Customer Service

The Patient-Centered Practice

Linda L. Miles, CSP, CMC

For the past two decades, the term "patient-centered" has been used freely by everyone in the dental profession. Speakers and consultants identify a practice as patient-centered when high-quality, superior customer service and quality treatment are the status quo. Marketing companies use patient-centered philosophies to attract and retain patients for their clients through better technology and improved images of their practices.

Many dental practices think they are on the right track simply by offering their patients in-office amenities such as refreshments. Being patient-centered is more complex than that, but it can easily be accomplished.

To the dentist and staff, "patient-centered" should mean giving a patient a positive feeling when he or she calls the office, walks through the front door, is being treated and is being dismissed -- throughout each phase of each visit. The foundation of a true patient-centered practice lies in the entire staff’s ability to communicate effectively on all levels throughout the patient’s experience with the practice.

In the book, Fundamentals of Outstanding Dental Teams, the contributing authors of each chapter follow the lead of Vicki McManus, RDH, in stressing that exceptional customer service and teamwork cannot only be fun, but also be rewarding for patients, doctors, and staff. Each chapter explores the semantics of a truly patient-centered practice from a team-building perspective.

Imagine the patient as a customer in a restaurant. When he or she makes reservations and then is greeted by the maitre’d with: "Do you have reservations? Are you sure? Could they be under another name?" Regardless of the quality of the food or service once the customer is seated, the insincerity of the initial contact will undoubtedly set the mood for the rest of the dining experience. However, when a patron is greeted by a pleasant maitre’d with a ready smile who says, "Dr. Morgan, so nice to see you. Your table is just this way," the stage is inevitably set for a pleasant evening.

The following discussion touches on four key parts of a practice where patient-centered principles can be applied to improve customer service.

The Telephone

There is but one chance to make a positive first impression. The manner in which the telephone is being answered can make or break the overall perception a caller has of a practice.

If the patient coordinator is answering the telephone by saying, "Doctor’s office. Can you hold?" the practice is in trouble. Sounding rushed or being abrupt with a caller is not good customer service. The patient coordinator should instead say, "Thank you for calling Dr. Warren’s office. This is Leslie. How may I help you?"

Many dental practices have voice mail taking calls during their business day. Automated telephone service sounds impersonal and robotic, "If you’d like to speak with our financial coordinator, press 2. If you have a dental emergency, stay on the line, and we’ll be with you shortly." While new telephone technology is advisable in some large businesses, it’s not sufficiently patient-centered to be used in a dental practice. The telephone should always be considered the lifeline to the outside world and should command top priority.

Words alone do not create a positive first impression. The correct tone of voice must accompany the telephone script. If the person answering the telephone drops the ball, the entire team will have to work to repair the initial damage. The person answering the telephone should have friendliness, enthusiasm, empathy, and knowledge.

Business Staff Check-In

In a patient-centered environment, the customer is king. It takes 10 years for patients to evaluate the quality of the clinical care. It takes 10 seconds for them to judge customer service skills.

Upon greeting each patient as he or she enters the reception area, the scheduling coordinator should stand and give a friendly, "glad you are here" welcome. Business staff should not be so preoccupied with their busy work that patients feel as if they are intruding. "Have a seat, we’ll be right with you in a moment," leaves a lot a to be desired. Instead, the receptionist should stand, extend a hand and say, "Good morning. You must be Mr. Parker. My name is Linda. I spoke with you on the telephone. Welcome to Dr. Warren’s office." Not only is this courteous, but it also relaxes the patient immensely. If the business staff member is on the telephone when the patient enters, he or she should at least smile, nod, and wave to acknowledge the person entering the room. Turning one’s back and continuing a telephone conversation is cold, rude, and hardly patient-centered.

Warmth and sincerity are key elements. The registration of a new patient should be thorough and accommodating. An impersonal sign-in sheet doesn’t provide the same customer service as a friendly staff member, "Mr. Parker, it’s important for you to complete the health history and personal data in their entirety. If you need assistance, I am here to help." Never say, "Fill this out -- I'll be with you shortly."

Clinical Staff

As the assistant or hygienist enters the reception area to greet the patient, he or she should always be focused and friendly. The overused phrase, "We’re ready to see you now," isn’t nearly as effective as, "Mr. Parker, my name is Debbie, I’m one of Dr. Warren’s assistants. I’m delighted to meet you."

During treatment, it is perfectly acceptable for the dentist and clinical staff person to talk to one another. However, when doing so, they should not disregard the human being in the chair. Saying simple things such as, "Mr. Parker, as soon as we remove your rubber dam barrier, you can tell us about your last ski trip," is much friendlier than ignoring the patient, who helps pay everyone’s salaries.

In most dental practices, there are usually two or three patients waiting to be seen. It is crucial that the dentist not be detained with post-treatment explanations. The dentist should say, "Mr. Parker, it was a pleasure seeing you. My dental assistant Debbie will review exactly what we’ve done today and will answer any questions you might have." Delegating the pre- and post-treatment explanations is great teamwork and will help develop the patient’s trust in the entire practice.

Business Staff Check-Out

During the check-out phase of a patient’s visit, it is important that the financial coordinator is proficient in effective communication. Fumbling with the fee presentation can be detrimental to collections and can make the patient feel uncomfortable. When the staff is comfortable with the fees, the patients will be comfortable with the fees as well. The financial coordinator should never say, "Your fee for today is $675. How would you like to handle that?" This phraseology opens the door for a high accounts receivable. To get an acceptable answer from the patient, one should say, "Your fee for today is $675. Will that be cash, check, or credit card?"

When presenting large financial options, the financial coordinator should use the word "comfortable" in the presentation. "Mr. Parker, we want this to be as comfortable financially as the dentistry we do." When this phrase is used, patients will realize that payment is important, but the office is willing to work with them so they are not overburdened by their financial responsibilities.

Creative financing is an excellent tool for dental practices to incorporate. It allows patients to have interest-free loans while enjoying their healthy, attractive smiles.

For example: During one in-office consultation, an exchange was observed where the patient’s $2,600 treatment plan was approximately 50 percent covered by his employee benefit plan. When the patient heard, "Your portion will be about $1,300," there was a dead silence and a look of disbelief. The financial coordinator should have said, "Mr. Parker, it looks as though your employee benefit plan will cover approximately 50 percent of your total treatment. If I can secure for you a 12-month, interest-free loan on the balance, how does $108.33 per month sound?"

Patient-centered staff not only help put the patient at ease, but also are great practice builders. When dismissing the patient, the business staff should say, "Mr. Parker, it was great seeing you as a new patient. If you have any friends, relatives or co-workers who don’t have a personal dentist, be sure to tell them about our practice."

At a staff meeting, each office that hopes to become patient-centered should discuss each phase of the practice as though seeing it through the eyes of its patients. Staff should then rate themselves on a scale of 1-10 to see which areas could use improvement. Once everyone on the team realizes the value of working toward the same goal with their patient communication -- from telephone through dismissal -- they will understand the importance of and strive for a truly patient-centered practice.

Author

Linda Miles, CSP, CMC, is the chief executive office of Miles & Associates, a dental management consulting firm.

To request a printed copy of this article, please contact/Linda Miles, CSP, CMC, Miles & Associates, 4356-2 Bonney Road, Suite 103, Virginia Beach, VA 23452.