Are the holes in your schedule haunting you?

By Corinne Jameson-Kuehl, RDH, DrBicuspid.com contributing writer

It's that time of the year again with lighter schedules, last-minute patient cancellations, and the dreaded no-shows, which means team members walking around the office acting like zombies and seeking "something to do."

Corinne Jameson-Kuehl, RDH.

There will be holes in your schedule if you allow the following five devaluing phrases said to patients and attitudes into your practice:

1. "Do you want to reschedule?"
2. "What time works?"
3. "If you can't make it, no problem. Just give us a call."
4. "You can wait to have that procedure until next year."
5. "Do you want to just call us?"

It is the entire dental team's responsibility to prevent the scheduling holes and evaluate how the scheduling communication is occurring. The commitment to patient retention and engagement while desiring full schedules at all times should be the obvious office goal. Being aware to "create the appointment demand" and to "build off the schedule" will lead your patients to respect their appointed time, and your day will end with a successful and productive schedule.

Best practices

The best way to implement the expectation that appointments are to be scheduled in advanced is to start with new patients. The new-patient letter should detail your appointment expectations and how you provide reserved appointment times as a courtesy to the patient's schedule.

“It is the entire dental team's responsibility to prevent the scheduling holes and evaluate how the scheduling communication is occurring.”

Establish the scheduling of the next appointment as the norm by leading all patients into scheduling at the patient walkout/dismissal. In a friendly tone with the importance of their time emphasized, ask your patients, "Now, let's get you scheduled for your next visit. Do you prefer a morning or an afternoon appointment?"

Once the first appointment of the day is established, build off your schedule by offering the best fit for your patient's request while simultaneously filling your schedule.

Get into the habit of knowing your patients' work and personal schedules, so it is easier to lead the appointment conversation. Someone who is a stay-at-home parent or a retiree may have a more flexible daily schedule and could be scheduled at those hard-to-fill appointments times, such as 10 a.m. or 2 p.m.

Building off the most popular times is the best way to fill your day. For example, if you look at a certain day and notice your 7 a.m. and 4 p.m. slots are already filled by consistently reliable patients, offer the 8 a.m. and 3 p.m. and so forth.

Time frames

Continue to set patterns by scheduling patients in the same time frame. For example, keeping the continuing care appointments the same day and same time six months apart will establish the long-term date, such as creating the standard Tuesdays at 11 a.m.

Setting a behavior pattern also ensures a more successful remembrance by patients and makes a cancel or no-show less likely. You can also use a third-party system, such as Solutionreach or Lighthouse 360, to kindly remind patients of their scheduled appointment time, while meeting the patients' preferred electronic communication style.

Emphasizing the "busyness" of your office schedule is important. Whether you are incredibly busy or not, it doesn't matter. It's important to create the demand and teach patients to understand how important their reserved appointment time is. They should understand that it may be challenging to get another visit scheduled with their favorite hygienist if they cancel.

Options for scheduling

Your team has to let patients know the standard in the office is scheduling hygiene visits. Remind them that the office does this for all patients as a courtesy so that the most convenient time for the patient can be secured.

The following are good options for moving the conversation forward:

• "We can always follow up and can provide a reminder if you need one."
• "Let's get you scheduled, and then would you please kindly check your schedule and call me back tomorrow if that date and time does not work for you?"
• "I would be happy to call/text/email you tomorrow. When would be a good time to discuss your appointment?"

When patients say, "I don't know where I'll be in six months," your staff can say something playful, such as, "I know where you will be. Here again with me, same place, same time. Now let's get you scheduled."

No matter the scheduling conversation, it is imperative the clinical and administrative teams communicate through both detailed chart notes and verbally with the patient at the end of the visit. This will ensure excellent customer care and that no questions are left unanswered.

Because you value and respect your patients' time, teaching them the value of respecting the scheduled appointment will prove to be an effective way to diminish the holes from your schedule.

How is your Garden??

Currently, most of our flower gardens are in full bloom; and depending on what part of the county you hail from, your vegetable gardens are ready for harvest as well!

Has it been a successful season?  Were the plants healthy and high-yielding, or did you have weeds over take the garden and your initial hard work went to waste?

 At this mid-year time, reflect on the “garden” of your choices.  Just as a well-maintained garden can produce abundance, weeds of distractions, toxic people, and negative environments it can create unrest and a cycle of poor choices.  Eliminate the elements that do not produce healthy fruit in your life.  Work hard to cultivate and protect your “crops” for your future success!

BY:  Corinne Jameson-Kuehl

Practice Rescue - Part One: Ways Employees Hijack your business culture

Hijack #1 Employees taking away aspects of Patient Interaction they do not believe “you are capable of doing.”

What does it mean to be “hijacked” by the employees in your practice?  Have you ever spent time discussing treatment with a patient, only to notice details later were changed without your knowledge? 

Often, Dentists will tell me that they feel excluded from the details of the daily routine and the daily events in their own business simply because the employees make decisions without the owner’s knowledge.  They also say when they ask questions regarding financial reports or why someone didn’t schedule treatment, team members respond blasé or make them feel they are terrible for asking.

