By: H. Candace DeLapp, D.D.S. is the former executive director of The Dentists Professional Liability Trust of Colorado. She has over 30 years of private practice experience.
“All things being equal people chose to do business with those they like. All things not being equal, they will still choose to do business with those they like…” Dr. Bill Blatchford.
Dentistry has changed, or has it?
I would challenge that statement that it is not only dentistry that has changed, but how we as practitioners have changed. It is no longer enough to be a good dentist, you must be a good, dare I say “great” communicator. A key foundation of any successful relationship whether it be personal, or professional is communication. Building rapport between dentist and patient is fundamental to delivering quality dental care.
So how do you build an excellent relationship?
What can you do to prevent a fractured relationship when a problem arises? It all begins at the beginning. I have often heard that a good listener spends 80 percent of the time listening and only 20 percent of the time speaking. We as dentists tend to want to “product dump”, we all know the answer we want to give and “fix” our patients. By listening more than you speak, you can get into people’s “WHY”. Take time at that first meeting and at each subsequent appointment to listen, to find out what they want, what motivates them.
“Learning to listen, that takes a lot of discipline.” Gary Cole as Coach Larry Gelwix in Forever Strong (2008).
Keep in mind that there are a lot of dentists in practice here in Colorado, the patient choose you, a tremendous compliment, take some time to get to know them.
You only have one chance to make a Good First Impression, make it count.
Do you have the ability to communicate with different personalities? We all have patients that you’re afraid to even ask “how are you doing” because they will chatter and share their entire life, leaving little time for treatment. There are patients that are technical and want to know every step, read every MSRP, know how long it will take, how many of these have you done? Patients are not all the same and honing your ability to communicate with all of them will serve you well.
I, personally, believe that to be clear is to be kind. While doing some research for this article I came across the 7 Cs of
Communication – clear, concise, concrete, correct, coherent, complete, and courteous. (Professional Academy blog)
Taking the time to set patient expectations by providing treatment plans, financial agreements, and informed consents creates patient autonomy but more importantly, patient empowerment and trust. With the patient as your partner in making decisions about their care, you gain their loyalty and often will find fewer barriers to treatment and increased productivity, with fewer complaints.
The 7 Cs are not just verbal. Are you in tune with your non-verbal communication? The tone of your voice, nodding of your head either in agreement or disagreement. Do you catch yourself or your team rolling eyes, being sarcastic because this must be at least the fortieth time today you have been asked the same question? Please take a moment and gather yourself. If you need to step out, do so, think how these non-verbal communication moments make another feel and what negative outcome it may lead to.
Do you see patients with limited English proficiency (“LEP) and/or patients with hearing disabilities? What are your obligations to enable these patients to use your dental practices services? In brief, a covered dental practice must take reasonable steps to provide meaningful access to its services to people with LEP and must take appropriate steps to ensure that communications with individuals with disabilities are as effective as communications with individuals without disabilities provided that the accommodation does not pose a demonstrated undue burden on the dental practice. Wondering whether your practice is obligated to comply with Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964? Broadly speaking, if the dental practice receives any federal financial assistance, the practice is obligated to comply.
The power of saying “I’m sorry”.
Did you know that Colorado is one of five full apology states? The law protects expressions of “apology, fault, sympathy, commiseration, condolence, compassion, or a general sense of benevolence” from being used against the practitioner in a lawsuit. CRS 13-25-135:
(1) In any civil action brought by an alleged victim of an unanticipated outcome of medical care, or in any arbitration proceeding related to such civil action, any and all statements, affirmations, gestures, or conduct expressing apology, fault, sympathy, commiseration, condolence, compassion, or a general sense of benevolence which are made by a health-care provider or an employee of a health-care provider to the alleged victim, a relative of the alleged victim, or a representative of the alleged victim and which relate to the discomfort, pain, suffering, injury, or death of the alleged victim as the result of the unanticipated outcome of medical care shall be inadmissible as evidence of an admission of liability or as evidence of an admission against interest.
You can’t win an argument…
When there is a complaint, there may be a tendency to feel that patients are just complaining to avoid paying for treatment. Consider a face-to-face consultation with the patient and the dentist. Let them have their say; there may be legitimate reasons for their discontent. The key principle of The Secret of Socrates is to emphasize your agreements and avoid disagreements. Your goal is to get the other person to say “yes” or agree as much as possible to gain understanding and cooperation.
By taking the time to discover your patient’s concerns and address their expectations, patient satisfaction tends to increase. It’s okay to say, sorry you have having difficulty, here’s how we can help you. Deferring a final answer or plan at the time of this consultation may be your best immediate course of action… you don’t have to provide a solution right then. Take some time to contemplate before responding.
Your team should be well trained and knowledgeable about your practice visions and goals.
Your practice stands on your reputation.
You stand on the shoulders of your team.
They need to be great communicators too.
The most important message I can get across to you.
Don’t make it about you … it’s about the patient. In general, patients see you twice a year, so even if you’re having a bad day, it’s about the patient, not you. When they ask, you’re having a great day, how about you?
“It’s not the customer’s job to know what they want” Steve Jobs
The Dentist Professional Liability Trust of Colorado is Colorado’s most recommended professional liability carrier because we are for dentists, by dentists.
Want to know more about the TRUST and how we can help your practice. Contact executive director, David Geck D.D.S. at [email protected] or call us 303-357-2600
“I’ve been with Dental Trust since completing my residency, and I can wholeheartedly attest to their exceptional professionalism and commitment. Their open communication always makes me feel valued and understood, with my best interests consistently prioritized. Dental Trust has stood by me, providing unparalleled support, and ensuring I’m well taken care of. I’m grateful to be part of the Dental Trust family and highly recommend them to any dental professional seeking trustworthy coverage.”
“I had insurance coverage with the AAO for over 20 years and switched to the Trust seven years ago. The AAO was fine, but I never had anyone to reach out to, when I had questions or concerns about patients. Having a personal connection with my local peers, like Dr. Delapp and Dr Geck at the Trust, has made it easy to discuss those difficult circumstances which we all have. Honestly, I would rather have my insurance contact being in Denver, vs calling a 1-800 number, probably one of the best moves I’ve made to protect my practice.”
“I have been practicing dentistry in the state of Colorado since 2007. It is an absolute privilege to work with The Trust. I am proud to be part of a member owned, non-profit organization where I am represented and supported by my peers. The Trust has given me advice in many aspects of private practice. This organization uses dentists to examine claims, and the best legal teams to guide you. They are professional and understand what the stresses and challenges are of being a dental professional. There are times in our careers where we are working long days or late night and we need advice. The Trust will be there for you 100%. I support The Trust as much as they support me. I would not want to practice without them.”
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