Let's play 'You're the patient'!

Jun 6, 2010

Editor's note: The Coaches Corner column appears regularly on the DrBicuspid.com advice and opinion page, Second Opinion.

Time for a little role reversal! Imagine you're the patient and answer these questions:

How do you feel when your appointment is at 9 a.m., it's now 9:30 a.m., and you haven't started your appointment?
How do you feel when you check out at the business office after an appointment and what you were expecting is not anything like what you're being told?
What's your confidence level of the doctor's office when you walk into the office and office furnishings, decorations, magazines, etc. are in disarray?
How welcomed do you feel when you call for an appointment and the person answering your call sounds distant, indifferent, or even interrupted?
How do you feel about the care you receive if no one talks to you about what's going to happen, asks about questions you may have, or addresses concerns and issues on your mind, or generally treats you like you're "just another patient"?
How do you feel when you go to use the restroom at the office and it's dirty?
What's going through your head when you enter the office and signs are plastered all over the front desk/business area about office "policies"?

After you've read these questions, I hope you "get it."

It's time to take your team through this little exercise and talk about what needs changing in your practice to accurately reflect what you're trying to convey to your patients. They are PEOPLE, you know!

Notice also that my questions all had to do with the patient's feelings and perceptions. The reason is simple: It's their reality. Your job is to make their reality one that is consistent with your practice. Frankly speaking, you must pay attention to these "intangibles."

So your next question is probably, "How?"

Here are some guidelines I would suggest:

Meet with your team and ask them these same questions. Have everyone share their answers, and point out the variety of responses.
Ask your team to think about a great experience they had at an office or business and a bad experience they had at an office or business. Again, have them share each of these experiences, then talk about the common denominators of both the good and bad experiences.
With your team, assess what protocols and practices you have in place that support creating the reality you want your patients to have. Also assess areas that need improvement. Avoid making it "personal" by not finger-pointing or blaming; maintain control of the discussion by focusing on the issues, not the people.

Ultimately, it's not your clinical skills or the mix of services you provide that will determine your success. It's your ability to communicate and relate to your patients.

As a coach, that's the turf I work in. As a dentist, I live it.

Don Deems, D.D.S., F.A.G.D., known as the Dentist's Coach, is a co-founder of the Dental Coaches Association, an organization of dentists who are professional coaches committed to bringing professional coaching to the dental profession. Learn more about professional coaching by visiting www.dentalcoachesassociation.org or www.drdondeems.com.

The comments and observations expressed herein do not necessarily reflect the opinions of DrBicuspid.com, nor should they be construed as an endorsement or admonishment of any particular idea, vendor, or organization.