Sally McKenzie

Don't just sit there staring at the holes in the schedule. Pick up the phone and follow-up with patients who delay care. In too many cases, patients forego or delay recommended treatment because they actually do not understand the importance of pursuing treatment. Doctors and staff meanwhile are frustrated because patients just don't seem to "get it." But they don't "get it" because dental teams don't give them enough information.  

In between appointments, continue to educate patients on the importance of oral health care and the impact of it on overall health. Too often dentists will tell a patient something once or twice and believe they've done their part to educate them on the matter. Take a page from McDonalds, everyone in the country knows what a Big Mac is, but that doesn't mean the company stops telling us how delicious they are at every opportunity.

Patients are inundated with hundreds of competing messages every day which means that for the communication to have impact, it must be repeated multiple times and in multiple ways. You can't just send out the newsletter or the postcard and expect to see an increase in patient activity.  

Similarly, in many cases, you can't expect a patient to pursue extended treatment after one conversation. You have to continue to reiterate the message many times and on multiple levels. Telling patients something once or handing them a brochure isn't ongoing patient education and treatment marketing. It is merely an introduction to the oral health situation and your proposed solutions. It is the beginning of the education/marketing process, not the end.  

Central to your ongoing treatment marketing messages to patients are specific details and explanations as to how they will benefit from pursuing your recommended course of care. It's essential that patients recognize that the dental practice is an essential stop on their journey toward optimal health. And it's up to you to make the concerted effort to help them understand this critically important information.

Just when you thought you had a grip on how to keep your practice compliant with HIPAA the government rolls out the Omnibus. Now, you may be confused by what new rules are in place and what it means for your practice. And what about the cloud? How can it help me avoid all the stress and confusion?

In this webinar, long time technology guru, Dr. Lorne Lavine, will simply explain what the new rules are and answer these questions and more:

• What is an omnibus?
• What new regulations will affect my practice?
• What changes do I need to make to my existing HIPAA policies?
• What is a NPP and why should I care?
• If I ignore the need for a NPP how much will I be fined?
• Has anyone ever been fined for HIPAA violations?
• How does the cloud settle my stomach and ease the stress?

Dr. Lavine's webinar will also feature a cameo appearance: dental software expert and consultant Jeff Cook will provide a live demonstration of the cloud in action.

Wednesday, January 29, 2014

5:00 - 6:30 pm PST 

• Percent of Persons Ages 2-17 with a Dental Visit in the Past Year: 74.1% (2000)
• Percent of Persons Ages 18-64 with a Dental Visit in the Past Year: 65.3% (2000)
• Percent of Persons Ages 65 and Over with a Dental Visit in the Past Year: 56.4% (2000)