How efficient is your office? Is it time to prune some of the tasks that sap time and energy so that you can save time and money? Here are five high-tech tips to make your office systems more productive:
1. Online forms – and ultimately, a paperless office
What are online forms? There are two general styles for new patient forms on your website. You can opt for pdfs, which are scanned images of your forms. A patient simply downloads Acrobat Reader (for free from) and can then download and print your new patient forms. He completes the forms, brings them to his first appointment, and voila – the patient and the office team have saved time.
The second option is interactive forms. These can be customized to include (or exclude) virtually any information. The patient can complete the forms on screen, then submit them to your practice via email with the press of a button. The forms are housed on a secure server, so the info is completely safe. Online forms will put your office one step closer to being paperless – a status that will save everyone time and money.
2. A website with valuable information
What do you put on a website? Of course you need information about your services, your biography, and contact info. But if you include things like email, an interactive map (like Google or Mapquest), and your financial policy, front desk team members can direct patients to the online info as needed. For instance, it takes only a minute to say, “Go to our website, click on Contact Us, and you’ll find a map. Simply click on the map and you can create and print directions from your front door to ours.” However, explaining how to get to your office may take time and can also be quite frustrating if the patient has no sense of direction or is unfamiliar with the area.
With your financial policy online, patients can see if you (a) accept their insurance, (b) how to pay for dental work, and (c) can apply for financing. A link to CareCredit, CapitalOne, or your third-party of choice makes applying for credit a snap.
3. Search engine optimization
Save time marketing by letting your website to some of the hard work for you. With a good, organic deep search program, your site will come up on search engines when potential patients search for certain terms (your keywords). For instance, if you have a well optimized site, a person might type in your city and a service, say Invisalign, and your website would show up near the top (hopefully on the first page) of the results. For quick results, supplement your SEO program with a pay-per-click campaign. Your website company can help you set up organic and/or pay-per-click marketing. Call TNT Dental if you would like more information, or visit them online.
4. Automatic appointment reminders
Filling out postcards or making calls for recall appointments takes time away from your office team’s daily duties – but recall is an important part of a healthy practice. Technology steps up once again to solve the problem. With companies like Smile Reminder, you can automatically send recall reminders via email or text message.
5. Digitally file insurance claims
You probably already do this, but filing insurance claims electronically not only saves time (snail mail), but also expedites reimbursement for better cash flow. Not all insurance companies accept electronic files, but many do. If you have digital X-rays, you’re halfway there!