fad or money losing proposition.

 

High Impact Revenue Streams for Consideration

 

1. Supplements & Meal Replacements

Medically supervised programs that include meal replacements often lead to better diet adherence and outcomes when compared to diet alone. Additionally, they offer convenience for clients, enhance intake of quality protein, and can provide a predictable profit margin that can help stabilize cash flow. Even at the two-year and four-year marks, participants who received meal replacements as an intervention continued to lose more weight compared to their diet-only counterparts.¹

 

If your client population includes those undergoing a weight loss procedure and/or those on GLP-1 or other anti-obesity medications, sufficient protein intake and micronutrient protection is critical to maintain lean body mass. In these instances, as well as any weight loss plan, having delicious, high quality supplements as a part of your client care protocol can be very effective.

 

Tips for Success:

• If desired, choose a turnkey, evidence-based partner that can also provide education, protocols, and reliable supply of products. Having physician prescribed products can differentiate your practice from other over the counter (often sub-standard) alternatives.
• Build a standard operating procedure (SOP) to systematize your process and focus on the benefits. This makes adding this revenue stream benefit driven and based upon science rather than a ‘sales’ interaction. Your SOP should flow from initial client visit to nutritional prescription, product selection, meal planning guidance, follow-up, documentation, and inventory/ordering for on-site products. If you choose a done-for-you online store such as the one Robard offers, include processes for selection, promotion, and tracking.
• Track key performance indicators (KPIs) such as program enrollment %, 12-week retention, % meeting protein targets, average monthly spend per active client, and net profit margin.

 

Pitfalls to Avoid:

• Launching a “store” without including the products as an integral part of your program. You will quickly find that products available but without a pathway for how to best integrate them into your weight loss and maintenance plans can create confusion for your clients resulting in low product use.
• Inconsistent messaging by your team. This can be avoided by initial and ongoing training, role-playing the conversation as needed, and providing a one-page “what to say” guide.

 

2. Telehealth & Remote Touchpoints

Telehealth can expand your reach, reduce your no-show rate, and improve follow-up compliance, while keeping your clients engaged. When you integrate the use of mobile apps to track the primary pillars of their care, you can accelerate accountability and positively impact outcomes. The American College of Physicians is one of the organizations that provides guidelines for telehealth care.²

 

Tips for Success:

• Consider “productizing” your telehealth follow-ups (e.g., “Medication Momentum Visit,” “Plateau-Busting Check-In,” “Post-Op Nutrition Review”). This can call out the value of the visit in a clear picture for the client and potentially increase compliance. Name them, price them (if cash pay), and explain the visit value/outcome in client-friendly terms.
• If possible, layer in group telehealth education sessions for efficiency (nutrition, behavior skills, fitness, medication overview, expectations, live Q&A).
• Track KPIs such as telehealth show rate, medication compliance, average revenue per telehealth visit, and client-reported outcomes.

 

Pitfalls to Avoid:

• Underestimating compliance and billing rules. Regulations vary by state and payer. Some practices fail to verify coverage, modifiers, or documentation requirements which leads to denied claims or compliance risk. If your practice is insurance based or a hybrid model, bookmark CMS updates and payer bulletins, and review the AMA Telehealth Playbook regularly to stay current.³
• Overlooking staff training and necessary tech support. Assuming providers and staff will “figure out” telehealth platforms leads to client frustration, dropped calls, and poor engagement. Train your team, create visit templates and SOP’s, and consider assigning a telehealth champion to handle tech troubleshooting and workflow consistency.

 

3. Structured Programs & Bundles

Structured programs and bundles are one of the best ways to take what you are already doing to streamline care delivery, bundle services that optimize client results, and create a viable and respected revenue stream. They also differentiate you from your competitors and give you a powerful story for your website, webinars, and referral partners.

 

Clients tend to follow-through and improve their success and commitment when they know what happens next — when there is no confusion. Bundled programs which can combine medical visits, nutrition coaching, body composition analysis, accountability, education, support, nutritional products, and any other complimentary services you offer create a predictable pathway and stable revenue. While more common in cash pay practices, it can be implemented effectively for insurance-based practices when the bundle includes those services or products not covered by insurance.

