The New You - Life After Lockdown

 The New You - Life After Lockdown

After the latest announcement, it’s clear to see that we will soon be expecting more patients back into the practice setting.

With 2020 proving to be a year of challenges, we’re having to make some changes to the way we all work.  It’s not uncommon for patients to see the dentist as a stressful and uncomfortable experience, with or without a pandemic. Therefore, ensuring the patient's journey is comfortable is key. There are several ways to improve your waiting room experience, reduce anxiety and help encourage patients to return. 

Here are our top tips for improving your waiting room, ready for the ‘new normal’.

• TECHNOLOGY

Whilst many practices offer free wifi while you wait, you’ll receive a much better response installing waiting room TV. Keep your patients up to date with your services and offers, in a modern and informative format that keeps them entertained. Importantly, you can use this technology to ensure your patients understand the processes you have in place to minimise cross infection.

Make use of waiting room TV, not just as a promotional tool, but to educate your patients with animations and treatment knowledge. Not only will it save consultation time if your patients already have some basic knowledge, but it will likely help to reduce anxiety and nerves too.

• SOUND

It’s easy to pop on the radio and assume this enough to help distract nervous patients. But often, radio stations play high energy, pop music which really isn’t very relaxing. Try playing soothing music to help ease the patients mind, reduce stress and prepare them for their appointment.

• LAYOUT

Try to avoid positioning seating in such a way that patients are in direct line of sight of a TV or of each other. For example, don’t position patient seating directly under your TV and consider placing chairs back-to-back with smaller more localised screens for promotional material. Design companies offer virtual remodelling so you can get an idea of what the end result will be.

• TRAINING

To avoid negative experiences for patients and ensure quality care, it’s critical for dentists and all team members to be trained and practice effective ways to help patients with dental anxiety. Empathy and understanding go a long way - taking time to listen to patients voice their fears and concerns can make them feel welcome and, ultimately, relaxed. 

Additionally, the dentist should give a verbal explanation of the overall procedure as well as associated steps along the way. Following this, they should be able to demonstrate for the patient what is involved in the procedure. By using video and animations you can help the patient fully understand the treatment they are about to undergo. Verbally checking on the patient before, during, and after the dental procedure, ensures you establish a sensitive and empathetic relationship throughout.

A dental professional’s goal should be to alleviate anxiety in such a way that patients are satisfied and properly cared for in the short term, but also positively motivated on a long-term basis for future dental visits.

Is your practice ready to adapt to the ‘New Normal’?

If you would like to know more about how MEDiVision can help you and your practice evolve with the ‘new normal’, visit the website at www.medivision.co.uk, email info@medivision.co.uk or call 01908 265565

 

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