Wondering how to improve patient experience in your dental practice? It’s a valid question! As a medical professional, you strive to provide the best possible services to your patients. But their experience is not just about the time they spend in clinical treatment. From the moment they step through the door to the moment they leave, everything makes an impression. If you are struggling with patient satisfaction ratings, it might not be a reflection on you or your medical skills. Rather, it may have more to do with administration and the externals of your clinic.
At Dental Practice Enhancement, we provide advanced training to dental practices to help them improve patient satisfaction and practice productivity. Contact us to learn more about our services and how they can benefit your practice.
What affects patient experience?
When polled, patients are generally pleased with their dentists. However, overall satisfaction rates decline due to external factors. One survey of 497 individuals found that patients reported the highest satisfaction rates with their dentists themselves, followed by the services of the dental assistants. Patients were least satisfied with the physical setting and accessibility of the clinic.
A larger study, looking at 5,789 surveys, found that patient satisfaction was influenced by three factors: patient interactions with the dentist and clinical staff, the selection and value of dental materials, and the sensory experience in the office.
With these polls in mind, here are a few ways that you can improve your dental patients’ experience.
1. Enhance your waiting room.
From the surveys mentioned above, it is apparent that the environment plays a huge role in patient comfort. If you want your patients to perceive your practice as modern and up-to-date, make sure your waiting room reflects that! Provide recent reading material and consider customized content on your TV. Offering complimentary Wi-Fi is also a great first step in improving patient experience.
2. Decrease wait times.
This one should come as no surprise. Long wait times are a turn-off to anyone. Simplify the intake process to keep things running smoothly and effectively. Start by offering online check-in and automatic paperwork.
3. Make checkout quick and easy.
Just like patients don’t like to wait before their appointments, they don’t like to wait afterwards. Cut down on the time they spend checking out by offering automatic appointment scheduling. Ask your staff to be warm and friendly – but brief. Unless patients start it themselves, they probably don’t want to get sucked into a conversation as they are headed out the door.
4. Provide better training for your staff.
Sufficient training and capable administrative services are essential for any successful dental practice. Unless you opened your practice recently and hired everyone at once, chances are your team has been trained piecemeal. When you offer clinical and administrative training to everyone at the same time, you can create a unique office culture that reflects your personal best qualities. Plus, advanced training can improve efficiency and profitability in all areas of your practice.
At Dental Practice Enhancement, we offer both administrative and clinical training. Our services can help you streamline your practices, both in the front office and in the treatment room. Furthermore, our training can help your staff bond as a team, coming together to create a friendly and efficient office culture, which will automatically convey to your patients.
Learn More about How to Improve Patient Experience in Your Dental Practice
To learn more about the training services provided by Dental Practice Enhancement, contact our office today. You can also reach us by phone at (833) DPE-FOR-U.
