PERCEPTIONS O F D E N T I S T R Y I N T H E I N F O R M AT I O N A G E
Demographic shifts, declining reimbursements and adapting to patient values
P E R C E P T I O N S O F D E N T I S T R Y I N T H E I N F O R M AT I O N A G E
CONTENTS 4
Introduction
Highlights key areas related to patient perceptions of dentistry in the Information Age
8
14
Value Over Volume
Fewer Americans Visiting the Dentist
4 Many people consider the dentist worth
Feeling like they
skipping, or a risk
are not getting what
worth taking
they pay for is simply not going to
8
fly with a millennial 14
Learn Why Patients Review Like They Do Like any health care practice — or any business that provides a service, rather, in today’s era of instant information — online reviews are essential to growth. Social media and dental review websites give patients the power to persuade or dissuade others from making that first appointment.
20 Declining Reimbursement Rates
Out-of-pocket procedures are even more essential to running a successful
24 Showcasing Value to Patients
Spear examined the underlying factors of positive and negative reviews of dental practices in the “Drivers of Patient Satisfaction” white paper, which provides analysis of nearly 1,200 Yelp and Google entries about more than 250 practices from a cross section of practices across the country in a wide variety of locations. See for yourself what motivates patients — and learn steps on how to accentuate the positives while mitigating the negatives.
Learn More
practice in today’s era of dentistry 20
Quite simply — improving patient communication is essential to any dental practice’s survival 24
A L L C O N T E N T S © 2 0 1 9 S P E A R E D U C AT I O N
INTRODUCT Millions of Americans have come to expect clinical precision and compassionate care, no matter if the visit is for a routine dental hygiene appointment or intensive surgical procedure.
But now, more than ever, they also
The HPI report highlights a few key
demand their dentists provide
areas related to patient perceptions
service that won’t negatively affect
of dentistry in the Information Age,
their schedules or pocketbooks.
which this white paper will examine
with their dental experience.
1
The challenge with any report like
going to the dentist, with only 39%
in greater detail:
In its 2019 “Annual Dentistry Industry Report,” the American Dental Association’s Health Policy Institute emphasized that the dental market “is responding to patients who increasingly expect convenience and affordability,” citing the rising trend with millennials with a new set of expectations for total satisfaction
The impact of consumerism on the dental industry and a shift in patient perception of dentistry that
2
leaves dentists to consider value over volume
An overall decline in Americans
this is that while it provides clinicians with an industry overview, it requires
of the population visiting a dentist last year
a more substantive analysis to identify actionable steps to address
3
trends in patient behavior. This white
Declining private dental
paper calls out the report’s key
insurance reimbursement rates,
findings and uses Spear’s own research to explain how clinicians can best adapt in this era of rapid change.
which has potentially serious financial implications for many private practitioners
P E R C E P T I O N S O F D E N T I S T R Y I N T H E I N F O R M AT I O N A G E
TION
5
N AV I G A T I N G T O D AY ’ S E R A O F P A T I E N T C A R E “The dental industry has entered a
Data in the report reflects what
‘new normal’ that is characterized by
Spear has encountered in recent
a growing number of dentists, shifting
years in working with thousands of
practice configurations and an evolving
dentists across the country, in
patient landscape,” said Marko Vujicic,
addition to findings from recent
Ph.D., chief economist and vice
surveys of hundreds of patients.
president of the HPI, in the report’s executive summary.
Clinicians and their teams are faced with a daily challenge of shifting
It’s projected that dental care use
patient perception, largely due to
will continue to increase “among
patients’ expectation to be able to
low-income children, Medicaid adults in
clearly understand the dental work
some states, and high-income seniors,”
they’re investing in.
according to the report, while “the working-age adult population is likely
As soon as a patient feels the value
to see continued flat or declining dental
wane, they could easily make the
care use as are low-income seniors.”
automatic reaction to search for a new practitioner or vent their
The HPI report cites that current trends
frustration on social media, which
in dental care utilization are likely to
only perpetuates a collective
continue unless “something major
misperception that dentistry is
happens to address patient-reported
arbitrary or superfluous — or that
financial and non-financial barriers to
an individual practitioner’s services
dental care, which are indicative of the
are subpar.
challenge of perceived value.”
