Skip to content

How to get more kidney stone patients: a plan for urology practices

A staff member reviews a binder in the back office of a specialty medical practice

Adults call about sharp pain in the side or back, blood in the urine, a stone that keeps coming back or a follow-up after a stone was found. This guide covers kidney stone care in urology practices; urinary incontinence, vasectomy, gout and hernia repair have their own guides. The urologist or treating clinician (the clinician below) evaluates the patient and decides the plan, including whether and which tests are needed.

In short

  • Speak to adults with stone symptoms or a past stone in plain words, without fear or blame.
  • Keep landing pages simple: symptoms you see, evaluation, clinician, price, one way to book.
  • Book the visit with a short script that never names a treatment.
  • Relay only the MedlinePlus and NIDDK lines for urgent signs, then tell the clinical team.
  • Follow up with consent, without pressure, and track each request.
  1. SearchAn adult looks for care near them.
  2. Your pageWhat you treat, who sees them, one way to book.
  3. Call or formThey call or send a request.
  4. Front deskBooks the visit and never guesses a cause.
  5. Clinical teamThe clinician decides the plan.
How a new patient request reaches your practice.

1. Who the patients are and what they search for

Callers are adults with pain in the side, back, lower belly or groin, blood in the urine, a stone seen on a scan elsewhere, or stones that keep coming back. Some bring a referral or earlier imaging. They search for a kidney stone doctor near them, a urologist for kidney stones, side pain with blood in the urine, or a kidney stone that will not pass. Use the same words on your pages.

The MedlinePlus kidney stones page says “Most kidney stones pass out of the body without help from a doctor.” and “But sometimes a stone will not go away.” Its encyclopedia article says “Kidney stones often come back.” So staff never guess the cause or the size of a stone. Aim ads at adults only, and never build audiences from health information.

2. Landing page basics

  • Name the symptoms you see. Care starts with an evaluation.
  • Give the clinician’s name and real credentials.
  • Give a starting price and what it includes. Self-pay patients may be entitled to a good faith estimate.
  • Show one way to book.

Never say who needs a test, never name a treatment, and never promise any outcome. Avoid “dissolve your stones”, “stone-free for life”, “zap your stone”, “risk-free” and “insurance will cover it”. Better: “the clinician will review your history, decide whether any tests are needed and talk through the options with you”.

3. The phone script

Staff collect answers and book. They never judge urgency, never say what condition a caller has and never name a treatment.

  1. “Thanks for calling. May I take your name, your age and the reason for your visit?”
  2. “Did a doctor refer you? Please bring a list of your medicines and any earlier imaging or lab reports.”
  3. “The evaluation starts at [price]. Tests may be extra. We will check your plan, but cannot promise coverage.”
  4. Which treatment, and will it work? “We cannot tell that on the phone. The clinician will review your history and decide with you whether any tests are needed and what the options are.”
  5. “I can book your evaluation now. May we text or email you about it?”

Book adults only; pass any caller under 18 to the clinical team. Staff never advise on medicines, what to eat or drink, work or home care; they pass those questions on. See the new patient phone script.

4. Routing and safety lines

Relay only what the sources say, each line that matches, then tell the clinical team right away.

  • The MedlinePlus kidney stones page says “The following may be signs of kidney stones that need a doctor’s help:” and lists “Extreme pain in your back or side that will not go away”, “Blood in your urine”, “Fever and chills”, “Vomiting”, “Urine that smells bad or looks cloudy” and “A burning feeling when you urinate”. Relay that.
  • The MedlinePlus kidney stones article says “Contact your provider if you have symptoms of a kidney stone:” and lists “Severe pain in your back or side that will not go away”, “Blood in your urine”, “Fever and chills”, “Vomiting”, “Urine that smells bad or looks cloudy” and “A burning feeling when you urinate”. Relay that.
  • The NIDDK symptoms and causes page says “Symptoms of kidney stones include” and lists “sharp pains in your back, side, lower abdomen, or groin”, “pink, red, or brown blood in your urine, also called hematuria”, “a constant need to urinate”, “pain while urinating”, “inability to urinate or can only urinate a small amount” and “cloudy or bad-smelling urine”, and says “See a health care professional right away if you have any of these symptoms.” Relay that.

Many reports match more than one line; relay each line that matches, so staff never choose between them. Callers with a problem after earlier stone treatment go to the clinical team promptly.

Some patients first learn about a stone at another clinic and need a urology visit after. Make that follow-up visit easy to book, and let the clinician decide what it covers.

Text or email only with the patient’s own contact details and consent; see texting patients and the TCPA. Follow up without pressure (see consultation to treatment), never pay or take payment for referrals (see patient referrals for medical practices), and track each request from first contact to evaluation.

Where MediLeadGen fits

MediLeadGen sends practices requests from people interested in cash-pay elective treatments. Each request goes to one practice only, with the person’s consent naming that practice, at a fixed price per delivered request.

See how it works for practices

Questions practices ask

How do we get more kidney stone patients?

Answer quickly, give clear prices and real credentials, keep claims inside the sources, and book an evaluation where the clinician decides on tests and the plan.

Can we tell callers which treatment they need or that it will work?

No. MedlinePlus says treatment depends on the type of stone and the severity of symptoms. The urologist or treating clinician decides the plan after the evaluation.

What should the front desk do when a call sounds urgent?

Relay the matching MedlinePlus or NIDDK line from section 4, then tell the clinical team right away.

Does insurance cover kidney stone care?

Coverage varies by plan. Check each patient’s plan, and do not promise coverage in ads or on the phone.

General information for practice teams, not legal or clinical advice. Check device labeling, FDA requirements, state rules and your advertising with counsel and your clinicians. Last reviewed October 2026.

More resources

All resources for practices