A friend of mine recently asked me to recommend a dentist for her. I was somewhat surprised because I knew she had been with her dentist for some years, and she isn’t the type of patient to shop around for a “dental deal.”So I asked if she was unhappy with her dentist’s care. Her response was, “No, but I don’t really think he wants to be doing dentistry.” I was intrigued. As the conversation continued, it became abundantly clear that this is a very “sick” practice. Let me explain.
For starters, I learned that the office is open only three days a week, making appointment scheduling inconvenient for patients - and that spells trouble for retention and disaster for growth. The doctor is in his 60s and remains a sole practitioner, which is a waving red flag that the practice is most assuredly losing more patients than it is retaining.
The office manager, who has been with the doctor since day one, insists on six-month pre-scheduling for hygiene patients. If patients have to cancel, they are placed on the “cancellation call list,” meaning the patient will be contacted when an opening occurs. The phone calls from the practice trying to reschedule the patient usually begin the next day and continue every day the practice is open. What does that mean? Cancellations and no-shows are an issue, and not a small one.
Scheduling patients months out will not ensure a full schedule; it is a myth that has been disproven again and again and again. Yet, offices refuse to let go of this fallacy even though it’s costing them a fortune in time, inefficiency, and patients. If ever there were a perfect example of an office that, at a minimum, needs to try another approach, this is it. Clearly, many of the patients in this practice would respond better to receiving a professional notice via email or USPS two weeks in advance of their due date notifying them that it is time to schedule their professional dental hygiene appointment. An appointment that is made within a couple of weeks has a far higher compliance rate than one made six months ago.
But there’s more to this situation than merely the six-month scheduling issue. As the conversation continued, I learned that the office manager is friendly enough as long as you don’t have to reschedule an appointment. If an emergency arises and you have to cancel at the last minute, it will result in an “uncomfortable” conversation with her. She will remind the patient that the cancellation policy is clear: “The office requires two days notice for all cancellations.” If patients cannot or will not follow the manager’s “rules,” over time they will come to feel very unwelcome in the practice.
Unfortunately, the troubles don’t stop at the front desk. If the patient needs treatment, the good news is they can get an appointment to see the doctor within days. The bad news - for the practice, not the patient - there are multiple appointment openings to choose from. What’s happening here? It’s obvious. The doctor does not have enough new patients to support his schedule - even three days a week are difficult to fill.
Moreover, I learned that my friend had to practically beg the doctor to address the cosmetic issues that she wanted taken care of. During an appointment for a filling, he finally recommended six anterior crowns. They also briefly discussed the possibility of whitening as well as adult ortho. It went something like this: “You probably should consider crowns on those six front teeth. You might want to think about some adult ortho as well as whitening.”
This was a breakthrough. Finally, there was hope that she could get the cosmetic treatment she wanted. However, she realized this would be no small investment, and she wanted more information. The doctor completed the filling, left the room, and naturally, the patient began quizzing the assistant. “How much time would the treatment take? How much are the crowns? Does the doctor offer Invisalign or will I have to see an orthodontist?” As is so often the case, this unprepared staff member was thrown into “treatment presentation” mode. The assistant hastily dodged the questions and told the patient that she would share them with the doctor. The office would call her to schedule a treatment consultation visit soon, so that the doctor can further explain his recommendations.
Four weeks have passed and the patient has heard nothing from the practice.
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Sally McKenzie, CEO
McKenzie Management
Success Proven Dental
Management Solutions
sallymck@mckenziemgmt.com
Essence :
‘병들어가는’ 병원의 신호들
미국과 한국의 치과상황은 다르다. 그러나 이번 호 맥킨지 칼럼은 위기에 처한 미국 치과의원의 잠재적인 문제점을 보여주고 있다.
최근 필자의 한 친구가 치과를 소개시켜 달라는 연락을 해왔다. 몇 년간 한 곳의 치과의원을 잘 다니고 있는 친구로서 진료비 흥정을 위해 옮겨 다니는 철새족은 아니었다. 그래서 왜 다른 치과를 알아보고 싶은지 물어봤다. 그 대답은 “지금 치과의사는 진료하고 싶은 마음이 없나봐.”
문득 궁금해졌다. 친구의 이야기를 쭉 들어보니 치과는 병들어가고 있다는 것을 느낄 수 있었다. 무엇이 문제였을까?
먼저 일주일 중 치과가 문을 연 요일은 3일에 불과했다. 당연히 환자가 예약하고 진료일정 잡는데 불편했다. 즉, 병원의 수익증대는 커녕 현재 실적을 유지하기에도 문제가 많았다. 치과의사는 60대로 혼자 진료를 보고 있으며, 절대적으로 환자 유지도 힘들 정도의 빨간불이 켜진 상태였다.
치과의사와 거의 평생을 같이 해 온 실장의 경우 스케일링을 위한 예약은 6개월 전에 하도록 주장하고, 예약취소를 하기 위해 예약취소 명단에 이름을 올려야 할 정도로 융통성 없는 환자관리법을 시행하고 있었다.
예약취소와 예약부도는 작은 문제가 아닌데도 지극히 치과 위주의 시스템을 환자에게 적용하고 있었다. 환자는 당연히 불편하고 비효율적임을 느꼈다.
진료를 담당한 원장 역시 환자가 필요한 좀 더 부가적인 심미나 교정치료와 같은 또 다른 분야의 진료 니즈를 충분히 설명하거나 뒷받침하려는 의지가 보이지 않았다.
치료기간과 비용, 치료과정에 대한 정보가 환자에게 전달되지 못했고, 환자는 새로운 진료에 대한 의지를 보였음에도 수주 동안 아무런 조치없이 방치되었다. 환자는 또 다른 치과를 찾아 나섰다.
이에 대한 맥킨지의 진단과 방법은 다음호에서 다루기로 한다.
