How one dental practice transformed its case acceptance rates

Case acceptance is one of the most critical indicators of success for dental practices, yet many struggle with it. Industry data indicate the average practice sees only 35% of the treatment they recommend get accepted. 

Cierra Johnson, who works in the front office of a Maryland dental practice, recently shared her insights about how AcceptCare has revolutionized case acceptance and the fee presentation process in the practice where she works.

Before AcceptCare, Johnson said the practice faced a significant challenge: a disconnect between the doctors, clinical assistants, and front office team. This separation resulted in confusion among the team and patients as well as a lack of control over payment options.

"It felt like there were things lost in translation in the hand off from the clinical team, which then confused the front office team and then the patient," Johnson said.

AcceptCare addressed these challenges by providing a clean and user-friendly platform that can help more patients say yes to treatment, Johnson explained.

"AcceptCare's platform is clean and easy on the eyes. The patient now has more control with the iPad," Johnson said.

Its proprietary open choice design leverages the latest consumer-friendly technology and aligns with proven online buying behavior trends, helping to make it easier for patients to understand, review, and accept affordable payment options for their treatment.

One key feature of AcceptCare is its ability to empower patients. Rather than present payment options in the conventional trial-and-error protocol that is common in most practices in which patients are led through a series of yes/no gates (i.e., Pay in full? No., Apply for financing? No., etc.). AcceptCare instead clearly presents all of the available options on a tablet and puts the power of choice in the patient's hands.

"Having the treatment plan/payment options on the patient's phone/iPad allows them to see something unexpected and often unplanned (the recommended treatment/dollar amount) in a familiar user experience," Johnson said, adding that this method not only improves understanding for patients but also gives them more control over their financial decisions.

Additionally, approval for financing is greatly enhanced with AcceptCare. The dental financing lender averages approval rates below 50%, and no single third-party lender on the market effectively covers the entire credit spectrum or consistently approves the full treatment amount required. That's where AcceptCare comes in.

With one loan application, AcceptCare sources and displays loan offers from up to five to six lenders and complements these offers with in-house financing options when needed to ensure every patient has an opportunity to get the comprehensive care they need. Patients choose the options that fit their budget best. This option has shown an average increase of 43% in case fees are accepted in practices utilizing the solution. 

Another area where AcceptCare has made a significant impact is follow-up. 

"AcceptCare also helps with pending follow-up. They send text/email reminders to patients regarding their treatment and allow them to accept financial plans from the convenience of home on their phone," Johnson said, adding that this feature ensures that patients stay informed about their treatment plans and it helps practices maintain communication with their patients. In fact, 24% of all cases accepted on AcceptCare are selected from patients after they have left the practice, some even after 30 days.

Reflecting on the benefits of AcceptCare, Johnson emphasized the importance of understanding the mechanics of case acceptance.

"Case acceptance is all about mechanics,” Johnson said. "There are a lot of moving parts that need to happen. It is important that everyone on your team knows and understands the basics of treatment and why/when it is recommended."

Johnson said that AcceptCare has transformed case acceptance in her dental practice by improving communication, empowering patients, and streamlining the payment process. Her practice has seen an increase of 22% to 51% in its treatment acceptance rate. It now has a case acceptance rate of more than 70% and is seeing enormous growth in production since going live with the system. By embracing modern technology like AcceptCare and focusing on team collaboration, she believes any practice can enhance their case acceptance rates and provide better care for itspatients.

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