J
am es
P
r id e
,
d
. d .s .
P R O V ID IN G T H E IN IT IA L C O N T A C T
Each interaction the new patient has with the dentist and the dental team becomes an opportunity to bring patients wholeheartedly into the practice.
80
JADA, Vol. 123, August 1992
l | t ow do you approach a new patient? Do you have a well-planned, consistent strategy? Or does it change from patient to patient, lacking structure and consistency? The difference can be as dram atic as building your practice on shifting sand. The new p atien t exam and consultation should be regarded as a vital layer in your practice. If the initial contact isn ’t done properly, it can destroy your practice or, a t the very least, keep you from tre a tin g your p a tie n ts’ clinical needs w ith the best possible care. A p a tie n t’s first experience w ith your practice determ ines, to a large extent, the likelihood th a t he or she will rem ain with the practice, stay on a preventive m aintenance plan and be willing to accept recommended and necessary treatm ent. Thus, having a strong plan in place for each critical step of the new patien t exam and consultation—from the initial contact to the diagnostic interview —the clinical exam and treatm en t consultation should yield these benefits: ■■ allow you and your team to function smoothly, avoiding confusion, miscomm unication and stress for all involved, especially th e new patient; *■“ help you and your team to determ ine as quickly as possible the needs of the patient; " create a positive experience and environm ent th a t encourages the patien t to accept the tre a tm e n t you recommend; ■" expedite servicing the p a tie n t’s needs; ™ comm unicate excellence, tru s t and caring; ■“ leave the p atien t feeling satisfied; * encourage the p atien t to refer other patients to the office. E stablishing objectives helps develop a plan for handling all new -patient contact. This im portant system begins w ith the first phone call the p atien t m akes to the practice and the initial staff contact. Each new p atien t should receive th e same w arm welcome and positive initial contact. This is not to suggest th a t an assembly-line
approach be used—each patient should be responded to differ ently, ju s t as in the dental chair. However, patients should feel cared about, tru stful and assured of a high-quality practice. Even from the first phone call, the p atien t is forming im pressions of the practice, consciously or subconsciously. Therefore, consider seemingly m inor things, like the friendli ness of the appointm ent adm in istrato r on the phone, the m an ner in which the adm inistrator answ ers questions, records inform ation and sets up the appointm ent. While on the phone w ith the new patient, the appointm ent adm inistrator should seek and record im portant inform ation about the patient. W riting down th is inform ation for the records is essential to the smoothness of the p atien t’s first visit. At Pride In stitu te ’s New P atien t Exam and Consultation course, we recommend using P ride’s telephone inform ation slip in conjunction w ith four “we care” questions. These questions are designed to retrieve valuable inform ation from the patien t (to be recorded on the telephone inform ation slip) while comm unicating the caring style of the practice: ■* “How m ay I help you?” "• “In order for me to m ake a proper appointm ent for you, m ay I ask a few questions?” ■“ “Is there anything else th a t we should know th a t would m ake your visit more comfortable?” “ “Whom m ay we th a n k for referring you?” The telephone inform ation slip is organized to follow the form at of these questions. The questions allow the appoint-
m ent adm ini stra to r to comfortably and gracefully retrieve the following : Dr. Pride is d ire c to r information: d fo u n d e r, P ride phonetic pro j: aInnstitu te, G re e n b ra e , nunciation of : Calif., a n d a well: know n le c tu re r on an unusual : p ra c tic e m a n a g e name; pa m e n t. A d dress : r e q u e s ts fo r re p rin ts tien t’s initial to Dr. P rid e , 3 0 0 concern; : D ra k e s Landing, referral source, patien t’s purbrae> Ca,if- 949°4pose for the appointm ent; prelim inary inform ation and symptoms regarding an em er gency; range of fees quoted over the phone; patient identifica tion, such as address and telephone num ber; prelim inary insurance information; and emotional m otivators or concerns and dental IQ detected during the conversation. Ideally, a welcome packet is sent to the patient before the first visit. The welcome packet should contain: welcome letter, patient registration and medical dental history forms, appoint m ent card, map (optional). o u n e ¿u u , u re e n -
