As dentists, our lifeblood is ensuring a perpetual patient base. How do we harness the power of online communication to drive both business volume and value?

Patient relationships are built on ongoing communication. This is often referred to as one-to-one or relationship marketing.  As Arthur C. Sturm, Jr., author of The New Rules of Healthcare Marketing said, “Nothing is more ‘relationshippy’ than healthcare - Maximize it!”  Utilizing new online tools can help strengthen the relationship between you and your patients resulting in tangible benefits across your entire practice.

Online communications systems are a new and useful tool to enhance patient relationships. They integrate seamlessly with your existing practice management system and provide a link between you and your patients. Leveraging this technology can help you attract new patients, retain existing patients, reactivate lost patients, reduce no shows and measure patient satisfaction. An online system will demonstrate its worth by measuring results automatically and calculating your return on investment.

From Dealership to Dentistry—Taking a Tip from the Automotive World

Strange as it may seem, the dental community can learn much from the automotive industry about relationship marketing, i.e., communicating with clients to increase customer satisfaction. A 30,000-mile check-up is not so different from a six-month hygiene check.

According to the Automotive Aftermarket Industry Association (AAIA) each year $60 billion in unperformed maintenance is lost.  Ready to venture a guess on what this figure might look like for dentistry? Current estimates suggest $20 billion in unperformed dentistry each year. So how can you as a practitioner tap into this unmet need and potential revenue?

The automotive industry found the solution in online communication systems from companies like Demandforce. Demandforce provides integrated online technology that enables automotive repair facilities to more effectively communicate the right message, to the right customer at the right time.  This technology is now beening applied to the dental market to enable practices that use Demandforce to more effectively communicate with their patients leading to improve patient satisfaction.  The results show that more satisfied patients will gladly refer their friends, come in more frequently, show up for their appointments and provide value feedback to the practice.    

How can an integrated online patient communication system help your practice?

Attract New Patients

Service industries, regardless of how sophisticated their marketing, still generate most customers through word of mouth. Regular communication increases satisfaction, and satisfied patients will readily refer friends and family—if asked. An online patient communication system makes it easy to ask for referrals, automatically tracks the referrer, who is referred and even revenue generated by that referral. You can thank the patient in a timely manner and quickly follow up to increase the likelihood that the referral becomes a new patient.

“Asking for referrals is something a lot of doctors aren’t comfortable with,” said

Matthew Keyser, DDS, San Francisco, CA. “The system works on a couple of levels without us even moving a muscle. Referrals are solicited automatically, and when a referral is made, information is sent out on the practice. At their own discretion, people can decide whether to look into the practice and request an appointment.

“People may miss their phone calls, but they rarely miss an email,” he added.

New Patient Results – Dr. Keyser

Demandforce deployed:  18 months

New patient referrals:  113

New patient visits:  50

Direct revenue from new patient visits: $20,000

Overall revenue generated by Demandforce: $47,133

Retain Existing Patients

It is far easier, and much less expensive, to retain patients than to attract new ones.  Some estimate it costs 10 times more to gain a customer than to retain one. To keep our patients with us, and keep them happy, we need to satisfy their needs with exceptional dentistry and then “Wow” them with phenomenal service. 

Most practices provide hygiene reminder cards as a courtesy to their patients, a time-consuming endeavor that requires the office to run reports, label postcards, add postage (going up yet again) and make a mail drop. Online systems automatically send continuing care emails to patients overdue to be seen, and make it easy for them to request an appointment. Statistics show 65 percent of people who request an appointment online do so after normal business hours. Online communication accommodates patients’ needs and lifestyles—and helps free up phone lines in the office.  Some practices report as much as a 35 percent reduction in confirmation calls. Staff can spend more personalized time with patients during their visit, with fewer distractions.

“I had been looking for a tactful solution to help improve patient communication,” said Paul Huddleston, DDS, Seattle, WA. “The recare reminders and appointment confirmations keep our calendar filled, and our patients feel we care and are attentive,” Dr. Huddleston said. “The beauty of it is it’s all automated.”

