by More than ever, DSOs are paying attention to what patients think and say about their care.
Anthony Vastardis’s father, George, was a chef at Pappas in midtown Manhattan. “He’d say, ‘The customer may not be qualified to judge our food, because they don’t know good food,’” says Vastardis, CEO of Milwaukee, Wisc.-based Dental Associates. “Then he would add, ‘But it’s the customer who pays to eat the food, so we have to make it so they like it.’”
So it is with dental care today.
In years past, the dentist was king of the lair. His staff recognized it. So did his patients, who came to expect very little in terms of decorum, office comforts (except the occasional ragged Highlights magazine for the kids), or even pain control.
Today is a different story. “Consumerism has become an industry-changing thing, not only in dentistry, but anywhere the consumer is involved,” says Vastardis, whose firm has 12 dental locations in Wisconsin and will open up two more next year.
In such an age, listening to the patient is all-important. Monitoring his or her perceptions of the practice, quantifying that data when possible, and responding to issues raised on social media, are necessary for success.
The real competitors
Successful dental practices today recognize that “patients are more likely to pay for dentistry they want than what they need,” says Naomi Cooper, president, Minoa Marketing, and CEO of Doctor Distillery, Marina Del Rey, Calif.
Consumers may have a limited budget for what they might regard as traditional dentistry, but they will spend money on goods and services that make them feel good or look good…and young. “As dentists start to think of themselves as being more in the wellness and beauty category, they begin to understand their competition is not MDs, but spas, plastic surgeons and dermatologists,” says Cooper.
Patient satisfaction begins with the little things, she says. When answering the phone, for example, does the staff tacitly acknowledge that pursuing oral health care is the patient’s choice, rather than treating that patient’s visit as a foregone conclusion? Does the office smell fresh? Is the waiting room (“call it a reception area,” says Cooper) comfortable and clean? Does the front desk welcome visitors, or do they give them the typical doctors’ office experience — glass window, the clipboard over the counter, etc?
Pay attention to the senses – touch, smell, feel and first impressions, she says. How about the ceiling tiles? That’s something patients notice, as they recline in the operatory. “The doctor pays attention to fancy equipment and clinical details, and meanwhile, the tiles are nasty.”
Most important is the staff’s attitude. “They shouldn’t regard patients as a disturbance in their day, but rather, as the reason they’re all there, and they should treat them accordingly,” says Cooper.
The good news is, today’s dentists are becoming more focused on providing comfort-conscious, patient-centric dentistry, and less on doctor-centric care, she says. Successful practices are emphasizing things like crowns in an hour, laser dentistry as a way to eliminate drilling, digital radiography as a way of reducing radiation exposure, and technologies for faster numbing and less time spent in the office.
Word of mouth
“When a patient perceives that their needs and desires have been met in a reasonable fashion, they communicate their experience to those around them,” says David Schirmer, DDS, a practicing dentist in New York and a member of the American Dental Association Council on Access, Prevention and Interprofessional Relations. “They tell family, friends, neighbors, and co-workers, especially if their expectations have been exceeded.
“If the practice is able to maintain, improve and evolve this patient satisfaction, a growing network of positive momentum develops. This momentum drives the practice to ever higher levels of success.”
While it’s true that smiles and laughs might be good indicators of patient satisfaction, today’s dental professionals are looking for more objective indicators.
Metrics
“There has developed a paradigm shift toward data-based measurement of the patient experience,” says Schirmer.
The best measures are standardized, validated, tested, and then endorsed by a recognized accreditation organization; and then reviewed regularly, he says. “This is the process that is followed in most industries, including healthcare, and is appropriate for dentistry as well. In fact, it is already the process followed by the Dental Quality Alliance (DQA), which develops quality measures and educates those in the dental arena.”
Vastardis believes that by conducting scientific patient satisfaction surveys, Dental Associates can more clearly hear the voice of the patient, and then use that information to plan for the future and figure out how to meet – and exceed – patients’ expectations.
Since 2003, the firm has conducted ongoing patient surveys with the help of patient-experience firm Press Ganey. In 2014, Dental Associates began posting patient evaluations of its dentists and clinics on its website, based on the surveys. In fact, each dentist has a profile page on the company’s websites, which includes a five-point rating for the doctor and patient comments from the preceding 18 months.
Follow the leader
Meeting and exceeding patients’ expectations is all about communication and education, and making sure patients know all that you’re doing for them, says Cooper. The mindset must be apparent on the website, social media and, of course, in the office.
“Look at your online reviews,” she says. “Be aware of what patients are saying about you, or what is being said in the web sphere. And we’re not just talking about patient satisfaction. That’s Step 1. Rather, it’s, ‘Are they thrilled?’ At the end of the day, it’s the difference between ‘My dentist is all right’ vs. ‘I love my dentist, and I’m willing to post that on Facebook.’
“I always tell my clients to fish for compliments,” she continues. “Ask, ‘How was your visit today?’ And don’t be afraid of the answer. If they’re not happy, better to find out then, when you still have a chance to address it, rather than seeing a negative review online.”
