Practice Management Toolkit: The Path to a Preventive Practice

Five Tips for the Path to a Preventive Practice

#4: Communication

• Identify 3 key points
• Reinforce in writing
• Listen for feedback
• Question to ensure understanding

The FOURTH one is communication. There’s no business, hospital or health care business office on the planet that doesn’t need to think about how we communicate, because our job is not just treating. Our job is also relating to our patients, motivating them, educating them. And in order to do that we need to think about our communication skills. My quick suggestion today is that you have key points that you want to make for each patient. In fact, I suggest THREE KEY POINTS. What are three key points about a powered brush do you want to tell the patient, and then give them the name of what they should purchase in writing, or floss, or toothpaste, or an oral health care rinse? The second part to communication is listening, answering questions, and then asking the patient if they have any questions. They don’t always understand us. Sometimes they nod their heads, but the truth is that really they didn’t understand us, and we find that out through the questions. If someone comes back at six months and is not getting the result that we want, what a great time to ask them, “What are you doing? Tell me how you are handling this. What order are you using the recommended products in? These are the key questions to ask.