Clinicians and their teams are faced with a daily challenge of shifting patient perception
P E R C E P T I O N S O F D E N T I S T R Y I N T H E I N F O R M AT I O N A G E
As soon as a patient feels the
Today, to evolve and grow their businesses, dentists must balance
value wane, they could easily
clinical excellence with demonstrating value to skeptical, hesitant patients
make the automatic reaction to
who are equally trying to balance their
search for a new practitioner
oral care needs with the need to manage overall health care spending amid everything else that demands their attention — and money. Throughout the white paper, Spear examines the HPI report’s three key findings in greater depth and provides recommendations on what doctors and their teams can do to evolve.
7
VA L U E OVER VOLUME With patient values shifting,
Individual practices can consider
dentists are forced to adapt to
how to meet their production goals
keep pace with the trend, especially
without taking on too much and
with the millennial generation soon
potentially leaving patients to feel
to overtake the baby boomer
rushed or dissatisfied with a clearly
generation as the largest segment
stressed staff member.
of the U.S. population. Feeling like they are not getting Many individual practitioners must
what they pay for is simply not
evolve or risk losing market share in
going to fly with a millennial, the
their communities to competitors
segment of the population
with a defter touch on the web,
perhaps most likely to be open to
or perhaps a little stronger digital
take routine hygiene appoints to
marketing, or efficient scheduling
pop-up/mobile clinics or seek the
processes, or even a cozier waiting
greatest discounts on services.
room that brings a greater sense of calm — the little things that add up to greater value in the eyes of the everyday adult patient.
NEARLY â…” OF ADULTS UNDER AGE 35 INDICATED A PREFERENCE FOR LOWER COST PLANS WITH LESS CHOICE OF DENTISTS
P E R C E P T I O N S O F D E N T I S T R Y I N T H E I N F O R M AT I O N A G E
THE HPI ANNUAL REPORT EMPHASIZES:
“The millennial generation brings a
In judging their dental experience,
different set of expectations around
most patients simply value that their
consumerism in health care that will
practitioner has their best interest in
continue to drive changes in how
mind, that their team is professional
dentists provide services.
and that they can manage pain.
Millennials place a larger premium on
How a clinician and their team
convenience than other age groups
behave and communicate is what
and more readily embrace the value
leads to more meaningful recognition
agenda, particularly transparency in
of the real value associated with the
cost and quality. They are more open
procedure or visit. In turn, that leads
to different modes of dental care
more patients to recognize the value
delivery that emphasize convenience
in spending out of pocket for dental
than other generations and are more
work that might ordinarily delay.
willing to change health care providers than older Americans.� Citing its own survey, the HPI reported that nearly two-thirds of adults under age 35 indicated a preference for lower cost plans with less choice of dentists, which clearly indicates patient desires to spend less on dentistry.
9
S P E A K I N G YO U R PAT I E N T ’ S L A N G U A G E How dentists interact with patients is
This is true not only for the clinician
a major factor as they process their
but for the whole team. A patient’s
experience and determine if your
experience and perception of your
practice provides them with value.
practice begins with the first phone call and continues through post-care
In its research, Spear has learned
follow-up.
communication is cited in 63% of
The practice team has the power
negative online reviews and
to delight or disappoint a patient
preventable issues like long wait
can be easily overlooked during a
based on many everyday details that
times also strongly correlate with
busy workday.
negative reviews.
For example, note these two disparate Yelp reviews Spear
This speaks to the actual reality that patients yearn for dental practitioners who can not only address dentistry at their level, but also not waste their time. Dentists must be able to clearly demonstrate a higher level of value to these types of consumers and accept that their personal accolades like time in practice and past years’ positive practice reviews no longer equates to loyalty.
uncovered in its “Drivers of Patient Satisfaction” white paper (detailed beginning on page 30):
Example 1 “I had one appointment with this office and could not stand to return. The staff, particularly the main woman who sits at the front window, was incredibly unprofessional and always had an attitude. If you didn’t just go along with everything, no questions asked, you were met with attitude. I went in for my first appointment and they made me come back a separate day for my ‘cleaning.’ The next time, they barely cleaned my teeth and they used this machine that sprayed water all over my clothing.”
P E R C E P T I O N S O F D E N T I S T R Y I N T H E I N F O R M AT I O N A G E
Example 2
“I’ve only been going here for a
Spear recognized this need years
few months but I love it. The dental
ago, which led to the development of
assistant actually explained the
the Patient Education platform, team
cleaning process and what they were
meeting modules and other training
doing while they were doing it, I’ve
resources on Spear Online (detailed
never had that type of experience.
further beginning on page 25).
(The doctor) is very kind and
Team meeting modules, for instance,
charming and does great work.
provide thousands of practices with
This is really a great dental office.
simple-to-follow solutions to create
If you’re in the area and looking,
the internal alignment that leads to
give them a try, you won’t regret it.”
more consistent conversations with patients.
