Even the best-run orthodontic practices will experience their share of challenges. But it’s how you respond to those challenges that separates the successful practices from the under-performing ones.

Parents and patients (and also prospects) don’t always act the way that we would like. They fail to show up for appointments. They forget to send in their monthly payments. They need more time to think about a case presentation.

To better manage the patient experience, Levin Group clients use a series of 1-day rules for scheduling, practice finance, and case presentation. By acting expeditiously, you can stop a minor inconvenience from becoming a major headache.

One-Day Rule #1: Reducing Cancellations and No-shows

Emphasize to parents and patients that showing up for appointments keeps treatment on schedule. Use a variety of channels—calls to cell phones, texting, and emails—to confirm appointments two business days in advance. If a patient fails to show, call within 24 hours to see if the patient is okay and reschedule the missed appointment.

One-Day Rule #2: Collecting Overdue Receivables

To ensure efficient collections, practices should use an automatic electronic draft for in-house payment plans. If an account still becomes overdue, contact the parent within 24 hours to collect. Remember that the longer payment is overdue, the less likely the practice will be paid.

One-Day Rule #3: Accepting Treatment

Many parents today are looking at several orthodontic practices before making a choice. If parents don’t commit during the consult, follow up on the phone within 24 hours, asking if they have any additional questions. Offer to set up a second consult with the spouse as well. This will increase your practice’s ortho case acceptance rate.

Conclusion

Problems will occur. When they do, respond quickly by using these 1-day rules, to keep your ortho practice on track and moving forward.

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