8 Ways to Use Online Patient Communication Tools for Efficiency and Effectiveness

To effectively manage a dental practice for profitability it is imperative that you retain relationships with existing patients, reduce no shows, keep schedules full, collect treatment fees, and attract new patients.

In order to achieve these operational objectives your practice has likely developed a comprehensive, and perhaps complicated, set of systems to manage your daily activities. This most likely includes systems that address scheduling, appointment reminders and confirmations, education, retention, collections, patient feedback and more. As a busy dental practice with many patients to see each day, it can be easy to focus on patient flow and daily operations and allow the consistent implementation of these important systems to slide. This may have a significant negative impact on your productivity and profitability.

Implementing operational systems requires a considerable time investment by your team and can be costly. Traditionally dental professionals have maintained that personal communication is the key to delivering a great experience for patients. The need for personal contact from a patient’s perspective has been rendered less important with the advent of digital communications, as patients increasingly state they prefer the convenience of online, on-demand information. Interestingly, 93% of patients find it more convenient to find answers online compared to calling the office.¹ Patients have embraced the digital age, and practices must adjust to their preferences and be where their patients are—online

Beyond simply being preferred by patients, these automated and online communications are often far more efficient for your practice than traditional means, and can save time for your team and money for your practice. Download our new guide where we’ll explore several ways you can effectively utilize online tools to help run your practice more efficiently and improve your bottom line.