Creating the Patient Encounter

Jul 22, 2015

The patient encounter has become increasingly more important to practice leaders. In fact, the patient experience has become critical to the success of many dental practices.

What is the patient encounter and how do you incorporate it into your culture? Patient encounter is influenced by all contact stages of an organization and it starts from the time a patient first makes contact with a practice and continues through various phases of the patient cycle.

People. Caring for our patients and the interactions during their care have a great impact. When everyone seizes ownership in the patient experience, each employee’s role is expanded and the practice’s culture is changed.

Dental_Smile10Process. To effectively deliver a positive patient experience, provider organizations have to have clear processes in place. These processes have to stretch into each touch point a patient has with the organization. Not only do these processes help organizations be more efficient, but safeguards a harmonious experience in all components of the practice.

Place. This goes beyond the physical location of the organization. Patient experience goes beyond interacting with patients in our offices it begins as soon as they call to schedule an appointment or when they are sitting in a crowded waiting room for extended periods of time. All of these factors significantly have an effect on a patient’s overall experience with the practice.

Improving the patient encounter by focusing on culture is arising as an essential approach leading to lasting positive outcomes. A great patient encounter to the right patient, at the right time, makes that patient feel like they are your only patient.

Categories: Healthcare & Dentistry