Three Ways to Effectively Manage Your Dental Practice
Managing a dental practice is extremely rewarding, but can occasionally come with challenges.
We consulted an expert, Debbie Spicer of South Shore Oral Surgery, for some helpful strategies to streamline office management. From handling unexpected situations that require personal attention and staying organized, to coordinating and communicating with patients, dentists, hygienists and specialists, the following tips can help your practice run smoothly.
1. Teamwork makes the dream work.
A strong team is the foundation of a successful practice. Office managers can trust staff members to contribute to solutions and do their jobs well when they communicate effectively and develop a healthy office culture. Additionally, providing employees with a big-picture view of where they fit in and why their jobs are important may help them adjust their work styles and work more cohesively. Cross-training can also help team members feel valued when they can explain what they do and why they’re doing it a certain way.
2. Organization is key.
Dental offices can minimize error and provide a positive patient experience by staying on top of organizational processes. Arranging patient records and administrative paperwork into categories, scheduling a yearly spring cleaning, and reviewing and updating company policies as needed, can help increase the overall efficiency of the dental practice.
3. Creativity can save the day.
No two days in an office are the same, and it can be helpful to develop new methods and creative solutions to solve problems. Although some aspects of office management are now automated, such as computerized patient confirmations, human interaction is still 95 percent of the job. Your practice’s computer system may go down, but patients will keep arriving, and having solutions in place will help you continue to provide a quality experience. You can do this is by looking for ideas and inspiration from your daily life, such as a visit to your own doctor and being open to receiving feedback and ideas from both staff and patients.
Streamlining office management keeps teams happy and creates a seamless experience for patients who may be anxious about a visit to the dentist. Fostering strong teamwork, managing organizational processes and brainstorming innovative solutions prepares practices to readily handle any unexpected challenge.
Which office management tactics have worked best for your practice? Let us know on Facebook.