Fill Your Schedule with Ease
Many years into my career, I struggled to find an effective and efficient way to fill the schedule without consistently moving appointments around that were already appointed. Our recall and treatment plan system was daunting to tackle, so we wouldn’t work on it unless we absolutely had to fill our schedules.
At my first AADOM conference, I attended a class put on by Dana Moss, and to this day, it has been one of my favorite classes and the best takeaways for our practice. I have tailored it to work for our office and continue to recommend this system to anyone looking for an easier, more effective way to make all those phone calls and fill their schedule.
Phone Call Basics
Before you pick up the phone, ensure you know the basic phone skills for a successful call.
- Smile before you pick up the phone.
- Personalize each call with the name(s) of the providers or staff.
- Ex: “Dr. Jones is looking forward to seeing you.”
- Ex: “We have reserved time with our hygienist Jenny, especially for you.”
- Use clear communication to set expectations.
- Use words/phrases that are patient-friendly, such as invest vs. cost; you are due vs. past due, etc.
- Always remember that we are doing our patients a great service and a favor by calling for a reminder regarding their oral health.
Make the Appointment During Their Visit
Don’t like picking up the phone?
Schedule the patient when you have them in the chair. It is the best way to communicate clearly and help the patient understand what to expect at their next appointment.
Develop a Solid Follow Up System
If the patient does not reappoint while still in the office, having a recall and treatment system in place will assure you contact/follow-up with them in a timely manner.
There are many ways to break down recall and treatment plan reports. The most effective way for our office is to print weekly reports, making it manageable for one designated staff member or the whole office to accomplish effectively. They are easy, helpful reports to grab when a patient cancels on short notice, leaving an opening in your schedule.
The typical rule of thumb to retain at least 85% of your patients is to contact them 6-8 times per year, which averages calling them every two months.
This system is set up to do just that! Below are some tips to help you and your team communicate clearly and effectively with patients when making calls.
- Leave detailed notes in the account every time you leave a message or call someone.
- If someone says they will call us when they are ready, please ask them if they would like us to call again in two months or to leave them alone completely. For example, maybe they are going elsewhere or they are rejecting treatment options.
- Remember, when calling for one patient, check if any other family members are due soon or past due for OP or recall and add them to the message. Avoid making any more calls than necessary.
- When someone cancels an appointment on the phone, please try to leave a note in the account explaining why they canceled. For example, if they have Major health issues or family crises, we don’t want to call them back right away.
- If the patient is scheduled with one provider within the next 30 days and is due with another provider, please note the upcoming appointment instead of calling.
- Try your best to move down the list and complete each one to the end instead of jumping around to save confusion for the next person to work on the list.
You are ready to start printing reports and knock your recall and treatment reports out of the park.
First Monday of the Month
Recall
- Patients Due Next Week (Sun-Sat)
- Patients 3 Months Past Due
- Patients 6 Months Past Due
Tx Plans
- Patients that did not schedule last week (Touch base with patients about their TX plan and ask them if they have any questions that came up since leaving our office, ask if they would like to set up an appointment. Make sure before calling that they don’t already have an appointment.)
- New Pt. follow up from last week (Simply thank them for coming to our office, and make sure they had a good experience.)
Second Monday of the Month
Recall
- Patients Due Next Week (Sun-Sat)
- Patients 9 Months Past Due
- Patients Never Scheduled for Hyg. (Patients w/o Recall)
Tx Plans
- Patients who did not schedule last week
- New Pt. follow up from last week.
- 2 Months Past TX Plans (Patients that have had no contacts in the last two months/Send Letters with I/O Pic, TX Plan, and Finance options to accounts that have been called in the previous two months)
Third Monday of the Month
Recall
- Patients Due Next Week (Sun-Sat)
- Patients 12 Months Past Due
- Patients Due Last Month
Tx Plans
- Patients who did not schedule last week
- New Pt. follow up from last week
- 4 Months Past TX Plans (Call all accounts- Did they get our letter, any questions, set up a recall?)
Fourth Monday of the Month
Recall
- Patients Due Next Week (Sun-Sat)
- Patients 18 Months Past Due (Call and/or Send personalized letter welcoming them back to the practice)
- Patients Due In 2 Months
Tx Plans
- Patients who did not schedule last week
- New Pt. follow up from last week
- Referral Follow Ups
Fifth Monday of the Month
Recall
- Patients Due Next Week (Sun-Sat)
Tx Plans
- Patients who did not schedule last week (same as above)
- New Pt. follow up from last week (same as above)
Once you start with this recall and treatment plan system, your schedules will fill up fast! I am excited about how this new system will improve your practice.
Getting stuck in what you know is easy, but keep educating yourself. Attend that CE, read articles, and collaborate with other professionals in our industry. This career can be so rewarding and fulfilling if you keep learning and trying new things that can make your job more enjoyable and efficient.
About the Author
Ashley Sempf, FAADOM
Ashley Sempf has a deep passion for healthcare and dentistry. She graduated with a degree in Registered Nursing and currently serves as the Chief Operations Officer for two dental practices in Wisconsin.
With over 20 years of experience in the field, she has found great fulfillment in her career in dentistry and looks forward to many more years in the profession.
Ashley is happily married to her wonderful husband, Rodney, and they have three beautiful children and two adorable grandchildren. In her free time, she enjoys traveling and spending quality time with her family.