 

Tips for Success:

• Consider creating two to three clear tracks focused on timeframe for weight loss, length of program, or treatment specific categories. For example, Medical Weight Loss Core, Medication-Augmented Pathway (GLP-1s), and Post-Bariatric Optimization.
• Define the number of visits and frequency (e.g., weekly for 4 weeks, biweekly for 8, monthly for 6) and the minimum standard of care
• Build a supplement/meal replacement protocol within the program — not as an add-on upsell. Use body composition to personalize protein targets and reinforce outcomes.
• Provide price transparently. If payers cover clinical visits, show the non-covered educational/support components (their value and cost) separately to maintain compliance and clarity.
• Involve your team — often they can be very creative and bottom line, they need to feel as if your programs and bundles are a ‘home run’ or ‘no brainer’ in order to feel most comfortable promoting them to your clients.
• Consider offering a short ‘Win in 14 Days’ jump-start inside your larger program to generate early wins and testimonials (with consent).
• Use automated email/SMS to reinforce habits between visits and turn the answers to frequently asked questions into micro learning lessons. These FAQ topics also work great for attracting new clients on social media.

 

Pitfalls to Avoid:

• Overcomplicating your client pathway. It can be tempting to add in every possible visit, test, and add-on service as you create your programs and bundles. However, when programs become too complex, clients tend to get overwhelmed, and your team can’t clearly explain the flow/pathway. Keep it simple, outlined in a visually appealing way, and easy for everyone to follow.
• Failing to differentiate insurance-covered vs. cash-pay components. If you accept insurance or have a hybrid model, you must clearly outline what is covered by insurance and what falls under the program fee or membership program. If not, clients will feel confused or misled. Always separate the two in your program outline fliers, policies, and conversations. Transparency builds trust and helps keeps you compliant.
• Neglecting to measure outcomes and return on investment (ROI). Some practices launch programs or bundles without defining metrics for success. If you don’t track outcomes and your financial ROI, you won’t know if the program is sustainable. Build KPI tracking into your program design from day one and make sure your team understands the goals and how they contribute to program and client success.

 

Multiple revenue streams are effective only when they work together to support your brand and client pathway. Start by strengthening your core program and use the information here to expand strategically. By keeping your focus clear, tracking your metrics, and letting the data guide what to keep, refine, or eliminate, you and your team can grow with integrity instead of feeling salesy. Even better, you can sleep well at night knowing you are providing high quality services and products in convenient and effective ways with a focus on quality client care and outcomes.

 

References:

¹ https://info.robard.com/the-efficacy-of-meal-replacements-for-managing-weight-and-jump-starting-weight-loss-in-clients-with-obesity

² https://www.acponline.org/practice-career/business-resources/telehealth-guidance-and-resources

³ https://www.ama-assn.org/practice-management/digital-health/telehealth-implementation-playbook-overview

 

About the Author: Karol Clark, MSN, RN, is a best-selling author who has a passion for helping physicians integrate effective, profitable weight loss services and retail sales into their practice while improving client outcomes and enjoying the journey along the way. Her use of non-traditional (easy to implement) medical marketing strategies, along with her dedication to a positive ROI makes her a uniquely different and sought-after weight loss business consultant. Karol is the CEO of Weight Loss Practice Builder and the exclusive membership program for weight loss practitioners, www.BariatricBusinessAccelerator.com. She has more than 20 years of experience working with surgical and medical weight loss physicians and their teams helping them simplify creation of a profitable and enjoyable bariatric practice.

 

About Robard: Nationally recognized hospitals and physicians place their trust in Robard’s comprehensive medical weight management programs, evidence-based nutritional solutions, and specialized support designed to complement GLP-1 therapies, to effectively treat and manage patients with obesity. To learn more, visit us online at www.Robard.com, email us at info@robard.com, or call (800) 222-9201.