from those successes. When it comes to conversations that count -practice makes perfect. Commit to practicing verbal skills consistently -during team meetings, quick conversations during huddles, these times are important for the growth and development of each member of your team. ᕢ Make the process EASIER. From start to finish, when you think through the patient experi-ence, from scheduling an appoint-ment to patient check out -ask yourself this question: How easy do you make it for your patients to get what they want or need? In any aspect of the patient touch points that you and your team determine it becomes difficult or challenging, this is an area that needs attention. For example, do the patients rarely get their new patient forms completed before their appoint-ment? How can you provide the information in an easier way for them to complete? Or, is the investment for treatment preventing many patients from achieving their goals for their smiles or to get needed treatment? What are your financial options for them? Are you maximizing patient financing? Do you have a patient membership plan in your practice? Do you have a treatment coordinator that is comfort-able with discussing treatment and fees at the helm to have those conver-sations comfortably, confidently and successfully? Do you provide a text to pay option? Do you make it easy for your patients to leave a review? Do you make it easy for patients to sched-ule appointments? There are so many ways to stream-line the patient’s experience and inter-actions with you to make it easier, more convenient, and more feasible for them to access your care. Make sure you aren’t letting the busy-ness of your days detract from putting the patient experi-ence the top priority of the day. The education around identi-fied & diagnosed need case acceptance and elevate your treatment mix. The treatment presentation The financial presentation The scheduling of the next appointment ᕡ All team members must commit to continuous improvement with VERBAL SKILLS. Dr. John Jameson, one of Jame-son’s founders and a retired general dentist, believes that the reason behind his extraordinary success in case acceptance was due to his commitment, along with his team’s, in the mastery of verbal skills. Not a team meeting went by that there wasn’t time committed to role play-ing and practicing various situa-tions and conversations that were had on a daily basis with patients when it came to discussing and presenting treatment. When you think of the places you have been and experiences that you have had with businesses when you had an incredible customer experience, what was a thread that tied the experience together? Likely, one of those continuous threads was the way the employees of that business communicated with each other and with you! Explore the conversations that are had in the Pivotal Patient Touch Points -what conversations are going well? Which ones continue to be frustrating or less than success-ful? Choose those conversations and dissect them, practice the verbal skills and coach each other through better ways to communi-cate in those situations. Take the conversations that are going well and review what is being said so that everyone can learn and build The patient checkout The appointment follow-up These particular waypoints in a patient appointment typically require a patient handoff to another team member, key verbal skills to educate and motivate the patient, and intentional time and communi-cation to make certain that message sent is message received and that value is seen in what is being communicated and recommended. Whether you are introducing new treatment into your practice or you are wishing to provide more of a certain type of treatment (orthodon-tics, for example), it is imperative that everyone in your practice under-stands that each team member can make or break the patient’s relation-ship with your practice. It is every-one’s responsibility to understand what the ideal patient experience is in your practice, what each person’s role is in that experience, and that they are in agreement and are on board to execute their piece of the puzzle with excellence. ᕣ Make sure your message, image and experience are all ALIGNED and you can be found for the services you wish to provide. Do you want to be found for orthodontics? Implants? Family Pivotal Patient Touch Points Here are four specific points in your patient experience and pivotal patient touch points to improve if your goal is to increase 22 Summer 2024 JAOS
Journal of the American Orthodontic Society Summer 2024: Page 22
