What I wanted to talk about in this column may not be the first thing that you think of when you consider marketing, but in our experience it can lead to a massive increase in practice profits and free up more of your time to practise dentistry.  Many practices have seen huge benefits from the employment of a patient/treatment co-ordinator and it is a role that your practice should consider.

What is a patient/treatment care co-ordinator?

A patient/treatment care co-ordinator (PTCC) is there to liaise with patients about potential treatments in a relaxed atmosphere and free up time for the dentist. The PTCC role can remove a huge amount of non clinical time from the dentist. The PTCC can also communicate with patients on a different level to the way a dentist does.

Why do I need one?

The benefits of a PTCC are myriad, but the following are some of the most important:

• Customer service at the practice is not all that it could be
• You often run late and your days are stressful
• Treatment acceptance rates are low
• ‘Free consultations’ cost you money
• You feel awkward discussing finance with patients

What can the role do for your practice?

Some of the benefits that a PTCC will offer your practice are:

• Improved Customer Service. If you are trying to fulfil your clinical role as well as that of a patient advisor, time constraints can mean that this is difficult to juggle. A PTCC can devote their time to a patient and their queries. This has two key benefits. One, the additional time spent means that any concerns that a patient has are more likely to be dealt with, thus the treatment plan is more likely to be accepted. Two, whether treatment goes ahead or not, the patient will feel more ‘looked after’ by the practice and have a point of contact. Again, this can free up more of your time but also mean that your patient will sing your praises in regards to customer service.
• Increased Patient Empathy. One of the main reasons that patients don’t go ahead with treatments is because they don’t really understand what is being offered and the specific benefit to them. And, they often feel very uncomfortable about asking you, as the dentist, any questions. They think that you have probably explained it correctly and they have been ‘too stupid’ to understand. There is a social, cultural and class barrier at play here and this can be difficult to overcome. However, if they speak to a PTCC they are very much more comfortable in asking questions. You may have already seen this behaviour at the practice when patients ask your nurse or receptionist questions rather than you.
• Improved cashflow. If your treatment acceptance rates improve, so does your cashflow!
• More new patients will refer. The difference that a PTCC makes to customer service will be loved by new (and existing) patients and they will tell friends and family.
• You will enjoy your dentistry more.

So, a PTCC could make you not only happier but more productive too! I hope that I have given you food for thought and if you would like to discuss any issues raised in this column or have any suggestions for a future topic, please don’t hesitate to contact me at chris.baker@coronadental.ie