What’s the best reason to invest in dental billing outsourcing?
To reduce the chance of burnout. It’s not a four-letter word, but maybe it should be. Burnout is a condition of mental, physical, and emotional stress brought on by being unable to meet continual demands.
When you and your team are burned out, you cannot serve patients well, and that statement is backed by research (see below). A stressful atmosphere in your office will be palpable. Burnout is hard, if not impossible, to disguise…and patients notice.
So what can you do to reduce the potential for this “disease” in your office? In this blog, we’ll focus on eliminating one of the most stressful and constant issues your front office faces daily: dental billing. The cure? Dental billing outsourcing.
Is Burnout Really a Problem in Dental Offices?
Absolutely! The ADA’s 2021 Dentist Well-Being Survey Report polled 1000 dentists and found that: “… younger dentists continue to be disproportionately affected by mental and emotional health concerns. This age group was less likely to feel in control of their work environment, reported higher level of stress at work and scored higher on a depression scale.”
Burnout is the result of constant and prolonged stress in a particular role. It can lead to anxiety disorders, poor quality of life, loss of motivation and ideals, and even physical ailments. Teachers burn out. Parents burn out. Dentists and dental staff alike burn out.
Another study titled “The effects of employee burnout on customers” and published in Work & Stress – An International Journal of Work, Health, & Organisations evaluated two aspects of burnout, depersonalization and emotional exhaustion. The report states: “Multilevel analysis showed that employee depersonalisation negatively affected customer perceptions toward employee service and organization service. Customer anger and hostility mediated this effect.”
Your patients read the room the moment they open your front door.
How Dental Billing Outsourcing Reduces Staff Stress
If you’ve been a dentist for more than a minute, you know the ridiculous amount of stress that dental billing has on front office personnel. Here are just a few ways billing puts pressure on you and your staff:
- Lots and lots and lots of time on the phone
- Potential errors in coding and billing
- Reassessing, amending, and reprocessing denials
- Patient information privacy concerns
- Regulation compliance issues
- Cash flow can bog down
- Ongoing training required
All of these problems vanish when you choose dental billing outsourcing. You and your team will experience:
- Less frustration
- More face time with patients
- Peace of mind
- Total compliance with regulations
- Improved collections
- Consistent cash flow
Where to Start: Your DPE Virtual Administrator
At Dental Practice Enhancement, we offer a unique model for outsourcing dental billing. You’ll be assigned a highly trained and skilled virtual administrator who works on our team, for your team.
Your virtual administrator can handle insurance claims, denials/rejections, posting payments and adjustments, insurance eligibility/verification, statements, collections, and more. Imagine the freedom your front office team will have to serve patients – with a smile!
To find out more about how to reduce stress and burnout for your dental practice, call Dental Practice Enhancement at 833-373-3678 or complete the online contact form. We will answer all of your questions about dental billing outsourcing and escort you seamlessly to our service.