G R E E T IN G T H E P A T IE N T
The appointm ent adm inistrator is a key player in properly greeting new patients. Ideally, the adm inistrator: ■■ Stands, greets the patien t by name, introduces herself and shakes hands as she says: “You m ust be Mr. Smith. Hello. My nam e is Sally H ardy.” Standing puts you on the same eye level w ith the patien t and demon strates in terest and respect. The handshake and full name introduction helps put the' patient a t ease and indicates the caring style of the practice. >■ Welcomes the patient, say ing: “Let me be the first to
welcome you to our office.” This lets the patient know th a t you are glad to see him and th a t you consider him a valued addition to the practice. You are also confirming your phone sta te m ent th a t you looked forward to welcoming him personally. ■** O btains completed forms from the patient using the benefit statem ent formula. Benefit: “So you don’t have to carry those forms any longer, ...” Procedure: “Let me take them .” You appear to be doing the patien t a favor by relieving him of the forms th a t you need. If the p atien t is seen before a welcome packet is m ailed, the patient inform ation form is presented. Use a benefit sta te m ent. Benefit: “So the doctor will have all of the necessary inform ation to tre a t you properly, ...” Procedure: “Will you please complete both sides of th is form?” It is both a luxury and an advantage to have a staff m em ber sit down w ith the patient to complete the form. It is a great way to continue your personalized service w ith the patient. W hen the appointm ent adm inistrator receives the form, it should be carefully reviewed for completeness, legibility and unusual comments. ■■ Notifies the doctor and den tal a ssistan t th a t the patient has arrived so th a t they can be prepared, which continues the smooth flow of the new p atien t exam and consultation. Each interaction the new patient has w ith the dentist and the dental team becomes an opportunity to bring patients wholeheartedly into the practice. Try to view each step as a p a rt in an engine. If one p art breaks, the whole engine shuts down, even if the other parts are in good condition. ■ JADA, Vol. 123, August 1992
81
am es
P
r id e
,
d
. d .s .
P R O V ID IN G T H E IN IT IA L C O N T A C T
Each interaction the new patient has with the dentist and the dental team becomes an opportunity to bring patients wholeheartedly into the practice.
80
JADA, Vol. 123, August 1992
l | t ow do you approach a new patient? Do you have a well-planned, consistent strategy? Or does it change from patient to patient, lacking structure and consistency? The difference can be as dram atic as building your practice on shifting sand. The new p atien t exam and consultation should be regarded as a vital layer in your practice. If the initial contact isn ’t done properly, it can destroy your practice or, a t the very least, keep you from tre a tin g your p a tie n ts’ clinical needs w ith the best possible care. A p a tie n t’s first experience w ith your practice determ ines, to a large extent, the likelihood th a t he or she will rem ain with the practice, stay on a preventive m aintenance plan and be willing to accept recommended and necessary treatm ent. Thus, having a strong plan in place for each critical step of the new patien t exam and consultation—from the initial contact to the diagnostic interview —the clinical exam and treatm en t consultation should yield these benefits: ■■ allow you and your team to function smoothly, avoiding confusion, miscomm unication and stress for all involved, especially th e new patient; *■“ help you and your team to determ ine as quickly as possible the needs of the patient; " create a positive experience and environm ent th a t encourages the patien t to accept the tre a tm e n t you recommend; ■" expedite servicing the p a tie n t’s needs; ™ comm unicate excellence, tru s t and caring; ■“ leave the p atien t feeling satisfied; * encourage the p atien t to refer other patients to the office. E stablishing objectives helps develop a plan for handling all new -patient contact. This im portant system begins w ith the first phone call the p atien t m akes to the practice and the initial staff contact. Each new p atien t should receive th e same w arm welcome and positive initial contact. This is not to suggest th a t an assembly-line
