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DENTALTRIBUNE The World’s Dental Newspaper · United Kingdom Edition Published in London www.dental-tribune.co.uk Vol. 9, No. 4 INTERVIEW Dr Stefanos Morfis about the si- tuation of dentists in Greece and thereasonshehaschosentoleave his home country in order to start working in the UK. ” Page 6 GRADUATION Dental Tribune contributor Aws Alani explains why entering the field has become a minefield for the younger generation of den- tists. ” Page 10 COSMETICTRIBUNE Read the latest news and clinical developments from the field of cosmetic dentistry in our special- ty section included in this very issue. ” Page 17 You might think that in financially challenging times the last thing you need is a new member of staff. For a practice to thrive and prosper in a difficult financial climate, how- ever,ithastobecomemoreefficient, more competitive and more prof- itable.Onewaytodothat istointro- duce a treatment coordinator (TC) into the team or if you already have one then to offer appropriate train- ing. This is a relatively new role to the European market, but in the US, where the role is a central part of any practice, it has proven to dra- matically add value to the patient experience,reduce in chair time and increase case acceptance. The introduction of a well- trained TC will change your entire approach to new patient care, as well as increase profitability. While many practices know how to at- tract patients, their case accept- ance ratio is low. The first contact, first visit and follow-up are the most important elements of the new patient process, yet they fre- quently represent a wasted oppor- tunity because of a lack of skill, focus, time or all three. Inmyexperience,amajordown- fallofpracticesistheunwillingness ofpractitionerstodelegatethenew patient process to staff, or what we call the TC role. This is often due to a wide range of factors, including the practitioner’s perception that the patient wants communication on his or her treatment to come from the practitioner, the percep- tion that patients pay to see the practitioner, a lack of trust to em- power staff or time to train staff, and the financial implications of introducing the new role. Relinquishing new patient man- agementtowell-trainedstaffisnot a new trend, although its applica- tion has been limited in Europe. However, patients’ expectations, competition for private work and the team’s demand for career pro- gression and job satisfaction are key drivers for introducing the TC role. TheTC concept A TC is someone in your practice who, with the right skills and train- ing, will facilitate the new pa- tient process. He or she bridges the gap between the new patient, the practice and the staff. The TC pro- motes and sells the practice and its services by demonstrating their true value to prospective patients, frees up the practitioner’s time, increases case acceptance ratios and, resultantly, increases practice profits. Consider the time spent by the practitioner with the new patient and calculate how much of that timeisnon-diagnostic.ATCcanof- tenreduceupto60percentofprac- titioner–patient time. Rather than this being a barrier to patients— which is indeed what many prac- titioners perceive to be the case— inmyexperience,patientsactually feel much more at ease with the TC and therefore better informed. Doctor time is not always doc- tor time. As a typical example: if an new patient appointment is 30 minutes, but the clinical part is actually only 15 minutes, there is potentially 15 minutes still avail- able. Think about the impact an additional15minutesforeverynew patient in the appointment diary could have. AgoodTCwillmanageallaspects of the patient journey, from refer- ral to case start, and potentially in- crease your case starts. He or she is the first point of contact. People buy from people, so the develop- ment of a relationship and estab- lishing of rapport between the TC and the new patient are crucial to the success of your conversion from referral to start of treatment. The TC informally chats to the new patient prior to consultation. This helpsnotonlytofosterrapportbut also to gain a better idea of the patient’s needs and wants. I recommend to all my TCs to be presentattheconsultationtolisten and understand clinically what is andisnotpossibleinordertoallow the TC to determine how he or she will conduct a top-notch case pres- entation. The TC carries out the case pres- entation, reiterates the treatment options available to the patient, discusses these, answers any ques- tions the patient may have, and clarifiesproposedtreatment.Heor she also discusses the informed consent, shows before and after photographs of similar cases, and addresses any barriers or concerns the patient may have. TheTCalsoexplainsthefinancial options and determines the most suitable payment method for the patient’s needs, as well as prepares the walk-out pack. The value of a walk-outpackshouldnotbeunder- estimated and should reflect the values of the practice, including all information the patient needs, the finance agreement or contract, diagnostic report, photographs of thepatient(anexcellentmarketing tool), informed consent and any- thing else the practitioner feels adds value to the consultation. Too many new patients are lost due to lack of follow-up. A good TC follows up and provides monthly information on patient conver- sions to assist with strategic plan- ning. All practices should have a patient journey tracker. Filling the role: An internal solution? There are no hard and fast rules. It depends upon the size and aspi- rations of your practice and the qualities of existing members of yourteam.Ifyouhaveateammem- ber who fulfils the characteristics ofaTCandheorshewantsthechal- lenge, then the answer is yes. Keep in mind that you may well need to fill that person’s current position. Some practices streamline job descriptions allowing them to cre- ate the new role without having to hire another staff member. Whether it is a full-time role or not depends upon various factors, in- cluding the size of the practice; the number of practitioners, chairs and patients; and the profit as- pirations. Many practices imple- ment the role and monitor its progress and impact. This often helpstheteamtoacceptthechange and gives the practitioner the op- portunity to assess any training needs of the TC and to access how remuneration will be affected. The role of your TC should fit in with your practice’s culture and as- pirations for patient care. However you choose to implement the role, the only guarantee is that you will benefit enormously. Augmenting your team with a well-trained TC can reap tremendous rewards for you, the team and your patients. A TC’s tailored and personal ap- proach to care, follow-up and com- munication with patients fosters trust and increases patient satis- faction and retention. Introducing a treatment coordinator: The Bridge to case acceptance By Lina Craven,UK Lina Craven is founder and Di- rector of Dyna- mic Perceptions, an orthodontic management consultancy and training firm in Stone in the UK, and has many years of practice-based experience. She canbecontactedatinfo@linacraven.com DTUK0415_01_Title 15.09.15 10:26 Seite 1 DTUK0415_01_Title 15.09.1510:26 Seite 1