Advanced marketing strategies to build the esthetic dental practice

Esthetic dentistry is truly a major part of the future of the fee-for-service practice. There are still many patients who seek high-quality elective care and these individuals need to be swayed to make an initial appointment with you. Whether you reach them through your present patients or through outreach to the community, the important key is your method of handling each of these patients as they join your practice. Customer service needs to be stronger and more obvious than ever before in order to differentiate your practice from others and to attract more referrals. The days of waiting for patients to arrive have clearly come to an end. Managed care and a decline in the need for traditional services has eroded a significant component of the dental market. When you combine that with the realization that only 50% of the population visits the dentist even once a year (and far less in many countries outside the United States), then it becomes obvious that the total available market for the elective services of esthetic dentistry has declined. Esthetic dentistry programs must be better defined, with an ongoing focus to educate present patients and to attract new patients. As I state in my seminars, I firmly believe that any practice today can still be highly successful. I do not feel that I will be making that statement three to five years from now. The time to begin positioning your practice for future growth of esthetic dentistry is now. As managed-care programs increase, it will become more difficult to turn around a declining practice. Having a quality marketing program already in place will make the difference for your esthetic practice. The new patient phone call is critical. It is there that you will begin to help patients understand fully the overall attitude and policies of your office. Successful management of new patients is to win their trust by giving them ultimate customer service while convincing them to fit your present system and schedule. When a new patient calls the practice, you want to get them scheduled within a reasonable time frame while their motivation is still positive. Remember, you only get one first chance to make a great impression. Each office should decide which questions are appropriate to ask. The front desk coordinator should ask these questions calmly and clearly so that the new patient has an opportunity to answer them without feeling that they are going through the inquisition. At the same time, the more information you have about this patient, the easier it will be to gain treatment acceptance because of your understanding of the new patient's needs. Many offices will ask new patients how they came to choose their particular office. Since many practices gain new patients from existing patients, it is appropriate to know when this has occurred and properly thank the referral patient. By thanking the patient who referred the new patient, you will encourage further referrals.     

Providing patient-friendly financial options

Having flexible payment options ensures that patients will have all of the motivation and information that they need to accept care in your office. An HCCC simply offers you the chance to make more expensive treatment available to those who need or want it. The small cost of using a HCCC program more than pays for itself--in fact, it costs less than one-third of what you would spend if you were to bill these patients instead. Having consistent financial policies and flexible payment options can dramatically increase your office's productivity and profitability, while expressing your commitment to customer service and high-quality dentistry.     

Strengthening our child abuse response system

Medical professionals are often the people who see children first, whether in the safety of a private office, clinic or an emergency room. Your ability to recognize and understand the symptoms of child abuse and neglect, your readiness to report findings to the report line and your availability to provide expert witness testimony are critical to the effectiveness of the child abuse response system in Delaware.     

Hygienic evaluation of work condition and health status of female telephone operators in information services]

The authors conducted hygienic evaluation of work conditions for female telephone operators of inquiry office. The article deals with characteristics of health state according to periodic medical examinations and with evaluation of the workers' reproductivity according to poll data. The analysis covered influence of sensory and emotional load on health state of female telephone operators.     

Pediatricians' diagnostic approach to pharyngitis and impact of CLIA 1988 on office diagnostic tests

OBJECTIVE: To determine the factors associated with an optimal diagnostic approach to a child with pharyngitis, characterize office laboratory methods for throat swab culture and group A streptococcal rapid antigen testing, and assess the potential impact of the Clinical Laboratory Improvement Amendments (CLIA) of 1988 on the performance of these tests. DESIGN AND SETTING: Mailed survey to all board-certified primary care pediatricians from seven western states with telephone follow-up for nonrespondents. OUTCOME MEASURES: Differences in practice characteristics and use of office laboratory tests for physicians who usually (> 80%) diagnose pharyngitis using a recommended approach vs those who follow this approach less often (< 50%); characteristics of physicians who indicate that they intend to discontinue office throat culture because of CLIA and those who will continue to perform this test also are compared. RESULTS: Responses from 531 pediatricians were analyzed. Forty-four percent diagnosed pharyngitis appropriately for more than 80% of patients, and 17% did so for fewer than 50%. Optimal diagnosis was significantly more common among physicians who cultured throat swabs in their office (relative risk, 1.40; 95% confidence interval, 1.19 to 1.66) and less common among solo practitioners (relative risk, 0.71; 95% confidence interval, 0.56 to 0.88). Factors that may decrease the sensitivity of office throat culture include short duration of incubation (59%), lack of quality control (51%), and limited education of the persons reading results (6%). With implementation of CLIA, 24% of pediatricians reported that they already have discontinued or will discontinue office throat culture, and 23% have discontinued or will discontinue antigen detection testing for group A streptococci. Those most likely to stop office culture include solo practitioners and practitioners who do not currently perform quality control of culture methods. CONCLUSIONS: Office culture for group A streptococci is strongly associated with an optimal diagnostic approach. Implementation of CLIA regulations may substantially decrease the number of physicians who perform this test. The balance between potential improvements in the quality of office culture with CLIA implementation and the decreased availability of this test needs to be assessed.     