approach be used—each patient should be responded to differ ently, ju s t as in the dental chair. However, patients should feel cared about, tru stful and assured of a high-quality practice. Even from the first phone call, the p atien t is forming im pressions of the practice, consciously or subconsciously. Therefore, consider seemingly m inor things, like the friendli ness of the appointm ent adm in istrato r on the phone, the m an ner in which the adm inistrator answ ers questions, records inform ation and sets up the appointm ent. While on the phone w ith the new patient, the appointm ent adm inistrator should seek and record im portant inform ation about the patient. W riting down th is inform ation for the records is essential to the smoothness of the p atien t’s first visit. At Pride In stitu te ’s New P atien t Exam and Consultation course, we recommend using P ride’s telephone inform ation slip in conjunction w ith four “we care” questions. These questions are designed to retrieve valuable inform ation from the patien t (to be recorded on the telephone inform ation slip) while comm unicating the caring style of the practice: ■* “How m ay I help you?” "• “In order for me to m ake a proper appointm ent for you, m ay I ask a few questions?” ■“ “Is there anything else th a t we should know th a t would m ake your visit more comfortable?” “ “Whom m ay we th a n k for referring you?” The telephone inform ation slip is organized to follow the form at of these questions. The questions allow the appoint-
m ent adm ini stra to r to comfortably and gracefully retrieve the following : Dr. Pride is d ire c to r information: d fo u n d e r, P ride phonetic pro j: aInnstitu te, G re e n b ra e , nunciation of : Calif., a n d a well: know n le c tu re r on an unusual : p ra c tic e m a n a g e name; pa m e n t. A d dress : r e q u e s ts fo r re p rin ts tien t’s initial to Dr. P rid e , 3 0 0 concern; : D ra k e s Landing, referral source, patien t’s purbrae> Ca,if- 949°4pose for the appointm ent; prelim inary inform ation and symptoms regarding an em er gency; range of fees quoted over the phone; patient identifica tion, such as address and telephone num ber; prelim inary insurance information; and emotional m otivators or concerns and dental IQ detected during the conversation. Ideally, a welcome packet is sent to the patient before the first visit. The welcome packet should contain: welcome letter, patient registration and medical dental history forms, appoint m ent card, map (optional). o u n e ¿u u , u re e n -
G R E E T IN G T H E P A T IE N T
The appointm ent adm inistrator is a key player in properly greeting new patients. Ideally, the adm inistrator: ■■ Stands, greets the patien t by name, introduces herself and shakes hands as she says: “You m ust be Mr. Smith. Hello. My nam e is Sally H ardy.” Standing puts you on the same eye level w ith the patien t and demon strates in terest and respect. The handshake and full name introduction helps put the' patient a t ease and indicates the caring style of the practice. >■ Welcomes the patient, say ing: “Let me be the first to
welcome you to our office.” This lets the patient know th a t you are glad to see him and th a t you consider him a valued addition to the practice. You are also confirming your phone sta te m ent th a t you looked forward to welcoming him personally. ■** O btains completed forms from the patient using the benefit statem ent formula. Benefit: “So you don’t have to carry those forms any longer, ...” Procedure: “Let me take them .” You appear to be doing the patien t a favor by relieving him of the forms th a t you need. If the p atien t is seen before a welcome packet is m ailed, the patient inform ation form is presented. Use a benefit sta te m ent. Benefit: “So the doctor will have all of the necessary inform ation to tre a t you properly, ...” Procedure: “Will you please complete both sides of th is form?” It is both a luxury and an advantage to have a staff m em ber sit down w ith the patient to complete the form. It is a great way to continue your personalized service w ith the patient. W hen the appointm ent adm inistrator receives the form, it should be carefully reviewed for completeness, legibility and unusual comments. ■■ Notifies the doctor and den tal a ssistan t th a t the patient has arrived so th a t they can be prepared, which continues the smooth flow of the new p atien t exam and consultation. Each interaction the new patient has w ith the dentist and the dental team becomes an opportunity to bring patients wholeheartedly into the practice. Try to view each step as a p a rt in an engine. If one p art breaks, the whole engine shuts down, even if the other parts are in good condition. ■ JADA, Vol. 123, August 1992
81
