Orthotown May 2024 - 36

It would genuinely help us out and mean a
lot to me personally. " This strategy personalizes
the request, making it more meaningful
and likely to elicit a positive response.
The power of positive first impressions
Before stepping foot into an orthodontic office,
prospective patients often experience a mixture
of anticipation and apprehension. The power of
online reviews in this initial phase cannot be
overstated: Reviews, along with patient or doctor
endorsements and referrals, serve as a bridge of
trust, offering reassurance and setting expectations
about the practice. By reading about others'
experiences-especially regarding the ease of
scheduling, the welcoming nature of the staff and
the professionalism of the orthodontist-potential
patients begin to feel at ease. This trust is
crucial in converting inquiries into appointments.
*
If your practice uses an automated communications
tool, after a patient schedules their
appointment, a follow-up message could say,
" We hope you found our scheduling processing
to be smooth and accommodating.
We'd appreciate it if you could share your
experience in a review, mentioning how easy
it was to schedule your appointment. " If you
don't have an automation tool, this could
be created as a template and triggered by
your scheduling coordinator when there is a
positive interaction with a patient.
* Prompt active patients early in their treatment
to write a review specifically speaking
to their initial impressions when visiting
your practice. Was the staff friendly and
welcoming? Was the office environment
comforting and well-maintained? You might
consider including a note in your welcome
package or postconsultation email that
reads, " Your first impressions are invaluable
to us. Please consider sharing how our team
and office environment made you feel during
your visit. "
By guiding patients to share their experiences
in these areas, you create a welcoming pathway
for others to follow, making the decision to
choose your practice an easier one.
Surveying the landscape
Midtreatment marks a critical phase in the
orthodontic journey-a time when the novelty of
the process has worn off and the reality of ongoing
treatment sets in. This period offers a unique
opportunity to gauge patient satisfaction and
address any concerns that affect their overall
experience. Instead of waiting until the end of
treatment to gather feedback, implementing a
system of regular check-ins can provide realtime
insights that are invaluable for maintaining
high standards of patient care and satisfaction.
So instead of focusing on review generation, let's
pivot to the concept of digital surveys.
* Craft an effective survey. The key to
successful patient surveys is brevity and relevance.
Keep your surveys short and sweet-
aim for no more than five questions. This
increases the likelihood of completion and
ensures the feedback is focused and actionable.
Questions should be carefully designed
to elicit useful responses, covering aspects of
patient care, comfort and communication.
* Incentivize participation. To encourage
patients to take the time to complete
the practice surveys, consider offering an
incentive. This could be an entry into a
monthly draw for a prize relevant to your
patient demographic-perhaps popular tech
gadgets, community activities or destinations,
or gift cards. The prospect of a reward
can significantly increase participation
rates, providing you with a richer dataset to
work from.
* Analyze feedback for continuous
improvement. Make it a routine to regularly
compile and review the survey results with
your team. This not only helps in identifying
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Orthotown May 2024

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