I don’t mean to be one of those people who talks about December holidays before Halloween, but we’re all just going to get busier from now until the end of the year. Combine that with the onset of shorter, colder days in many geographies and people aren’t exactly eager to stay out and about, let alone remember their dental appointment at 6 p.m. on a Wednesday. How do you keep your chairs filled and your staff, and your patients, happy during this most wonderful, but hectic, time of the year? It may be time to invest in an appointment reminder service.
It’s even more useful if your appointment reminder service integrates with your practice management system. XLDent has partnered with Lighthouse 360 to provide an integrated eReminder Service solution. Combining automated practice management and patient communication, the solution works seamlessly with the XLDent software suite.
If you think about it, “patient recall” as a phrase has a double meaning, just as it works as a two-way street between the dental office and the patient. Patients recall, or remember, they have an appointment if the office recalls them to follow up. As one Lighthouse 360 user recently told Dental Product Shopper, patients find that the appointment reminder service acts as a nagging mother, but in a good way. Appointment reminders are delivered via 2-way text messages, automated phone calls, postcards, and letters. The more recall reminders, the better chance your patient will recall their appointment.
Aside from fewer broken appointments, here are 3 other reasons to upgrade to an appointment reminder solution that integrates with your practice management software:
1. Scheduled Recalls - It’s one thing to “wave at” your patients. It’s another thing to handle their responses. That’s where XLDent’s integration with Lighthouse 360 is especially helpful. Through the XLPortal feature, patients can see upcoming appointments, proposed treatments, and complete health history forms, in the Patient Portal. The dentists have their own Doctor Portal to view their clinical appointment schedule. This “heads up” improves communication between staff members and patients. It can also help offices plan ahead with staffing needs.
2. Reactivated Patients - Haven’t heard from some of your patients in a few years? You might once you start using an appointment reminder service and allow it to contact your dormant patient database. The integration with XLDent ensures that patients and staff readily have access to needed treatment and recall that is back on track. Combined with XLDent’s comprehensive eSolutions, including real-time eligibility, claim processing, and remittance advice, reactivating patients and updating their information won’t be the administrative nightmare before Christmas.
3. Office Efficiency - This is the gift that keeps on giving for you and your staff. XLDent not only eases the burden of recalling and scheduling patients, but also enables your staff to go paperless for key processes, including processing registration forms through XLCheckIn. Teams can also take advantage of Tablet PCs chairside, so all clinical treatment proposals and consents are paper-free.
Read more about the advantages of going paperless: How to Eliminate Paper Forms in Your Practice Once and For All
Also, don’t forget to incentivize and reward your staff for learning new platforms like the XLDent Appointment Reminder Service and driving more business to your practice. Their enthusiasm will ultimately be conveyed to your patients and hopefully result in a positive patient experience. Now that’s a strong way to end 2018!
To learn more about the XLDent Appointment Reminder Service with Lighthouse 360, visit www.xldent.com.