Practice ManageMent tribune Practice Management Tribune Practice Management Tribune Practice Management Tribune Practice Management Tribune Paper free practice Lorne Lavine details six managable steps to digital replacements of paper based systems Going off-site One dentist discusses his experience with implementing a managed service solutions for his practices On the record Dental protection highlights the necessity of keeping full and clear patient records All being equal The Equality Act will have a major impact on employers. Here we take a look at what it will mean for dental employers pages 12-14 pages 14-15 pages 16-18 page 19 Revisit your values To survive ongoing financial turbulence, make sure your priorities are in check, says Sheila Scott 2. Care and treatment to ensure teeth and gums stay healthy What do you do to give your patients reassurance in these terms? Is your whole team always legal, decent, honest and truthful with patients? Does everyone treat every patient with empathy and respect? Does the team treat each other with empathy and respect? Do you all welcome patient interaction with the practice or do you simply tolerate their fears and their questions? Is your customer care perfect and are your premises kept pristine? Are you absolutely transparent about the costs of your care and treatment and do you tell patients the costs of any recommended appointments or treatments even before the written estimate is produced? Do you estimate accurately and do you always discuss any changes of treatment plan or ‘extras’ with patients before they are presented with the bill at reception? Are your communications focused on the health message? Do you do exams to find treatment or to check that patients are healthy, and do patients notice this focus? Do you offer treatment because you love finding problems or because you wish to return patients’ mouths to health? Do you inform patients I n times of recession, consumer behaviour changes and nowhere has it been more evident than in the dental health sector. Initially, many practices hardly seemed to be affected by the economic downturn; some continued to grow while others breathed a sigh of relief as the pressure lifted from the appointment book. But as the bite continued, practices have found numbers of patients are staying away or leaving. More recently the ‘staying away’ behaviour seems to be becoming a little more widespread, even creeping into the best-loved practices. Those practices with excellent patient relationships, good communications and monthly plans in place do best. Fully private practices are more vulnerable with a definite lengthening in the interval between exams and more treatments being left untaken. So how is your practice faring and what are you doing about it? Rewarding health In my experience of visiting practices around the UK, I’m finding that some dentists are tempted to respond to the adverse conditions by focusing on ‘selling’ restorative and cosmetic treatments, and investing in new courses and promotions to this effect. But there’s lots of research available that shows that what most patients really want, is not treatment, not even cosmetic treatment, but health. Every time patients walk into your surgery they are hoping you ‘don’t find anything wrong’ and that they will get a clean bill of health. The trouble is, when patients do get a clean bill of health, too many dentists are disappointed. Dentists get excited about treatments, troubles, concerns and problems. These are exciting because dentists are consummate ‘fixers’ – they can correct problems and their technical skills can be tested! So dentists tend not to reward healthy patients and most don’t do enough to encourage patients to help themselves at home. Health really matters Historically, some practices al- lowed their patients to believe that they should only visit them ‘when there’s a problem’ and that, in the face of tightened belts, might explain why ‘staying away’ behaviour is suddenly more common. I want to bring back the excitement to prevention and dental health, and build practices on what really matters to patients. I want patients to be in no doubt that their dental health depends on constant vigilance at home, regular screening by their dentist and the advice of their hygienist. Restorative treatment is usually needed because patients and practices have failed to preserve health. Cosmetic dentistry is something that is best offered carefully, within a philosophy of health first, looks second. Understanding patients According to my research within practices, the two aspects most important to patients when choosing and using a dental practice are: 1. Trusting the dentist of a necessary treatment with concern for why dental health has failed or with obvious glee for the fun of the technical challenge in your voice and manner? Are you exceptional at explaining why your patients need to see your hygienist or return for more prevention and plaque control advice from yourself or your oral health educator, or do you let them think they get a ‘scale and polish’ – which, for too many patients, means a quick polish (cosmetic value only) or a vague money earner by the dentist that has no value to their dental health. And specifically, what do you do to help parents keep their children dentally healthy? It’s what patients believe you are doing for them and why that will determine whether they attend the practice regularly or not. And your new patients need reassurance of what you are doing for them too. If you are noticing a downward trend in your appointment book then maybe it’s time to sit down and revisit your values and your messages to patients. DT About the author Sheila Scott has dedicated the last 20 years to helping dentists and their teams grow and prosper. See her website www. sheila-scott.co.uk for more details, or contact her on 01343 862930. It´s about you and your vision... Loupes • FLIp Loupes • prIsm spectacLes • Frames • LeD LIght • ergonomIcs www.optergo.co.uk Ad_UK_100301_A.indd 1 10-03-01 11.05.09