Dental practice efficiency: What most offices are doing wrong

The optimization of workflow in dental offices is critical, and yet so many offices are not working efficiently. Most offices do not even realize that they are not working efficiently. Wasted time and wasted resources lead directly to wasted money. 

This article explores many reasons dental offices do not work efficiently. 

We discuss problems such as people's problems, the environment, communication, scheduling, and technology. Then, we explore the key solutions, with the integration of virtual assistants being the most important.

1. Ineffective appointment scheduling

One of the main ways a patient contacts a clinic is through a phone call. If your line is busy (with a member of your staff doing an insurance check), you will likely lose a potential client.

But this problem is even greater. One of the dental practice's most considerable inefficiencies is poor scheduling. Numerous dental practices still employ antiquated scheduling systems, which can foster both double bookings and underutilized time slots. An intelligent scheduling system with automated text, call, or email reminders could reduce no-show rates. 

Moreover, using virtual assistants in the dental practice could serve two essential functions: 

• Free up the valuable time of dental staff that is better spent on direct patient care.
• Allow for more efficient scheduling that minimizes no-shows and maximizes the efficient use of dental care resources.

2. Lack of workflow optimization

Optimizing dental practice workflows is necessary to maintain smooth operations and boost dental practice efficiency. Too many offices, however, fail to examine their workflows and identify bottlenecks critically. 

Workflow inefficiencies are common in practices. They result from: 

• Unclear roles among staff.
• Redundant tasks.
• Inadequate communication channels. 

When staff members' jobs are unclear, they sometimes do the same work as others or do work that no one seems to know is necessary (or that no one seems to know is a priority). This practice can reduce inefficient workflow by clearly defining jobs and job responsibilities.

3. Underutilizing technology

Countless dental offices still operate using analog processes that can be slow and frequently error-prone. Yet, it is estimated that any practice that embraces technology will be better. On average, practices utilizing software programs increase operational efficiency by 25%.

Nevertheless, not all practices utilize these technologies to their full potential. Many offices and practices that use technology in a fully integrated way (including virtual assistants) avoid many error-prone tasks and work more efficiently by synchronizing all systems.

4. Inefficient patient communication

Communicating well with patients is the first step toward an effective dental practice. Yet most offices are unsure how best to communicate with patients. In reality, patients have already expressed themselves by saying:

• A 2015 survey revealed that 30% of dental patients preferred receiving appointment reminders via text (Source).
• A 2017 national survey found that consumers overwhelmingly prefer SMS over email and voice communications (Source).
• In 2018, it was reported that nearly 60% of patients across all generations desired text and email reminders, with almost 50% wanting the ability to text back and forth with their dentist's office (Source).

Poor communication leads to a lack of trust, and a lack of confidence leads to hesitation to return or refer your practice. Hence, efficiency in communication is a key to achieving dental success.

A multi-channel communication strategy can enhance patient engagement and satisfaction:

• A virtual assistant for managing patient inquiries.
• A virtual assistant for scheduling appointments.
• A virtual assistant can follow up on treatment plans.
• Improving the front desk staff’s efficiency will likely increase patient satisfaction.

5. Neglecting insurance verification

A lack of insurance verification frequently disrupts dental practice workflow. Many claims are denied because the insurance data is simply not correct or incomplete; when this happens, it slows everything down, and we have to work harder to get the payments we are counting on.

Invest in time-insurance verification if you want to reduce denial claims. This is one of the virtual assistants' primary tasks, ensuring all information is at hand and proper verification has happened before the patient visit. 

Efficiency with Reach

If practices want to make more money, they must find ways to cut costs and enhance productivity. Common dental practice inefficiencies include:

• Appointment scheduling
• Workflow optimization
• Patient communication
• Insurance verification

A virtual assistant manages all these tasks. Incorporating virtual assistants in the dental practice can be a transformative tool. It can shorten the distance between the practice and the patient in a virtual world while allowing the office team to concentrate on patient care and their new virtual and in-person visit routine.

Integrating that with an efficient front office team that can work in both the virtual and physical worlds is paramount to an increasingly competitive dental market. Office efficiency leads to better patient experiences and increased profitability.

Don’t miss the opportunity to hire one of our VAs. Contact us for more!