Are we on the same page?
While visiting a practice, I observed something interesting. In this practice the DAs gave the post-operative instructions following an extraction.
I saw two patients have simple extractions while being looked after by different DAs. Each DA gave a different set of post-operative instructions. For example, one DA mentioned pain relief, one did not. One DA recommended biting on the pack for 15 minutes, one said 30 minutes. One DA warned about bone chips, one did not.
That led me to ask the DAs why they gave the instructions that they did. What was the reason for the differences? Both DAs said that they’d not received any training on what to say. They each told me that what they said to the patient was entirely up to them: “We just say what we think’s a good idea.”
Is this what you want in your practice? Or, would you prefer that the instructions and treatment explanations that patients get from the staff are standardised? It’s my view that patients should get the same advice or instructions no matter who in the practice they ask.
Have a staff meeting and agree what you’ll say, for example, after an extraction, after a filling, when a patient asks “What’s a root filling?”, when a patient asks “What’s a crown?”, when a patient rings with a bone chip after an extraction, when a patient asks about payment options or when a patient wants to delay treatment.
By agreeing what you say to patients, you make our advice and explanations clear and unambiguous. It doesn’t matter if a patient asks the dentist, a DA or the front desk person, they will get the same explanation or advice.
I heard a story from a dentist who had standardised practice communication. A patient asked the DA about delaying treatment and got the answer. Then the patient went to the front desk and asked the receptionist about delaying treatment. She got the same answer. The patient said: “That’s exactly what the nurse said.” and booked in for the treatment. This story shows how sometimes patients ask multiple people the same question as a test.
It’s well worth the time and effort to get everyone on the same page.
When a patient declines treatment, pushing harder or stripping the plan back are both wrong. Here’s what actually works and why it starts with letting go.