Elsevier

Dental Abstracts

Volume 59, Issue 4, July–August 2014, Page 188
Dental Abstracts

The Front Office
What’s it gonna cost?

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.denabs.2014.03.016Get rights and content

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Background

With the wide availability of information about dental products, services, and prices, consumer education and engagement have become an important part of delivering high-quality patient care. Changes to insurance programs and employers’ efforts to save money have led to consumers making the effort to learn all they can about dental care and comparing prices and services—sometimes even before they come for treatment. The changes that have produced this situation and the advantages of patient

Managing Health Care

With changes in benefit structures to mitigate the financial impact of rising health care costs, employers and insurers are placing more responsibility on patients for the cost of procedures, especially those beyond preventive and diagnostic services. When annual coverage limits are exceeded, patients are forced to cover the costs, and they want to understand what they are paying for.

Surveys by the United States Government Accountability Office (GAO) indicate that the dental fees charged by

Advantages of Patient Engagement and Cost Transparency

Patient engagement is generally accepted as an essential contributor to better outcomes. Dentists can offer high-quality, evidence-based dental care as a basis for developing and retaining engaged patient relationships. While friendly staff members, reminder e-mails, and loyalty programs can benefit the relationship, an even greater contribution is made when the dental practice actively engages in helping patients understand what their dental care will cost. This includes explaining patients’

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Gelburd R: The value of patient engagement and cost transparency. Dentaltown, Jan 2014, pp 22, 24, 26

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