HomeBlogDental Billing Tips: Avoiding poor patient experiences

Dental Billing Tips: Avoiding poor patient experiences

December 28, 2022 Dental Industry & News, Motivation & Productivity 6 min read

“Prevention” is a common word when it comes to dental care.  Did you know, the word “prevention” also applies to resolving complaints and creating an opportunity for patients to communicate their grievances openly and honestly? The most important patient retention factor is the patient’s experience, and the best dental practices know that patient experience is a detailed art and are constantly working to perfect it. Keep reading to discover more helpful dental billing tips on how to avoid poor patient experiences, and how we connect them to the 7 Habits of Highly Effective People by Stephen Covey. 

Habit 1: Put first things first

The first step in creating a great patient experience is implementing a strategy for pre-appointment readiness. This includes all of the initial steps you take once your patients have booked an appointment, as well as follow-up to ensure that they make it into a chair on that date. 

Putting first things first, if the patient has insurance, do you verify it? Insurance verification is the most commonly missed dental billing step, and the most avoidable revenue cycle management roadblock. Sending a claim with inaccurate information can lead to a three-act play of denied benefits, cancellations, and lost profits. Verifying benefits allows for a more accurate treatment plan, which gains patient trust. 

Patients also lose trust when they are sent a surprise statement for a copay because the plan benefits were not obtained prior to the treatment plan presentation. The key to a positive patient experience is ensuring that you’re both transparent and honest with the cost of treatment, and any potential for additional copays due to plan benefit information, from the get-go.

Habit 2: Think Win-Win

Secondly, let’s talk about cancellation prevention. There are a few different ways to offer an engaging and easy conversation with your patients about the importance of their upcoming treatment:

  • Confirm appointments via phone or text a day or two before
  • Make sure patients know what treatment will be completed during the appointment, and the exact date and time
  • When they want to cancel, offer to “change” or reschedule” the appointment

Most of this comes down to simply chatting with patients and offering top-notch customer service when they have questions. Of course, never deny someone an appointment due to extraneous factors, instead work toward getting them in a chair and committed to proper treatment. Scheduling can be one of the biggest hurdles in offering treatment on a consistent basis, and without engaging your patients, you’ll have a dentist’s worst nightmare — empty chairs. 

Habit #3: Synergize

How you speak to and treat your patients outside of the dental chair will be their leading indicator of how their appointment is going to go. Best practice for avoiding poor patient experiences is starting the appointment with a smile and ending it with laughter. This means committing to a notion of positivity throughout the entire appointment interaction. It might seem easy to offer exceptional customer service, but what about those “blah” days when you feel a little less than your best? Stick to topics that aren’t likely to cause a rift in conversation:

  • Instead of asking about work (a potentially touchy subject) ask about seasonal holidays, birthdays, or vacations (recent or upcoming)
  • Reassure patients about potential copayments and always be upfront about treatment costs at the time of service (honesty is the best policy)
  • Encourage patients to ask their families about upcoming treatments or cleanings, and offer a genuine concern for their dental health journey (ask about tooth problems, any new pain or sensitivities, etc.)

Habit #4: Sharpen the saw

Avoiding poor patient experiences means committing to the entire customer service process, not just when patients are in your office. Establishing lifelong relationships with your community is the goal of every practice. You’re taking care of local families regardless of your specialty, so make them one of your own and cultivate a positive, profitable future.

Habit #5: Seek first to understand, then to be understood

Of course, not everything in your practice will be perfect all the time. We all have bad days, and sometimes the stars just won’t align for us to catch a break. Remember not to take negative opinions too personally, and always put yourself in your patient’s shoes before passing judgment. Maybe they’re naturally afraid of the dentist, so the little things you can’t see might bother them. Or, perhaps they’re not the right fit with a particular hygienist. By managing these complaints, you can better provide for your patients when they walk in the door and give yourself some beneficial marketing when they invite their family and friends. Always focus on what you’re able to control (dental billing, scheduling, readiness, and follow-up) and mitigate everything else as much as you’re able.

Habit # 6: Be proactive

Post-appointment, ensure that the patient has a follow-up scheduled, especially in the case of more extensive treatments. It’s helpful to call after a few days (depending on the procedure) or so and see if the patient has any complaints or concerns regarding post-operative recovery or their treatment appointment. Outside of this, take the time to get feedback from your patients using an online survey tool, email exchange, or opinion cards in your office. By offering patients the opportunity to provide you with feedback, you’ll be able to better assess how your processes are working, and where you most need improvement. 

Habit # 7: Begin with the end in mind

We understand everything that goes into the pre and post-appointment process isn’t always easy. Implementing these changes takes time and dedication on your team’s part, as well as a little bit of trial and error. If you’re looking to get a head start on perfecting your patient experiences for the long term, schedule a consultation with eAssist at your convenience. We can help bring you peace of mind by streamlining your dental billing processes, and give you the focus and space to create the absolute best patient experience in your community.

1 Comments

  • Great article. I used to teach Customer Service (in financial, not dental industry)..but same “rules” apply. I used to feel abit awkward saying things like, “Be sure when you answer the phone, you answer with a smile…sound cheerful (but not so full of pep it sounds false) I felt awkward because so much of good customer service is treating people well..it seemed like common sense to me. (Who doesn’t know this?
    The answer is – a lot of folks!) i soon found out in doign the training of admins who would proficient at admin tasks but in CS not so much….that what is common sense to one is nonsense to another…(esp. admin types who don’t feel at all comfortable with being on the phone, or asking about “incidentals like remembering to ask about a pet they had mentioned in a prior visit. (We once acquired a new patient because we asked about their pet…the person told me this later…when I asked why he chose us!!). Anyway, just taking a minute to tell you how much I enjoyed your article..no fluff, just facts. Very informative. Very readable. THX. Jeanne

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