Both reviews demonstrate how team communication turns routine
In one team meeting module,
appointments into events that either
Dr. Frank Spear talks about the use
exceed or fail to meet patient
of occlusal appliances to help
expectations. But Example 1
mitigate the effect of bruxism. He
indicates how the team had an
shows how a custom appliance shuts
opportunity to educate the patient
down muscle activity while a boil-on
about the value of returning for a
appliance increases the activity. The
separate appointment and how the
module allows everyone from front
Cavitron scaling unit provides a
office to back office staff to have the
higher level of care than they were
same answer when the patients ask,
likely accustomed to during past
“Do I really need this?”
dental visits. The team failed to connect with the patient and
As many successful practices will
showcase the benefit of treatment.
agree, structured team meetings help build the consistent teamwork that leads to a more satisfying patient experience.
11
T H E VA L U E A G E N D A In addition to consumer values, there
Clinicians today can assume consumer
is a shift in both medicine and dental
sentiment will follow a similar
to begin to reimburse for outcomes,
trajectory, maintaining the current
rather than procedures.
trend where patients value results — feeling satisfied, like they understand
The nation is seeing a change in
the procedure and believe they got
the way that both medicine and
what they paid for — above all else.
dental insurance are approaching care, focusing not as much on how
As insurance reimbursements
many procedures are covered, but
(detailed further beginning on
which outcomes are covered. This
page 20) — and eventually patient
will likely be a part of health care
sentiment — continue to focus more
reforms in the future.
on the treatment outcome, rather than the procedure, the ability to execute
In its assessment of ongoing
more complex cases effectively will
legislative issues, the HPI notes:
become even more crucial.
“Multi-stakeholder groups are
Patients value results — feeling
defining oral health outcomes. The rollout of the value agenda will be
satisfied, like they understand the
extremely slow (e.g., 30 years) with lots of false starts and hiccups, but
procedure and believe they got
it is unlikely to reverse based on
what they paid for
current medical trends and its appeal across political factions. Dentists are likely to be paid based on more than just the services they provide at some point in the future, and innovation and experimentation around alternative payment models have already begun. As the value agenda rolls out, there will be increased incentives for providers to explore different types of care delivery models to provide the best results at the lowest cost.”
P E R C E P T I O N S O F D E N T I S T R Y I N T H E I N F O R M AT I O N A G E
What Motivates Patients in the Information Age Dr. Ricardo Mitrani explains how dental practices can address patients’ confirmation bias and desire for immediate gratification.
Read Article
13
FEWER AMERICANS VISITING THE DENTIST ONLY 39%
Most Americans did not go to the
OF THE POPULATION,
the population, taking the time to
TOOK THE TIME TO VISIT THE DENTIST IN 2016
dentist in the past year. With only 126 million people, or about 39% of visit the dentist in 2016 the trend is clear — dentists are failing to connect with millions more who could benefit from treatment. Can you imagine going more than a year without a routine hygiene appointment? Clearly, it’s not optimal. But for many people, they consider it worth skipping, or a risk worth taking, depending on what they may have faced in a previous appointment. As all clinicians know, waiting can lead to more costly and time-intensive procedures that will give the patient even greater cause for frustration.
P E R C E P T I O N S O F D E N T I S T R Y I N T H E I N F O R M AT I O N A G E
I N S U R A N C E PAT T E R N S VA R Y B Y A G E To understand the patient landscape,
The report cites that “insurance
it’s important to consider these facts
patterns of dental patients vary
from the HPI annual report:
significantly by age� and that:
More than half of all dental patients
Out of the 21 million seniors who
are adults between ages 19 and 64
visited a dentist in 2016, just over half were uninsured
Children ages 18 years and under are the next biggest age group,
Meanwhile, about 5% of children
followed by seniors over age 65
and 11% of adults ages 19-64 who visited the dentist in 2016 were uninsured
About two-thirds of all patients have private dental insurance
That is essentially the picture of patients across the country.
Approximately one-sixth of all
Yet no matter their insurance
dental patients are uninsured
coverages or personal financial situations, millions of Americans are simply not motivated to visit the dentist.
Yet no matter their insurance coverages or personal financial
For some practices, that means
situations, millions of Americans
deteriorating patient base, and not
feeling a lack of connection to the
are simply not motivated to visit
being able to add as many new
the dentist.
for growth. For others, it could mean
patients as forecast to meet goals permanently losing patients who believe they can take care of the dentistry more efficiently elsewhere.