Dental ethics in the culture of the 90s: from creed to action

There are six proven ways to integrate a healthcare financing program into your practice. Challenge yourself to maximize your financial service. You will see more people receive valuable care. You will grow your practice. You will reap financial reward. You will provide more of the quality dentistry that makes the art and science of your profession a joy.     

How to institute and develop a strategic marketing plan for your pediatric dental office

As what may be the most important element in a successful pediatric dental practice, marketing is often misunderstood. It requires careful planning and a long-term commitment. Before implementing your marketing plan, understand the definition of marketing and what it will mean to your practice. To develop your plan, ask yourself several important questions that will help you analyze where you are now, as well as where you want to be. Then, promote your practice by incorporating 12 important qualities into your plan. The plan is the blueprint for your efforts to repeatedly, consistently, and positively communicate with your market for the long term.     

Pencil and paper: the simple solution to getting the numbers you need to effectively manage your practice

Once you have mastered the basics by going through the monitoring exercise once or twice, you will find it takes little time and effort to start finding out just where your practice stands. You only solve a problem after you have found out that there is one and you might find that this simple monitoring exercise shows you areas of your practice where a little attention from you will pay big dividends. Monitoring is like a fine wine: it improves with age. As you begin to compile more and more months of data, you will be able to start comparing this month's performance with last month's, or this quarter with last quarter, this year with last year. One of the most useful things monitoring will do for you is to allow you to compare your practice's performance with that of other practices. Averages, norms, and performance survey results are to be found in a range of practice management publications. Using your monitoring information in this comparative way helps you to identify those areas in your practice management that are holding you back from achieving your true potential. This lets you focus your management time and effort on the truly important issues, which, when solved, will help you turn your practice into a less stressful, more enjoyable, and more profitable place to work.     

Is your OSHA compliance program up to date?

OSHA safety inspections in dental offices have decreased dramatically over the past several years. But this development does not mean that compliance with safety regulations is no longer mandatory. Recent changes and some additions to the OSHA regulations should serve as a catalyst to review and update your office safety program. This article highlights the new standards and proposes a plan for such a review.     

Evaluating health plans and marketing the gastroenterology practice under managed care

More patients will have managed care in the future. Therefore, every practice should have a strategy for working with managed care organizations (MCOs). Learn how to evaluate an MCO and how to obtain detailed information about MCOs in your area. Know how to market your practice and build relationships between your group and MCOs. Develop a practice profile that outlines all the benefits that your group can bring to an MCO. Plan how you will respond when an MCO says, "No."     

Risk communication: how to answer tough patient questions

Patients are asking: Can I catch AIDS in your office? Should I have my mercury fillings replaced? Are my children in danger from fluoridated water? If X-rays are so safe, why do you leave the room when you take them? Strategies for addressing these and other tough patient questions are discussed.     

Basal cell carcinoma: when to treat it yourself, and when to refer

Basal cell carcinoma (BCC) is the most common skin cancer and frequently affects older adults. Most BCCs are seen on the sun-exposed skin of light-skinned individuals. Because early diagnosis reduces morbidity and the expense of treatment, it is essential that you are able to recognize these lesions. Their various clinical presentations determine the proper treatments, some of which may be carried out in your office and others which require referral. Several effective surgical and nonsurgical modalities are available. Selecting the best method is based on such factors as the type, size, and anatomic location of the lesion; cost of treatment; and your familiarity with the treatment.     

Child abuse: why should I report it?

In Indiana, dental professionals are mandated by law to report suspected child abuse and neglect to Child Protective Services (CPS) or the law enforcement agency in their county. The penalty for non-reporting is fine and/or jail. This article will give dental professionals information on child abuse injuries that can be identified in the dental office, how to talk to the child and family members regarding suspicions, and how to report those suspicions to your local CPS or law enforcement agency. Dental professionals will receive reassurance and encouragement from this article to report suspected cases of child abuse to CPS or law enforcement. The report is not meant to be punitive, but is intended to get the family connected to services to assist them, the child, and any other children they have or may have in the future, to avoid further abuse, and to attempt to break the cycle of abuse. To report suspicions of child abuse in Indiana, dial: 1-800-800-5556.     

