The Practicon Viewpoint by Ann Page Griffin

WHY PATIENTS LEAVE A PRACTICE

Dental offices have two doors—a front door to welcome new and returning patients and a back door through which lost patients exit. Simplified, the key to a thriving practice is to have a busy yet organized and appealing front entrance and a very narrow back door through which no more than a handful of patients leave annually.

Reflecting on reasons why patients leave a dental practice, other than moving or death, we can name:

• Failure of the Recare System to keep patients enrolled for regular hygiene care
• No protocol for handling broken appointments to assure reappointment
• Poor online reviews on social media sites
• Poor communications between the doctor or staff and patients so that patients do not feel welcome, appreciated, or well taken care of
• Inflexible (or non-existent) payment plans that offer no help to the patient who has no dental insurance and cannot pay in full as treatment progresses
• Non-acceptance of dental insurance; no assistance for patients in filing their dental insurance claims
• Non-acceptance of managed care when patients move to that type of third party coverage
• Non-acceptance of Medicaid when patients must enroll in that program
• Poor office ambiance—shabby, rundown appearance of exterior or interior spaces causes many patients to seek care elsewhere. Soiled carpet, torn upholstery on reception or treatment chairs, dirty bathrooms, chipped wall or woodwork paint, debris in ceiling light fixtures, clutter in any area—any of these negatives can drive away some patients.
• Office relocation without proper notification to patients or without community-wide publicity

Suggestion: you and your staff should customize a list of reasons patients might leave your practice—and then FIX them!