15
I N C O M E , A C C E S S L E S S O F A FAC T O R A recent Pew Research Center analysis of Census data shows incomes are rising for American households — and millennial-led households (someone age 22 to 37) “now earn more than young adult households did at nearly any time in the past 50 years.” Contrary to what some might assume, income levels and access to dental coverage don’t affect patient usage of dentistry. Data in the HPI annual report shows that 47% of people ages 19-64 visit the dentist annually, which is down from the mid-50% averages that occurred from 2002-2004. However, more than 61% of seniors make an annual visit to the dentist — a figure that provides some optimism for dental practitioners moving forward.
MORE THAN 60% OF SENIORS MAKE AN ANNUAL VISIT TO THE DENTIST
P E R C E P T I O N S O F D E N T I S T R Y I N T H E I N F O R M AT I O N A G E
WHY PEOPLE AREN’T GOING In its recent “Oral Health and
More troubling is that 33% of adults
Well-Being Among Seniors in the
simply don’t believe they need to
United States” report, the HPI
visit the dentist, according to the
reported that 76% of seniors say
HPI’s recent “Dentistry: A Profession
they plan to visit the dentist in
in Transition” report, which adds:
the next year, though fewer follow through.
“Dental care utilization is at the highest rate ever among children,
Half of seniors list cost as a barrier,
but continues to decline among
though that also means for 50% of
working-age adults. Utilization
the senior population, cost was not
among working-age adults began
a factor.
declining even before the great recession, with only about a third of adults visiting the dentist today.
There will be additional
Cost barriers to obtaining needed
opportunity to treat the aging
dental care continue to rise for
baby boomer population as more
working-age adults. Additionally,
people seek solutions for fully
visiting the dentist because they
many working-age adults report not believe they have good oral health
edentulous conditions.
and do not need to go.” This creates the need for practitioners to satisfy their patient base, so that current patients act as champions for dentistry and encourage those around them to check out their favorite dentist.
17
T H E P O W E R O F PAT I E N T R E F E R R A L S In one recent survey, Spear learned
First, every practice must focus on
that 40% of the 500 patient
communicating with patients that
respondents said they had been
referrals are welcomed. It’s
referred to their dentist from
important to be intentional with
another patient.
that suggestion — to let patients know it is important for them to
However, more than 40% of the same
share their honest opinions of the
survey group revealed they had never
practice and, if they’re pleased with
referred a patient to the practice.
their experience, to let others know that the practice can be relied upon
The HPI data makes clear that every
for outstanding treatment.
current patient in a practice knows
Think about it.
someone who is not presently under the care of a dentist.
When was the last time you asked your best patients if they knew anyone else that could benefit from
So, why are these patients not
your services? Consider that the
recommending their dentists to their
patient comes in and sees full
relatives, friends and co-workers?
operatories and a bustling, thriving practice. They may simply assume
Spear launched its technology-
there is no room for new patients.
enabled Practice Solutions
So, make it part of the team’s
consulting model to help practices
everyday routine to ask.
grow by pairing advanced coaching
Also, very few practices seem to
for the whole office with real-time
measure referrals. As management
data and analytics. Today, with more
guru Peter Drucker was fond of
than 300 practices actively engaged
saying, “If you can’t measure it, you
in the platform, a clearer picture has
can’t improve it.”
emerged as to what practices can do to increase referrals.
Measuring and monitoring creates a focus for the team, giving staff a system to be able to see what works and what does not. The goal for a practice should be to attempt to improve this over time by providing care that exceeds patient expectations.
P E R C E P T I O N S O F D E N T I S T R Y I N T H E I N F O R M AT I O N A G E
SPEAR ASKED... In the last 24 months how many patients have you referred to your dentist?
219 201
200
150
100
50
50
20 A1: None
A2: 1-2
A3: 3-4
A4: 5-6
19
1
2
A5: 7-8
A6: 9-10
7 A7: 11+
DECLINING REIMBURSEMENT R AT E S One of the most telling elements of the HPI annual report is that reimbursement rates are declining,
The HPI report revealed:
which indicates that out-of-pocket procedures are even more essential to running a successful practice in
The HPI dental reimbursement
today’s era of dentistry.
index reflects the overall decline
This decline is the continuation of a
dropped from 87.5 in 2015 to 84.6
long-term trend in dental insurance.
in reimbursement rates, which in 2016, a decrease of 3.3%
It’s a clear point of frustration for many patients, including those that discover how little of a procedure like an implant is covered by their plan.