Practice management applications

Even though you will never find a dental management system that will do exactly what you want, there are a tremendous variety of systems out there with some incredibly powerful features. Look for a system that can handle most of the tasks you need. Keep your eye on other technologies that you may want in your practice. The system you purchase now should be able to handle whatever technologies you decide to add on in the next 3 to 4 years. Once you have made the decision to purchase, the transition to automated management begins. It will be necessary to train you and your staff on how to use the system. Depending on the system chosen, it may be necessary to adjust your management strategies in a number of areas to take advantage of the system's features. This may cause a few adjustment problems at first, but things will work out with a little time and effort. In the next few years, advances in technology integration will allow you to seamlessly blend practice management, voice charting, intraoral cameras, CAD/CAM, lasers, EDI, video imaging, etc., into a single potent system for complete clinical and practice management. A dental practice management system is the first step to realizing that future. Shop wisely and invest your time in learning the terminology and techniques of automated information management.     

Trends in cancer incidence in Connecticut

SOHO (Small Office/Home Office) has recently become popular, as it makes working at home possible. Computers or Local Area Networks(LAN) connected to the office network from home are necessary for the implementation of this concept. Kyushu University has begun a service connecting home computers to the campus LAN for researchers, staff and students of the Faculty of Medicine. We have two different telephone connection methods. One connects the campus LAN and the home computer LAN using routers through the Integrated Services Digital Network (ISDN). The other connects computers at home to the workstation in the university, using modems and the PPP (Point to Point Protocol) through a public telephone analog line. This paper outlines our university SOHO connection system and discusses the merits and demerits of using telephone line connections.     

Social support in home health nurses

The decision of a home health nurse to remain employed at an agency is certainly influenced by a number of factors, one being how much support or encouragement that nurse is receiving from colleagues. The home health nurse does interact with peers at the office and over the telephone, but such an act as calling down the hall to another registered nurse to help with a client is not possible.     

Providing patients with their diagnostic test results. A vignette study in general practice

The communication of results of HIV tests and chest-X-rays because of persistent coughing are of particular interest because potential life-threatening disease may be disclosed. For HIV tests it is recommended that the result is communicated to the patient in the doctor's office face to face. In this questionnaire study based on two simulated case-stories with a 63 year-old man referred to chest-X-rays because of persistent coughing, and a 27 year-old man, who had been living in Africa for some time, now wanting a HIV test performed, we found that only half (53%) of the general practitioners (GP) did communicate HIV test results in the consultation office. X-ray test results were only communicated in the consultation office by 18% of the GPs. Communication of test results which might have serious implications to the patient should preferably not be done by telephone. Patients should be told of potentially serious results in person by their own physician.     

Job interviews: tips and techniques

This paper outlines appropriate preparation for a job interview, including preparing yourself to focus on your own personal assets and on what you can bring to the job. The various kinds of interview questions are examined: the traditional- 'tell me about yourself'; questions you dread because they will home in on 'weaknesses' and the unusual, open-ended questions intended to uncover specific information. Suggestions are given on how to use the experience of an interview to your own advantage, whether your application is successful or not.     

Incongruity between occupational interests and academic skills in drug abusing women

This study assessed the occupational interests and academic skills of 50 patients of a center for addiction and pregnancy. Patient ratings of 31 occupations showed that a subset of ten occupations (telephone operator, cosmetologist, mail clerk, data entry operator, child care worker, receptionist, office clerk, word processor, billing clerk, secretary) were of interest to significantly more subjects than other occupations (P < or = 0.05). Most of the desired occupations were office jobs requiring basic skills not possessed by most study participants. Although participants had completed a mean (range) of 11 (8-15) years of education, their mean (range) grade levels of reading, spelling and arithmetic were estimated at 6.9 (0.8-12), 6.8 (1-12), and 5.7 (2-11.8) years, respectively. These data suggest that the study participants will need basic skills training to achieve their occupational goals. Importantly, patient ratings also indicated that most participants were interested in receiving the needed training. Overall, the study suggests that provision of basic academic skills training may improve the long-term employment outcomes of these drug abusing women.     

MSO case study provides insights for Michigan MDs

How do you build a successful physicians' management services organization? MSMS, the AMA and several other medical societies set out a few months ago to learn the answers to this question. What we learned will have important ramifications for the MSO the MSMS House of Delegates has directed your state society to create. The House of Delegates believes your own MSO will provide you with the best possible services and support as you, our members, move toward success in the managed care arena.