I explain how a patient coordinator can significantly enhance patient communication.

1. businEss patiEnt carE
the missing link
Have you considered what a patient coordinator could do for your patients?
Jacqui Goss discusses a team role that can significantly enhance patient communication
Seeing your customer service through the
eyes of your patients is not easy.
Dentists and practice team members
invariably use one set of yardsticks to measure
their performance. Patients often use a
completely different set.
For example, dentists will (rightly) measure
their performance on technical merit:
• Did I do the work properly?
• Did I meet professional standards?
Practice staff tend to measure their
performance by their efficiency:
• Did we adhere to practice policies and
protocols?
• Did we deal with enquiries quickly?
These are important measurements and a
practice team should expect to achieve high
scores. However, most patients will judge your
practice on the basis of completely different
criteria.
Of course, some patients focus almost
solely on the cost of treatment. Commenting
on a wide-ranging survey carried out on behalf
of the Irish Dental Association in 2009, the
then president of the IDA, Dr Donal Blackwell
said that one of the problems was that when
considering travelling abroad for dental
treatment, patients tended to focus on short
term, aesthetic results rather than the long
term quality of the care they received and that The second is, of course, somewhat often undervalued or overlooked. In most
the lure of ‘bargain’ prices meant that patients oxymoronic! practices, a patient coordinator will probably
were less concerned about the need for What makes the difference (leading to do the following:
different treatments than the cost of them. high patient retention and satisfaction) is a • Communicate according to a patient’s
service experience that surprises and delights ability to understand
ExcEEding ExpEctations patients – i.e, it exceeds their expectations. • Develop an empathy with patients to
My experience from being commissioned by These patients will then be superb understand their needs
practices to do patient satisfaction surveys ambassadors for your business as a (free) • Deliver exemplary customer service
is that patients value the overall experience, word-of-mouth referral service. • Maintain a sound knowledge of clinical
most likely broken down as: Read some of the reviews by patients procedures and services
• Were my expectations met? of dental practices on a website such • Interpret clinical reports and discuss them
• Did I get value for money? as WhatClinic.com and you’ll see most in an appropriate manner with patients
And that the following generalisation can favourable comments relate to the staff and • Discuss with patients all financial options
be made. Most patients attend a practice with how friendly they are. (and subsequently process them)
two broad expectations: So, to exceed patients’ expectations, a • ‘Close’ the sale
• They expect the service to be problem-free, practice needs a focussed and committed • Maintain an accurate record of all contact
technically correct and delivered as promised team that should include a patient with patients
• They expect the service to be better than coordinator (aka a care coordinator or a • Contribute towards business targets and
they expected. treatment coordinator). This is a role that is goals
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2. • Be a highly effective team member. evenings or at weekends when patients are at
Let’s consider some of these in more detail. home, relaxed and not concerned about being patiEnt coordinator skills
overheard by work colleagues.
communication For this part of their duties, patient
A patient coordinator should be one of the coordinators require some clinical knowledge.
first points of contact a new patient has with Indeed, some formal care coordinator
a practice. Indeed, in some practices potential qualifications suggest the role as career
new patients are referred to the patient progression for experienced nurses. I would say
coordinator – such is the importance assigned it’s more critical that patient coordinators can
to securing new patients in these competitive understand and interpret clinical reports.
times. To make an informed decision about
Unlike (busy) receptionists, a patient treatment, patients need to understand their
coordinator can invest time building the options.
rapport that is important for a good new Many dentists describe treatment options
patient/potential new patient experience. They in technical terms. Frequently, patients do not treatment plan and communicate this to the
need to determine what is important to the perceive the value of the proposed treatment patient.
patient; why they have come to the practice; until it has been explained in words they Having before and after photographs of
deal with any underlying concerns and assure understand and in a relaxed environment away similar cases to present and discuss (small jpeg
the patient about any reservations they have. from the dental chair. images that can be emailed speedily during a
They should ‘connect’ with the patient and Often a dentist will offer a (albeit clinically telephone conversation), along with testimonial
check for understanding using language correct) solution to a patient without finding letters (sections of which can be read out)
appropriate for each individual. out what it is that they are looking for. makes this process easier.
This is where some rudimentary knowledge Remember that most patients want their The patient coordinator should ask
of the basic principles of neuro-linguistic expectations exceeded, not dashed by a questions such as: ‘How does this all sound to
programming (NLP) can be useful. comprehensive list of oral problems. The you now?’ They could also ask: ‘Are you more
For example, NLP teaches us that only patient coordinator concentrates on what comfortable about it?’ or ‘can you see the long-
7% of communication is verbal, so a patient outcomes a patient is seeking and will benefit term benefits of this treatment?’
coordinator must interpret body language (55% from. Importantly, the patient coordinator should
of communication) and how the patient speaks give the patient the opportunity to proceed by
to them (38% of communication is the speed, FinancE options asking a direct question such as: ‘Would you
tone and inflection of the voice). Ahead of writing this, I did a quick internet like to go ahead?’
survey of Irish dental practices, north
dElivEring ExEmplary sErvicE and south, and was pleased to find most Filling thE rolE
As highlighted in the opening paragraphs, mentioning finance on their website. To summarise, the patient coordinator role
patients want you to deliver what they want, To not offer finance terms (with interest is a challenging but exciting one. It must be
or exceed their expectations. A patient and/or interest free) is, I believe, a mistake akin undertaken by the right sort of person with
coordinator can be critical to this. to not having a payment plan. the attributes and competencies I’ve outlined
Whenever a patient has been given a Patient coordinators should be trained above.
treatment plan and gone away to think about to be knowledgeable about your finance Employ someone – or offer the post to
it, the patient coordinator should contact options and should be comfortable discussing one of your existing team and invest wisely
them a day or two later (this is why they are them with patients. The offer of a monthly in their training to develop their people skills.
sometimes called treatment coordinators). In payment facility will often make the difference Alternatively, you can use an experienced
my experience this is much better done in the between a patient proceeding – or not – with a remote patient coordinator.
treatment plan. Then, you can advertise on your website
Finance cannot be discussed properly when that you have a patient coordinator – or more
thE the patient is still chair-bound and it is not cost than one if yours is a large practice.
dEntist
effective for dentists to do so anyway. Nor can The improved communication will have
‘technical merit’
it be discussed in the reception area, because you exceeding patients’ expectations more
of a lack of privacy. frequently and your growing book and
A patient coordinator talking through the increased treatment take up will affect your
options while the patient is at home is by far bottom line nicely too! id
patiEnt the best setting. The patient can consult family
ExpEriEncE
members and fetch documents such as bank
thE thE Jacqui Goss is the managing partner in Yes!
statements to check their existing outgoings.
practicE patiEnt Results, a company that provides patient feedback,
‘Efficiency’ ‘value’ treatment coordination services and training to
closing a salE dental practices throughout the British Isles. Visit
The patient coordinator must be enthusiastic www.yesresults.co.uk for more information.
and excited about the end results of the
irish dEntistry January 2012 23
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