Between 2006 and 2016, the index declined by 17%, with the largest decline in New York state
Only three states have seen an increase in the index between 2006 and 2016 The declines have the potential to impact sales pipelines for vendors as dental practices may alter their buying practices in response to the lower reimbursements.
P E R C E P T I O N S O F D E N T I S T R Y I N T H E I N F O R M AT I O N A G E
According to the 2018 National Survey from Bankers Healthcare Group, a leading provider of financial solutions for health care professionals, the ongoing issue of declining reimbursement rates is a critical concern for most dentists.
The BHG survey of more than 400 dentists showed that: 61% of respondents expressed concern about the impact of DSOs/ corporate dentistry
61%
49% expressed concerned about competitors saturating the market
43% expressed concerned about
OF RESPONDENTS EXPRESSED
government health care programs The impact of declining
CONCERN ABOUT THE IMPACT
reimbursement rates, coupled with those three datapoints in the BHG findings, creates a potentially
OF DSOS/CORPORATE DENTISTRY
stressful environment for many practitioners to negotiate. The stressors are clearly prevalent, and dentists are forced to respond or risk losing revenue.
21
In a January article in ADA News,
The vast majority of our customers
Matthew Hironaka, chief operating
experience an increase in their PPO
officer of Arizona-headquartered
reimbursements. The level of
Unitas Dental PPO-management
improvement in financials from year
service, noted his clients’ rising
to year resulting from negotiated
interest in fee negotiation services
increases depends upon multiple
due to the drop in
factors, including the specific PPO
reimbursement rates:
plans increased and number of procedures completed by the practice
“The majority of dentists we speak
and reimbursed by the plans. Many
with are very frustrated by what
practices see a positive impact
they consider to be the large
immediately following the effective
write-offs they are required to take
date of the increase. For others, the
by participating in-network with
impact of negotiations is realized in
PPO insurance plans. Dentists
the future and when a specific
agree to discount their usual and
employer group or larger group of
customary fees often as much as
insured patients switches their PPO
30-40 percent in order to participate
plan to one where reimbursements
as an in-network provider. This
were increased through negotiations.”
obviously has a significant impact on a practice’s revenue and leaves
The article also notes that members
dentists looking for answers to
of the ADA Council on Dental Benefit
increase PPO revenue and
Programs consider “third-party payer
improve profitability.
issues are the top-most concern for all dentists,” which further emphasizes the need for practitioners to consider
Doctors and their teams are faced today with the need to emphasize the long-term value of dentistry
new methods to generate case acceptance to drive practice growth without having to handle as many reimbursements. Therefore, doctors and their teams are faced today with the need to emphasize the long-term value of dentistry. By doing so intentionally and aligning your team to do the same throughout the practice, you generate more consistent patient comfort with crucial out-of-pocket expenses.
P E R C E P T I O N S O F D E N T I S T R Y I N T H E I N F O R M AT I O N A G E
Streamline and Grow Your Practice The technology-enabled Spear Practice Solutions platform provides your practice with a dedicated consultant to help align the team on a shared vision for long-term growth. Using a real-time analytics dashboard and personalized interactive online experience that includes support from Spear’s learning ecosystem, you’ll visualize the steps to take to meet your goals.
Learn More
23
SHOWCASING VA L U E T O PAT I E N T S Quite simply — improving patient
The Patient Education platform —
communication is essential to any
available to Spear Online members
dental practice’s survival. That
— includes animated videos dentists
often includes strengthening how
can reference chairside via tablet
individual members of the
app, which includes a drawing tool
interdisciplinary team address
and customizable features, or by
the patient’s needs.
streaming to waiting room monitors with Apple TV or Fire TV Stick.
The data presented in the HPI annual report reflects findings from two separate patient surveys related to perceived value of the new Spear Online Patient Education platform, which was introduced in response to dentists’ need for digital resources to help people visualize their conditions and take control of their oral health.
P E R C E P T I O N S O F D E N T I S T R Y I N T H E I N F O R M AT I O N A G E
Additionally, following through on
Through the development of the
a flurry of requests from dentists
Patient Education platform, surveys
across the U.S., Spear added a
revealed that most patients valued
Spanish subtitle feature on Patient
the experience of having a condition
Education chairside tablet app
clearly articulated to them and
videos — giving doctors and their
presented in a manner that left them
teams another tool to make their
feeling nurtured and prepared to
patients feel as comfortable as
move forward with treatment.
possible in the operatory. Being able to visualize their conditions and follow along in their preferred language gives people more comfort than they are ordinarily accustomed to feeling during a dental visit. Having a Spanish-language tool to communicate with more patients is essential to most modern dental practices if you consider that today the U.S. has more Spanish speakers than Spain — and the second-most in the world after Mexico, according to a study by the Instituto Cervantes research center. There are currently
THERE ARE CURRENTLY
41 million native Spanish speakers living in the U.S. today — and
41 MILLION
another 11.6 million people who are bilingual, many of whom are the children of Spanish-speaking immigrants.
