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Seven Easy Ways to Boost Treatment Compliance by Jay Geier

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Seven Easy Ways to Boost Treatment Compliance
by Jay Geier

If I had to guess, I would say the majority of dentists go into the profession for this primary reason: to help make a difference in people's lives by providing exceptional dental care.

In theory, it's noble and admirable. In reality, however, it isn't easy. I've worked with countless doctors who tell me that their biggest practice frustration is actually their patients. For these docs, the lack of treatment compliance is the Achilles heel in their practice. Despite their best efforts, lack of acceptance leaves them deflated and discouraged—and don't get me started on what it does to their bottom line.

Patient treatment compliance is one of the biggest missed opportunities for revenue in most dental practices. But with the right strategic approach and self-assessment, you can increase your patients' ability to accept, buy and comply. Here's how to start.

1. Know your market
If I said that simply by catering to one person, you would appeal to the majority of your patients, would you believe me?

Would you know who that one person is? Let me introduce you to her: she is between 40 and 65 years old, is college educated, has two cars and two kids in college, and lives in a house worth approximately $250,000. Let's call her Kate. Why is Kate so important? Because she is making 87 percent of the health-care decisions for her family.

She is the one who approves the treatment plans, and it's likely that she's the one who encourages the family to comply with them. Be sure to keep her in mind in everything you do, from how you frame your marketing, signage and your practice's public image, to what food and drink you provide in the waiting room. Make Kate happy, and you're ahead of the game.

2. Go "Ritz-Carlton" on them
Do you want to know one of the easiest ways to increase case acceptance and treatment compliance? Knock the "patient experience" out of the park.

Exceed your patients' expectations and make them feel like they've stepped into the Ritz-Carlton of dental practices. Give them customer service that rivals what they would get at Nordstrom. Make sure your waiting room is comfortable, your refrigerator is stocked and any amenities are available—and if you don't have these things, get them!

Provide your patients with a unique gift (not a toothbrush) at their arrival. By doing so, you will tap into their natural instinct to return that favor by saying yes to treatment. For more information on this concept, see Dr. Robert Cialdini's six key principles of influence listed in Influence: The Psychology of Persuasion. Pay special attention to the Law of Reciprocity.

3. Don't assume anything
Believe it or not, your misconceptions about your patients may be costing you tens of thousands of dollars every year.

Many good dentists make assumptions that keep them from presenting a thorough, quality treatment plan to their patients. You assume the patient can't afford something or won't be willing to pay out of pocket for it. You assume he doesn't see the value in going one step further in his preventative care/treatment, or that he doesn't want to know the options to take treatment that step further.

You might think that he may be offended if, for example, you suggest teeth whitening or veneers. You assume that when he asks a question about something, he is looking for a way out, when in fact, he very well may be looking for an opportunity to say yes.

You want to provide the best health care possible, right? Then don't shortchange your patient on treatment options. Think about how you would approach a family member. You would recommend the absolute best care to your mom, sister or brother, wouldn't you? That's how you should treat your patients—as if they were family members.

4. Know your patients
Get acquainted with your patients. Ask them questions. Ask them more questions. Be interested. Use what I call "the four-minute rule" to qualify and connect: Spend the first four minutes of the appointment to get to know Kate. Find out where she lives, where she works, how many kids she has and where they go to school. Not only are you establishing a relationship with her, you are getting cues on treatment opportunities and what you should or shouldn't present to her during her visit.

For example, does this patient have a high-profile job? Teeth whitening or straightening may be appealing to her. Another side benefit of establishing a relationship with your patient is that you are building trust between the two of you, which is huge. And while the information she shares with you is still fresh in your mind, write it down. You can refer to it during her next visit.

5. Maximize your hygienist influence
Hygienists understand the importance of a great patient relationship—they foster it at every single visit.

Your patients call their hygienists by name, request the same one at each visit, and sometimes even ask about their kids or how their latest CE course went. In fact, if you read Yelp or Google reviews on patient experiences, many of them don't even mention the dentist—they rave about how great their cleaning was or how awesome "Cindy" was in making them feel comfortable.

Your hygienists typically are spending the most amount of time with your patients in the office, so naturally your patients put a lot of trust in them and their personal opinions. Hygienists, therefore, have the responsibility to understand the patient's ultimate goal for his or her oral health. Does he want whiter teeth? Would she like that small gap fixed? Would he prefer composite fillings? Hygienists need to know what the patients want (they may even have to come straight out and ask) and then they can give you a heads up before you even enter the room.

6. Educate your patients
All dentists expect to educate their patients during an exam. You are the expert, after all, and they are depending on your knowledge to provide them with a recommended treatment plan. Want to make your patient even happier? Make sure she or he receives the treatment plan in writing at the end of the appointment, and be careful to include any home-care instructions. When patients are stressed, they often later have difficulty remembering what was discussed, and most of them won't think to take notes while in the chair.

But your investment in your patients' care doesn't have to end when they leave the office.

Carve out time to educate patients through ongoing communication. An email or a video clip keeps them informed of new or existing services, and keeps you and your practice top of mind.

A monthly newsletter provides an opportunity to highlight any specials and promotions, or profile staff members and share various community involvements. This goes hand in hand with establishing that relationship I mentioned earlier.

And when it comes time for you to recommend a particular service, the patient feels like she has what she needs to make an informed decision. And who knows? She just may forward one of your videos or newsletters to a friend.

7. Over-deliver every time
If your patients feel like they are getting more than they paid for during routine care, they will be more likely to accept an involved treatment plan, knowing they will have a similar experience.

Part of that includes personal follow up. It is crucial, actually, especially for larger and more expensive treatment plans. When you make the effort to follow up with the patient, either through a phone call the next day or a handwritten note or email, you are showing the patient that you care about him, even when he isn't in your office.

By implementing aspects of these seven tips, you are bound to see your patient acceptance and treatment compliance increase in no time. You'll nurture better relationships with your patients and your practice will continue to prosper and grow.

Jay Geier, founder and president of the Scheduling Institute, is a well-known coach and speaker who has helped more than 11,000 dentists nationwide grow their practices. For more information on Geier's programs, call (877) 317-6514 or go to Schedulinginstitute.com/dentaltown.



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