How to Create an Optimal Patient Experience
Mastering the patient experience should be your top priority as an orthodontist. When you put your patients first, you create a higher standard of care that benefits your patients, your referrals, and you. Make sure your practice stays tuned in to your patients’ needs and continuously looks for ways to improve to keep providing an experience that keeps people coming back.
At WildSmiles, we’ve found that making small changes can lead to higher patient satisfaction and drive practice growth. Make these small changes now, and you’ll notice a tremendous impact on the way your patients receive orthodontic care. These steps will also position you as a leader in your dental community and make you stand out from the competition as the practice that patients prefer.
Here’s What You Need to Do
- Provide Access To Information (and You)
- Create a Comfortable Environment
- Encourage and Appreciate Feedback
- Practice Excellent Bedside Manner
- Get Personal
- Always Follow-Up
- Reflect On Your Own Experiences
Your online presence is often the first point of contact for prospective patients. Users visit your website to learn about your services, your team, and form their opinion about your brand. Make sure your website is easy to navigate and your content is clear and concise. Showcase images of your office and doctors and make it easy for people to get in contact with you, whether that’s a button, form, or phone number. Make sure you also have an SEO strategy in place so new patients and referrals can find you when searching for the right provider.
A friendly and welcoming environment helps patients feel more at ease. A warm smile at the front desk goes a long way in making a lasting impression on your patients. You can decorate your waiting area and treatment rooms in a way that fits your brand, but remember that when patients visit a healthcare provider’s office, they expect cleanliness and comfort. Your patients have busy schedules, so coming to your office should be convenient and a place they can relax while receiving excellent care.
Potential patients will often search online for a new provider and use reviews to gauge whether or not your practice is the right fit. Top-tier experiences and positive online reviews go hand-in-hand, so make sure you encourage patients to take a moment and share their thoughts online. This feedback leads to other patients feeling confident about coming to your practice for treatment. Having a high Google rating will also look better when comparing your online presence to the competition’s.
Patients want to feel like you’re invested in their health, safety, and individual needs. In addition to providing a medical opinion and monitoring treatment progress, be a good listener and display a warm, friendly presence. Demonstrate kindness, compassion, and answer questions thoroughly even if you’ve answered them before. You can be a great orthodontist—and a great friend! Treating patients kindly will increase satisfaction and are likely to return or refer others to your practice.
Patients want to feel valued and treated like they’re your only patient. For some, going to any type of specialist for care can be a stressful experience. Make every patient feel comfortable and special by getting to know specific details about them. Ask young patients about their favorite subject in school or sports they play, and ask adults about their families or favorite things to do on the weekends. A staff member remembering their birthday or child’s name during a visit can make a world of difference.
Just because a patient leaves your office after an appointment or finishes treatment does not mean their experience stops there. Ongoing communication shows attentiveness and builds meaningful relationships that keep patients coming back. Check in with patients after their treatment to see if they have any questions or have encountered an issue that you can help with. You can do this through a messaging platform, emails, or phone calls—whichever way is most convenient for your patients.
You’ve been a patient at some point. What kinds of things did you enjoy about a provider’s office, and what would you have changed? If you were to go into an orthodontist’s office today looking to start treatment, what would you expect? What would make your child feel comfortable in an office? Use personal experiences to inspire change in your own office. This type of reflection will also position you in your patient’s shoes and enable you to make meaningful changes from their point of view.
Better Patient Experiences Lead to Better Results
There are a lot of factors that go into patient satisfaction and making sure your patients have the most exceptional experiences possible. When you value the experiences your patients and their families have, you create more positive outcomes and drive more new patients. As an orthodontist, it is your responsibility to provide great care. However, you can (and should) go beyond that. Start enhancing the patient experience at your practice to make a bigger, more positive impact on the lives of others.
