CATEGORY 110 AUSTRALASIAN DENTIST COLUMNISTS Learn to limit the cost of living cancellations By Joanna Gray, Entrust Business Consulting in collaboration with Adapt Dental Academy) IMPROVEDPRACTICE? ASSOy QoZ Ior the 6yGQey AustrDOLDQ 'eQtLstry AZDrGs Are you the most We know that many practices are going quiet at the moment. We know that fuel costs have put pressure on at least part of your patient bases. We also know that your front o ce coordinators (FOCs) are elding a high volume of calls, many of them cancellations. Well-trained practices understand that there is an important step between the incoming call and the gap in the appointment book. at step is the skill of the front desk team in helping to prevent the cancellation. In other words, the practices that will most e ectively ride out the current wave are those that support their teams to do the right thing for the patient in the long run – by not allowing cancellations to happen too easily. If we all want the best for our patients, then ensuring they receive the dentistry they need and want is essential. It’s also worth remembering that costs in dentistry tend to increase over time. Delaying treatment will often make it more expensive in the medium term. However, if FOCs haven’t been trained to think this way, they may believe they are doing the right thing by being “nice” and allowing patients to cancel. is is particularly true when FOCs themselves are under nancial pressure. ey may empathise strongly with the patient’s situation and, internally, think, “I understand why you’re cancelling – everything is expensive right now.” Of course, they don’t say this out loud, but that underlying mindset can prevent them from actively working to retain the appointment. Realistically, there are both preventable and unpreventable cancellations. Unpreventable cancellations include genuine illness (e.g. u or gastro), being unexpectedly out of town, roster changes, or family emergencies. ese are situations the FOC can’t a ect, and that’s OK. However – and this can be controversial without proper training – many cancellations for nancial reasons are actually preventable. If your team hasn’t been trained and supported with the right systems, it won’t work to simply expect them to start preventing cancellations. e training and support structures must come rst. One of the key support systems is clinician communication. Every clinician should ensure that the patient is committed to their next appointment, whether it’s a major procedure or a routine preventative care visit. is means helping the patient clearly understand: 1. What’s in it for them to proceed; 2. What could happen if they delay treatment. If clinicians are not consistently doing this, they need to be trained alongside (or even before) the FOCs. When teams are well-trained and supported by clinicians, practices often see an immediate reduction in attempted cancellations. Here’s how this can play out: Patient Lee has recently seen Dr Sam, who diagnosed a single-surface lling. Dr Sam explained: “Let’s get this lling done before it gets bigger, potentially painful, and more expensive.” is was recorded in the patient’s notes. Later, Patient Lee calls the practice and says: “I just lled up my car and it was ridiculously expensive. I’m going to cancel my appointment with Dr Sam because I don’t know how long prices will stay like this.” A well-trained FOC, Sunny, begins with empathy: “Oh yes, I completely understand; that’s a ecting everyone at the moment.” A poorly trained response would be: “No problem, I’ll take you out of the book. Call us when you’re ready.” However, a well-trained Sunny checks the notes and responds: “From what I can see, Dr Sam would be concerned about delaying this lling. ere’s a risk it could worsen, which would make it more complex – and more expensive – to treat. Are you sure you want to risk that?” At that point, the decision remains with the patient, but Sunny has given them the information they need to make an informed choice. If this approach feels unfamiliar or uncomfortable, that’s exactly why training and support are so important. Without it, appointment books will continue to thin. u To reduce the impact on your practice, sign up for our upcoming courses at Adapt Dental Academy (https://www. adaptdentalacademy.com.au/courses-1) or get in touch with me on joanna@entrustbc. com.au with whatever your questions or concerns. We offer tailored training with a commitment to making sure you get the outcomes you need. Joanna Gray
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