Clinical Significance
The Front OfficeEngaged team members
Section snippets
Background
Although the patient is the primary focus of any dental practice, without engaged employees it will be impossible to satisfy patient needs and expectations. With engaged employees it’s possible to create and retain patients who will remain loyal to the practice. The staff can be invaluable in addressing one of the most important barriers to patient acceptance of treatment plans: cost.
Importance of Engagement
The team represents the organization to the patient. If they create a good experience, the result is a committed patient. In effect, the engaged team builds the practice, since individual productivity creates a more productive and profitable business. Engagement also leads to reduced turnover among staff members, which means less stress and greater continuity of care for the patient. In addition, the practice experiences higher demand because of the improved service the patient receives. With
Retention
Retention of patients should be recognized as a valuable asset to the practice and rewarded. To encourage patients to remain with the practice through engaged staff it’s important to offer products and services that exceed expectations and to continue to develop new, better products and services. This includes financial services. The employees must also listen to the patients and make changes as needed and appropriate.
The dentist should track data that measure how benchmarks are being met and
Characteristics of an Engaged Employee
The engaged employee will be (1) committed to the purpose and mission of the practice; (2) able to design and support a strategic plan for practice growth; (3) both respectful and respected; (4) confident and competent in skills; (5) value patient feedback and rewards for doing a good job; (6) able to express opinions without fear; (7) feel included and involved in the practice environment and the practice’s success; and (8) encouraged by the experience of engagement.
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Jameson C: Create and retain patients through engagement. Inside Dentistry 13:26-27, 2017
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