2022 is rolling out fast, and your practice needs to be on its A-game this year. To get the most out of your practice, you need to make sure it is working as one efficient machine. We have come up with a few fundamental tips that your practice can adopt to make sure you kick the year off on a good note that will set the tone for the rest of the year.
Your front desk needs to be alert.
The first interaction between a patient and your office is most commonly at the front desk. It might be the telephone or a physical appointment your patient’s impression of your practice is determined by the few minutes they spent at this part of your practice.
Your dental team needs to know how to quickly access patients’ data and professionally communicate with them. Patients need to feel taken care of from the moment they walk into the practice to the moment they leave.
It is also important that your front desk be able to deal with any issue that may arise during the time they are attending to the patient. Avoid using definitive words like ‘no’ or reflecting a patient’s mood or tone. Your front desk must be able to defuse any situation before it escalates. Patient retention starts at the front desk.
Never keep a patient waiting
The dentist appointment stairs different emotions in patients. Keeping your patients in your waiting room for too long can create a bad reputation for your practice.
Communication is key between your dental team and your patients in cases where a patient must wait till their turn with the dentist. Your team must make it clear that they will be attended in a certain period, for example, 15 minutes.
This eases the patients as they will know how long their wait will be. If the time is to be extended then it should be communicated to the patients as well so that they do not feel as if they will be in the waiting indefinitely in your practice.
Embrace Virtual Teams
As patients start pouring in your physical team will undoubtedly become overwhelmed. Outsourcing your minor dental practice processes can save you a lot of time and costs. When you outsource you get an added team member that will take care of all of the processes that take your team away from your patients.
This is an advantage to your practice as outsourcing is on a virtual platform. This means your method cuts the costs of having a physical member in your practice, these include getting new equipment, transport and other benefits.
Improve Communication among your team.
To improve efficiency in your practice, there must be clear and uninterrupted communication among your team. This means from the front desk to the back end, teams there should be a synergy in the workflow. Doing so saves time and allows you to focus on your patients.
Create a communication system that can be accessed from anywhere in the office. That ensures that no one misses a message that was intended for them because they weren’t at a post. This should apply to the process of patient information. There should be a quick flow of communication between the doctor and front office staff to cut the waiting times.
Invest in intercom systems or instant messaging apps and software within the office. Train your team on these and other technologies that you introduce into the practice.
Embracing these and other systems will undoubtedly improve your practice efficiency.
Keep your tech up-to-date.
There is a no bigger enemy of efficiency than machinery that is slow or out of date. Updating your machinery doesn’t need to be an expensive thing. Your practice can get quality recertified dental machinery that is guaranteed to be reliable and affordable for your practice.
Getting new machinery isn’t all your practice can do, you can keep your existing machinery updated by engaging professionals who will assess, advise and help you keep your dental tech systems up-to-date
Conclusion
From office appeal to the advancement of your dental team, there are endless ways to increase the productivity of your practice. Dental support companies, like SupportDDS, make sure your practice sees tangible results in revenue, patient satisfaction, and practice productivity.
SupportDDS is a leading Texas-based in-sourcing company that provides virtual assistants and administrative support for dental practices. Moreover, we provide short- and long-term virtual outsourcing services customized to suit your business process needs.
