In the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, the term \u201ctouchless\u201d or \u201ctouch-free\u201d has been used across multiple industries. Businesses are attempting to make their operations safer, and encouraging customers to take advantage of these measures to resume their purchasing habits.<\/p>\n
Does touch-free work for dentistry though? While there are aspects of your profession that must always occur in-person, incorporating touchless communication systems at your dental practice will offer you these ten benefits:<\/p>\n
Safety is now the first thing on patients\u2019 minds when they consider resuming their day-to-day activities, like scheduling dental appointments. However, your expertise gives you an edge\u2013safety has always been your #1 concern as a dentist, and by using your knowledge of PPE and best infectious disease practices, you can reduce the risk for you, your staff, and patients.<\/p>\n
Typically, scheduling is handled through a combination of in-person visits and phone calls, creating a jumble of notes and paperwork that your staff has to manually input and then carefully follow up on. Moving to a touch-free scheduling system\u2013such as Legwork Online Appointment Booking <\/a><\/span>\u2013helps to digitize much of this work.<\/p>\n Many business owners are reluctant to automate or digitize their operations, fearing that customers will respond negatively to the \u201cartificial\u201d quality of those systems. But when it comes to scheduling appointments, they couldn\u2019t be further off the mark: nearly 70% of consumers <\/a><\/span>prefer to book appointments online <\/strong>, and 93.9% <\/strong>say they\u2019re more likely to choose a business if online booking is offered. Providing an online booking system makes you more appealing to customers, period.<\/p>\n Handling insurance and payment takes up a fair amount of time at the front desk, increasing exposure risk; plus, sticker shock can lead patients to defer payment. Offering online payments provides flexibility, and enables options like installment plans to ensure your bottom line is met.<\/p>\n In addition to being a germ vector, paper forms are a hassle to work with, requiring your staff to interpret messy handwriting and manually enter patient details. An online forms solution like Legwork Paperless <\/a><\/span>digitizes the entire process, letting patients enter their information before arriving at an appointment, and automatically transferring the details to your PMS and PRM software systems.<\/p>\n Managing health records is often a hassle for patients, and they might opt instead to steer clear of your office or avoid treatment. Providing a touch-free digital patient portal makes these tasks much easier for patients, allowing them to be handled in the comfort of their own home, and reducing the stresses of compiling physical records.<\/p>\n Due to reduced time spent in the waiting room or at the front desk, you can turn your attention to the needs of your patients when they\u2019re in the operatory. Combined with a comfort preference survey <\/a><\/span>, you can assess their level of stress and fear, and provide amenities like relaxing music or television shows to put them at ease during their treatment.<\/p>\n By digitizing many of your common activities, you make life substantially easier on your staff, enabling them to focus their attention on making patients happy and comfortable, while leaving busywork like data entry and appointment reminders to your patient engagement system.<\/p>\n Though the future is uncertain, it\u2019s clear that having safety protocols that minimize disease risk is essential. By building a touch-free dental practice now, you get difficult work out of the way, reaping efficiency benefits while having a safety contingency plan to fall back on in the event that it\u2019s needed.<\/p>\n If you prioritize safety for your patients, they\u2019ll take notice. A safe, personalized experience will stand out in the minds of your patients, and they\u2019ll be sure to call attention to it in their reviews or when friends and family ask them to recommend a dentist.<\/p>\n3. Patients Prefer Online Booking<\/h3>\n
4. More Consistent Payment<\/h3>\n
5. Streamlined Data Intake<\/h3>\n
6. Gives Patients Greater Flexibility<\/h3>\n
7. Easily Personalize Experiences<\/h3>\n
8. Minimize Office Time<\/h3>\n
9. Gets You Ahead of the Curve<\/h3>\n
10. More Positive Reviews<\/h3>\n