Working as a unified team results in happy patients and a successful dental practice. Communication is the cornerstone of a unified team, enabling individuals to work cohesively to provide optimal care for patients. Creating a unified team requires creating goals, developing plans, increasing communication and encouraging individuals to work together to make patients happy.
Effective Team Communication is Paramount
Dental team members of the past used to perform a specific function within the practice and rarely ventured past the boundaries detailed in their job descriptions. The front and back offices rarely communicated, and neither had much to do with accounting. The biggest problem with practices where each department acts as an independent silo is that it leaves gaps in customer service, office efficiency and profitability. Weave’s team chat feature allows your team to communicate more effectively. This creates a bridge between different parts of the office. Learn more about Team Chat here.
The actions of each member of a dental team directly affect patient experience and can improve the productivity, cost effectiveness and profitability within the practice. Without unification, a dental team can miss an untold number of potential income opportunities. The individual scheduling a patient appointment may not realize the account is in arrears, for example, or that another member of the patient’s family is due for a checkup. Unifying the dental team through improved communication and technology improves flow of information essential for both a positive patient experience and the bottom line of the practice.
The telltale signs of a unified team include good communication, commitment to quality and efficiency, and passion for delivering a positive experience for each patient. Communication is essential to creating a unified dental team and quality patient experience, as good communication between skilled individuals builds a strong network that holds a practice together. A unified team uses technology and face-to-face conversations to improve communication between its various members.
A unified team provides unparalleled service to patients, even before the patient comes to the practice. Customer service begins with each phone call when members of the dental team begin communicating and setting expectations about the service the client can expect. In dentistry, as in other industries, the quality of the experience is often as important as the quality of the product.
All the members of unified team possess a diverse set of skills to provide ideal comprehensive care for each patient. As dental health professionals, each member of a unified team is a valuable and integral part of the practice. Together, though, the team gives each practice its unique personality that makes it a good “fit” for the patients they serve. In short, a unified team delivers quality dentistry and a happy patient.
3 Steps to Creating a Unified Team
Creating a unified team requires planning and regular communication with the people who make up the team.
- Start by developing a goal that the team can work towards together. Make sure the goal is well defined and realistic. Plan to increase the number of confirmed by 25 percent annually, for example, or start a patient survey and try to improve satisfaction scores each year.
- Hire people who are passionate about providing quality dental care. Skills are important but you can always train a capable employee to perform a task – you cannot always instill enthusiasm in a worker.
- Use technology and information already on hand to create a unified team where everyone speaks the same language to optimize care for every patient. Weave combines every aspect of patient care into one central place. Because it’s easy to use, every member of the office, no matter the position, can easily find out information about the patient coming in. When every member of the team knows what’s happening, the patient can tell.
A unified team is critical to gaining and retaining patients at a dental practice. Workers who are all on the same page create a better patient experience and superior patient outcome. Unifying your dental team can build stronger patient relationships, increase their active patient base, and make every patient happy.
