The First Five Minutes In The Operatory

It all starts with the way the assistant or hygienist retrieves the patient from the reception area.  The usual way is to push the door open, prop it with a foot and call the patient's name.  Now, the long trek down the hallway begins, with the patient trailing behind the staff member.  One in the room, the patient is bibbed, laid back and smeared with topical.  There may be a half interested question about the patient's weekend as the staff member washes her hands and wonders who is calling her on her vibrating cell phone.  Not such a great first five.

Here's what I like to see.  The staff member goes to the patient in the reception area and warmly greets the patient and invites them back to the operatory.  They walk side by side and the staff member, having reviewed notes on the patient, asks for updates on events that were discussed with the patient at a previous appointment.  It's so easy to jot down a few notes about the wedding, graduation or vacation that the patient was looking forward to at the last appointment so that it can be mentioned at a future appointment.  It's one of the things that distinguishes a practice and lifts it out of the ordinary.

Once in the operatory, the staff member should go over the treatment to be accomplished that day and answer any questions the patient may have.  Any special items that the patient appreciates such as a neck pillow or head phones and music will be waiting because, again, a staff member has noted the patient's preference so that any staff member working with that patient can offer exceptional service.  When it's time to place topical or begin the prophy, the staff member will let the patient know that the chair will be reclining rather than just pushing the button without warning the patient.

It's all about consideration for the patient's sensibilities.  These are the things the patient remembers and tells her friends and family about.  These are the things that make you stand apart from other practices.  These are the things that make the first five minutes work.

Comments

[Renee]

hi Linda~
I love where you're going with this first 5 minutes series! I'm looking forward to your first 5 minutes with the Doctor posting!...& you are absolutely right. Everyone of us (staff or patient/parent) make split second decisions based on our perceptions/intuition/feelings about how we are treated. We see it everyday in our lives, the person who's checking us out at the grocery store, our hairdresser, the person who hands us our breakfast fastfood or cup of coffee..we all walk away with feelings about the encounter. If we recognize it in our daily interactions, how much more do our patients recognize it in our offices?

For example, our schedule today was really busy & didn't leave much room for error. We had several pedo patients scheduled in the morning & I had the opportunity to bring them from the reception area to their treatment room. For the littlest patients, it was as simple as extending my hand & letting them know it was ok to hold my hand while we walked back & got settled. Commenting on a new pair of shoes & giving them a chance to feel comfortable & relaxed went a long way toward calming their fears, as well as those of their parents.
Those are the connections that keep patients committed to our practices.

[Linda Zdanowicz]

Renee, you sound like a great team member! I'm sure your dentist is thrilled to have you. You see, the first 5 minutes is noticed by the dentist and manager, as well. I love hearing our team members treating our patients with care and kindness. It's great to catch people doing the right thing.
Linda

[Renee]

Thanks...as it happens, I am the OM in the practice & am always trying to 'lead by example', not by 'do as I say'. I think it does make a difference when our team members see examples, of what we are trying to create within our practices, in action. Sometimes it's easier to allow a "stressful day" mentality to take over & act in a reactionary manner toward our patients, instead of taking the (small amount of)time to put our patients at ease.