Retention Results – Dr. Huddleston

Demandforce deployed:  9 months

Active patient visits through continuing care reminders:  58

Direct income from continuing care reminder visits:  $14,307

Overall revenue generated by Demandforce: $42,000

Reactivate Lost Patients

Online programs can generate friendly reminders to patients who haven’t been seen in the practice for 12 or 18 months. They also offer the option to provide a tailored incentive program to motivate patients to appoint. This feature has proven enormously effective in recapturing lost patients.

“It’s helpful with those who’ve slipped through the cracks,” said Paul Gibberman, DDS, Alexandria, VA. “It’s a nice way, without being overtly intrusive, to interact with patients who may not remember us very well, and it gets them back into the practice.”

Reactivation Results – Dr. Gibberman

            Demandforce deployed:  5 months

            Lost patients reactivation visits:  21

            Lost patient visit revenue: $6,820

            Overall revenue generated by Demandforce:  $34,276

Reduce No Shows

Online reminders are proven to reduce no shows. Half of all missed appointments were simply forgotten. And any time a commitment is made in writing, even with a click of a button, it is more likely to be honored.

“We gave up on confirmation calls. Patients weren’t responding,” said Wendy Shultz Spektor, DDS, Seattle, WA. “Email confirmations are the only way to reach today’s busy professionals. And they love being able to request appointments online.”

No Show Reduction/Appointment Generation – Dr. Spektor

Demandforce deployed:  9 months

            Online confirmations per month:  260

            Online confirmation rate:  60 percent

            Overall revenue generated by Demandforce:  $63,213

Demandforce generated an unprecedented 37 online patient appointments in the first 4 days.

Measure Patient Satisfaction

Today, online systems, smoothly integrated with the practice management system, can send patients an email “Thank you” immediately following their visit to let them know they are appreciated. Included with the thank you is an online patient satisfaction survey. Around 20-25 percent of patients complete the survey. When the patient responds, results are sent instantaneously, and alert the practice to any low scores. This opens the door to provide a “turnaround” for any patient who had a less than ideal experience in the office. Research shows dissatisfied patients whose issues are resolved develop greater loyalty and are more likely to refer than those who were initially satisfied. Used judiciously, survey results can help practices pinpoint and shore up weak areas, and provide very specific praise and reward for superior effort.

“Our staff loves seeing the satisfaction surveys,” said Lynne Herring, office manager for Barry Mulick and Associates in Seattle, WA. “When we get a low score—not often, but it happens—I call. Patients always thank me and are impressed that we take the time to read them and respond.”

Patient Satisfaction Results –Barry Mulick and Associates

Demandforce deployed:  12 months

Patient surveys completed:  682

Average patient satisfaction score for the year: 96.72 percent

In November, the practice experienced an unprecedented 99.08 percent satisfaction rate.

Measure Program Results

With an online system, you have your finger on the pulse of your practice. Statistics are tracked and available to you on a real-time basis, all without running a single report. Online systems offer data points throughout the patient’s experience with the office. They can track each communication, when it was sent, whether and when it was read, whether and when the patient presented at the practice after reading the communication, how much revenue was generated and how satisfied the patient was with the office experience.

Any program a practice embraces must be consistently and accurately tracked so return on investment is clearly understood and measured. Only then can a practice evaluate whether continued investment is worthwhile. Some online systems are so confident in their ability to deliver results, they even guarantee a return on your investment or the next month is free.

“Since implementing the system, we’ve seen an amazing improvement in our work flow,” said Cynthia Brattesani, DDS, San Francisco, CA. “I’ve made my production numbers every month since I started using Demandforce. And my patients love it. It shows them we really care.”

Overall Measurement – Dr. Brattesani

Demandforce deployed:  9 months

New patient referrals: 68

New patient visits:  22

Completed patient satisfaction surveys: 332

Percentage of patients utilizing the online system: 90 percent

Hygiene down time (no show rate/cancellation & reschedule): Reduced from 9 percent to 4 percent

Overall revenue generated by Demandforce: $30,217

Your practice management system contains a wealth of valuable data. An online system can help you extract that information and use it to make powerful, personal connections that improve your practice results and provide a higher quality experience for your patients.

All income figures represent actual revenue generated, not billed charges.