Is patient retention a problem at your Dental Practice? It certainly is for many growing practices. An important aspect of a patient’s experience goes beyond the field of dentistry and into the realm of patient engagement. What this entails will be discussed in this blog, along with how to get your dental practice on board.
What Does Patient Engagement mean?
Patient-centric technology that empowers with self-service capabilities is what patient engagement revolves around. What are 10 ways to better engage your patients so they feel empowered?
- At-Your-Convenience Online Scheduling
- Self-Service Online Patient Intake Forms
- Capture ID, Insurance Card, Photo, Medication list from Home
- In-Office iPad App option for forms & documents
- E-sign Digital Treatment Plans without the hassle
- Fast Online Payment Option sent via Text/Email
- One touch text reply to confirm with SMS Appointment Reminders
- Reschedule/Cancel appointment via 2-Way Text
- Open Communication Channel via SMS
- Provide opportunity for feedback after each visit
Breakdown of 10 Ways
Self-Service Online Patient Intake Forms
Patients don’t enjoy a stack of paper forms awaiting them to complete at the visit. Paper forms create long wait times, and tedious work for both patients and staff. Patients these days are looking for online solutions that give them the feeling of empowerment and remote self-service options.
Online forms eliminate the headaches of missing information, or the need to wait on front desk staff to manually enter and scan their information into the system. Integration of online forms into practice management software (Open Dental, Eaglesoft, Dentrix, Dolphin) optimizes the experience for patients, allowing for better quality care.
Capture ID, Insurance Card, Photo, Medication list from Home
No more need for patients to wait on the front office to scan their IDs, insurance cards, and medication lists. With online intake forms, comes built-in capabilities for patients to capture all these and other documents from home before the visit.
In-Office iPad App option for Forms & Treatment Plans
Patients who prefer completing forms in the office enjoy the speed and simplicity of using a branded iPad app in place of paper forms. They have the ability to E-sign treatment plans, capture their ID, insurance card, photo, and medication list, hassle-free. The iPad app offers many advantages over traditional operations, creating happier patients.
At-Your-Convenience Online Scheduling
Just about every dental office has faced the dilemma of missed calls from potential patients. Those callers may be lost for good, and usually book an appointment elsewhere. Did you know that 20% of new patient phone calls are missed at a typical practice?
If patients had the empowering capability to schedule online, on their own time without needing to make any phone calls to the office, the number of missed opportunities would dwindle. Patients would love the convenience and your patient base would continue to grow.
Fast Online Payment Option sent via Text/Email
Fast digital payment options are what patients prefer. Being able to receive a payment link via SMS or email is a smoother process for patients, and helps practices get payments from patients faster.
One touch text reply to confirm with SMS Appointment Reminders
Automated appointment reminders sent via text/email are the ultimate solution for patients to stay on top of their upcoming visits. They can text back a confirmation reply instead of having to play phone tag with the office.
Reschedule/Cancel appointment via 2-Way Text
Just about everyone uses SMS messaging on a daily basis these days. Empowering patients with the ability to reschedule or cancel appointments via SMS makes it easier for them. Patients will no longer need to worry about missed phone calls or having to be placed on hold when calling the office back.
Open Communication Channel via SMS
Patients love having the power to communicate with your office via SMS. Phone calls can’t always fit into their busy schedule, and are limited to certain hours of the day. With the flexibility of 2-Way SMS messaging, patients can ask questions, get information pertaining to visits, etc. It’s a convenient tool that allows patients to communicate on their own time.
Provide opportunity for feedback after each visit
Patients want a professional way to let you know about their experience. Whether it’s a hats off for doing a fabulous job, or sharing advice on how to improve, clients like having their voice heard. Reputation management software allows your office to send a text to patients after checkout, asking for their rating and feedback.
High ratings improve your practice’s reputation by sending a link for patients to post on Google reviews. Low ratings activate a patient survey to better understand the patient’s concerns, and avoid a negative Google review. It’s the perfect way to engage patients and show that they are valued.
Conclusion
Patient engagement plays a significant role in retention rate. By implementing the 10 patient engagement solutions discussed in this blog, your dental practice will be on its way to improving patient satisfaction and retention.
mConsent software streamlines operations for practices to empower patients with remote self-serve options, placing them in the driver’s seat. Find out how mConsent can optimize your dental practice.
