Every dental practice needs systems in place to operate more efficiently. JoAnne Tanner’s Practice Enhancement Manual covers all bases; from scheduling and financial Control, to case acceptance and an effective hygiene department.
The Practice Enhancement Manual includes the following chapters:
- Role “job” Descriptions: The first step in training an effective team is a complete role description. Your team is on stage, so it’s not a job…..it is their role.
- Scheduling to Maximum Effectiveness: In order to maximize the doctor’s time along with full utilization of the entire team, advanced scheduling systems are highly recommended.
- Controlling No Shows and Cancellations: In order to reduce the number of no-shows and last minute cancellations, office guidelines must be established and communicated to the patient. If they are communicated after it has become a problem, a negative experience will occur for everyone involved.
- Continuing Care a.k.a. Recall: The back bone of your practice is a successful continuing care system. Patient retention is a critical factor in your practice success.
- The Hygiene Experience: Learn how to develop an effective hygiene department including a periodontal therapy program.
- Financial Control: To support all your efforts to bring the patient to this point in the process, it is essential that your financial system is structured to offer affordable payment options to the patient without putting the practice at risk or establishing you as a banker. The cost of operating the practice (overhead) is directly proportional to the production. It is essential that we collect everything that we produce.
- Accounts Receivable Control: An action plan is necessary if you have existing accounts receivable that must be reduced and/or monitored.
- New Patient Experience: In order to create the right first impression, it is essential for the new patient to experience P.O.S. Positively Outrageous Service. Since people will talk about someone or something only when it is way above or way below what they had expected, it is important to develop an approach that is above and beyond the expectations of the new patient.
- Marketing – Internal: A constant influx of new patients, on a regular basis, is a necessity if the practice is to grow. The opportunity to diagnose comprehensive treatment relies heavily on the availability of new patient exams, since the established patient base will have completed treatment, and are maintained in the Continuing Care program.
- Verbal Skills Transcripts: Since the patient’s perception is their reality, it is essential that every step of the patient visit, from answering the phone to presenting treatment, is representative of your high quality care.