Managing Marketing: Guidelines for Practice Success. American Dental Association

Decide how to handle any negative review on a case-by-case basis. Some dentists opt to simply ignore them.

      

If you decide to respond, do not engage or get drawn into an online debate over the incident that prompted the negative review. Doing so can make you appear defensive, confrontational, or accusative and may inadvertently reveal protected healthcare information.

      

Make sure that any response presents you as the caring, concerned and compassionate dentist you are. Consider a statement along the lines of:

      - “I’m sorry to hear that you had a less than exceptional experience at our office. I would like to learn more about what happened and how we can improve the situation. Please contact us as soon as possible so we can make things better.”

      

Also make certain that any response offers no hint as to the identity of the person posting; always protect the patient’s privacy.

       Resources:

      • The FTC’s Advertising FAQ’s: A Guide for Small Business ftc.gov/tips-advice/business-center/guidance/advertising-faqs-guide-small-business

      • The FTC’s Advertising and Marketing on the Internet: Rules of the Road ftc.gov/tips-advice/business-center/guidance/advertising-marketing-internet-rules-road

      • The FTC’s U.S. Safe Web Act ftc.gov/enforcement/statutes/us-safe-web-act

      • The FTC’s Policy Statement on Deception ftc.gov/system/files/documents/public_statements/410531/831014deceptionstmt.pdf

      • The FTC’s Endorsement Guides: What People Are Asking ftc.gov/system/files/documents/plain-language/pdf-0205-endorsement-guides-faqs_0.pdf

      • The ADA Practical Guide to Creating an Employee Policy Manual, adacatalog.org

The Patient Survey

       Why Survey Patients?

      The most accurate way to assess what differentiates your practice from others in the area is to survey current patients. This activity is the start of your market research and will reveal what patients like about your practice and why they keep coming back.

      The most accurate way to assess what differentiates your practice from others in the area is to survey current patients. This activity is the start of your market research and will reveal what patients like about your practice and why they keep coming back.

      While a patient survey may seem very basic, perhaps even too basic to yield any real “data,” it is an effective method of assessing patients’ reactions to your marketing messages and methods. It will also provide valuable input for developing, or redefining, your overall marketing strategy.

      Consider the two following statements and select the one that you think would attract new patients:

      1. Dr. Jones is an experienced dentist, well-versed in all facets of restorative dentistry, preventive approaches and the latest cosmetic treatments.

      2. Dr. Jones is a wonderful dentist. She restored my smile, made me feel better about my appearance and really boosted my self-confidence.

      While the first statement is a condensed version of your CV, the second statement presents an evocative and life-altering testimonial that will resonate with prospective patients. Patients looking for a dentist will relate to statements like that and imagine having a similar experience in your practice. The possibility of developing such a rewarding doctor-patient relationship will mean more to them than the newest technology you’ve added to the practice.

      Again, surveying active patients who are satisfied with the treatment and care they’ve received in your practice provides timely, relevant and actionable feedback. That information can become the basis for your next marketing campaign.

Who and What to Survey

      Many dental practices find it helpful to conduct patient satisfaction surveys as a way to find out what patients like, and don’t like, about their experiences in the practice. The results from these surveys offer feedback on the type of patient experience your practice delivers. That information can be used to tweak systems that should enhance the patient experience and can offer insights that can be incorporated into your marketing campaign.

      You can opt to survey every patient after each visit, target a specific patient population, or conduct a survey among randomly-selected patients.

      Questions can cover a range of topics, including:

      • How comfortable the reception area is.

      • Whether the patient was seen on time or, if they had to wait, how long they were kept waiting.

      • Whether they felt their dental concerns were adequately addressed.

      • Whether they had an overall positive experience at the practice.

      • Whether they would recommend the practice to family members, friends and/or colleagues.

      • How they initially learned about the practice.

      Consider these suggestions when planning a patient survey:

      • Customize the survey so it’s appropriate for the group of patients being asked to respond.

      

For instance, new patients should be asked different questions than those in your recare program.

      • Be realistic about how many questions you ask.

      

Ask the most important questions first so you receive the most valuable information even if the patient doesn’t complete the survey.

      

Don’t ask questions that aren’t relevant or that provide input on things you cannot or will not change.

      

Keep it brief since patients are using their personal time to provide feedback.

      • All electronic communications should make it easy for patients to opt out of future communications.

      • Your practice management software may include an electronic instant survey for patients.

      

Make sure you review the questions asked to ensure they’re relevant to your practice and your patients.

      • Several online survey