One-way employees “hijack” the dentist is by changing treatment plans and making financial decisions per what they feel is best for the patient based off assuming they know this patient’s financial and personal need.  This is especially common in newer ownership where the team may view the new dentist as inexperienced or doesn’t “know” the patients as the previous owner or the experienced team members. 

The problem with this mentality, is employees will make the choice to “give a discount” or change treatment per what “has always been done” and therefore leaving the dentists’ specific treatment plan devalued and giving the confused patient the impression the dentist is only looking to line the pocket book.

One example is seen in the dental hygiene department.  A long-time patient is seen with perio pocketing depths and heme that is consistent stage 2 Periodontal disease that the new Dentist believes needs to be addressed.  When the new dentists shares the concern with the hygienist, he/she is met with the hygienist response of “it’s always been that way, and Dr. Previous-owner always watched those areas, and besides long-time patient doesn’t have the money for periodontal therapy, so I just do a prophy and hope for the best.”

The new dentist is unsure how to respond, as questions loom through his/her mind; Where is the patient education on how this condition affects the entire health of the patient?  How can I legally treat a patient with a prophy, when that is not the accurate condition?  “Why is my hygienist making the treatment decision for the patient?”

Employees hijack your business culture by not supporting your treatment plans.

By:  Corey Jameson-Kuehl

Practice Rescue: 5 ways to decrease your accounts receivable

By Jill Shue, DrBicuspid.com contributing writer

January 4, 2018 -- Is your practice thriving at the level you'd like, or are you looking for some help in a specific area? That's where you need a Practice Rescue. Jill Shue of Custom Dental Solutions offers practical solutions gathered from years of experience with practices like yours.

Does this scenario sound familiar? Patients are frustrated with financial surprises when they receive their bills. This leads to unhappy patients, your team having to constantly make difficult collection calls, and a decrease in cash flow. What can you do to decrease your patient accounts receivable?

1. Educate and inform

Many patients are not aware that dental insurances are only a benefit or a contribution, not a guarantee of payment. Instead, they expect their insurance to cover everything.

Patients must be told that they are responsible for the full balance, regardless of the contribution from their insurance. Your patients do not know the costs of procedures, nor do they know the expectations of when payment is due, unless you or your team tells them.

When presenting financial information to patients (we've found that this information should be presented before their scheduled appointment), make sure you provide them with three items:

·        The total fee

·        Their estimated out-of-pocket cost

·        Their estimated portion due on the day services are rendered

This presentation should be provided in writing and stated in a way your patients will understand. This may mean that you will need to alter your templates and printed presentation.

2. Options

While we recommend that you offer financing options to your patients, don't force yourself into being a bank. Present two or three companies (CareCredit, LendingClub, and the like) that patients may use to assist in paying their dental bills.

If they are unable to make a payment in full, it does not mean they must forego treatment. Show them the available options to split up their payments to make them more affordable. Being able to offer your patients options will increase your case acceptance as well.

3. Scripting and team approach

Your clinical and administrative teams must use the same terminology. The entire team should know which phrases to use and which to avoid.

“Being able to offer your patients options will increase your case acceptance as well.”

"We'll bill you" cannot be an option if you expect to lower your accounts receivable. When was the last time you went to a grocery store and had the option to be billed?

Your patient has received a service and is expecting to make a payment. If you don't ask for payment, how will he or she know what is expected?

Use language like the following: "Your estimated out of pocket is $500. We'll send the remaining balance to your insurance for their consideration. Should there be anything remaining, we will send you a statement."

When collecting payment, do not ask if the patient would like to make a payment; instead say, "How would you like to pay today: check or card?" Never assume a patient is unable to pay.

Whichever scripting you use, speak confidently and concisely. If you are asking a question, be sure the patient responds. Don't let the silence win. Your patient, at this point, should have already been informed of the costs and expectations.

4. Systems and consistency

Create a protocol and timeline for collecting accounts. Send statements every 10 to 15 days for outstanding accounts (avoid the conventional 30-day billing cycles) -- the more frequent the better.

How many statements will patients receive before they get a "warning" letter? How many letters will they receive before the account is turned over to an attorney or collection agency? Your patients must receive consistent statements each month with eventual escalations for you to be successful in obtaining payment.

5. Be kind

At the end of the day, remember to be kind. Kindness truly does go a long way. You are providing your patients with financial information prior to them having work completed as a courtesy, so they know what to expect. You are not giving them this information because you are a money-hungry dentist. While, yes, we do have a business to run and jobs to do, we genuinely care about our patients and their well-being. When a patient sees that you care, you generate value, respect, and loyalty from that patient.

Collecting payments does not have to be a dreaded task. If it's done with each appointment, you will have fewer of these frustrating duties and will be able to focus your attention on taking care of your patients. After all, you did not choose this profession to hound patients for money.

Jill Shue is the administrative and insurance lead trainer for Custom Dental Solutions. She can be reached at Jill@CustomDentalSolutions.com.

The comments and observations expressed herein do not necessarily reflect the opinions of DrBicuspid.com, nor should they be construed as an endorsement or admonishment of any particular idea, vendor, or organization.

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