NATIVE SPANISH SPEAKERS LIVING
Spear has always taken an empirical approach to dental education.
IN THE U.S. TODAY
25
V I S U A L LY E N C O U R A G I N G C A S E A C C E P T A N C E A survey of 500 patients showed
Spear also studied the reactions of
that after watching the chairside
400 other adult dental patients who
Patient Education tablet video on
were shown a Patient Education
gingival recession:
lobby video about cracked teeth. Results showed:
95% wanted to understand treatment options
91% reported they would move forward with treatment after seeing the video
91% wanted payment options if treatment was not covered 86% felt repairing a cracked tooth prevents more work in the future 78% felt it would be helpful if
(they understood the consequences
their dentist offered Patient
of inaction)
Education videos 84% felt “wait and see” was a bad choice for small cracks (they became aware of the problem) The fact that 90% or more of patients believe effective communication is so crucial to their satisfaction is incredibly telling and perhaps confirms the general perception that a lot of people are visual learners, or that it’s just easier for non-clinicians to digest complex clinical issues with visual aids. Patients want dentistry. They want to discuss treatment with their doctors. But their doctors need to be prepared to assist them.
P E R C E P T I O N S O F D E N T I S T R Y I N T H E I N F O R M AT I O N A G E
90% OR MORE OF PATIENTS BELIEVE EFFECTIVE COMMUNICATION IS SO CRUCIAL TO THEIR SATISFACTION
Empower Your Practice with Patient Education Members of Spear Online have access to the Patient Education chairside tablet app and lobby videos — easy-to-use digital resources proven to drive case acceptance. Learn more about how to automatically stream engaging, animated content to the monitors in your waiting room with Apple TV or Fire TV Stick.
Learn More
27
T H E VA L U E O F P A T I E N T E D U C A T I O N
In its surveys, Spear identified that
This indicates that dentistry stops
less than 30% of patients consider
being a commodity for more com-
dentistry something “extremely
plex conditions, even though rec-
important” compared to other health
ommended treatment is essential
care costs.
to optimal long-term oral health. If the doctor can demonstrate what
This datapoint, and those cited
they can achieve clinically, it should
above, highlight the impact of the
increase practice retention, since
changing patient population and
patients will consider that other
how individual behaviors reflect the
dentists may not be able to provide
ongoing shift in consumerism in
the same level of care.
the U.S. Spear’s survey of Patient Education lobby video viewers who watched the video on gingival recession also indicated that only 35% of patients agree or strongly agree that any dentist can do a procedure.
LESS THAN 30% OF PATIENTS CONSIDER DENTISTRY SOMETHING “EXTREMELY IMPORTANT”
P E R C E P T I O N S O F D E N T I S T R Y I N T H E I N F O R M AT I O N A G E
THE PATIENT EDUCATION PLATFORM ENABLES DENTISTS TO REACH THESE TYPES OF PATIENTS WITH:
Gives the practitioner and their
Multimedia on conditions and procedures
team the ability to instantly
Easy to use and simple for
message millennials and other
the patient to process.
Text feature
digital-savvy patients.
Post-operative care instructions
Customizable printouts
Ensures patients take care of
Includes treatment overviews
themselves after a procedure.
and specific case annotations, which is often appealing to the older, non-digital population.
Helping patients to understand something without forcing a procedure on them builds trust
Drawing Tool
and gets them to proactively
Brings the chairside experience
explore solutions.
to life, giving patients and doctors a common ground where the condition is explored in greater detail.
29
INCREASING REFERRALS IS KEY Spear’s survey results were very
The white paper identifies that most
clear. Despite this era of hesitancy
patients “are pleased to see a team
about paying for routine treatments
that respects each other and works
and desiring more value from
efficiently together.” Industry trends
dentistry, patients still feel
show that this recognition compels
comfortable recommending their
people to recommend the practice to
dentists to each other.
friends and family.
Based on the responses from
The analysis showed that 39% of
500 patients, the top three ways
negative reviews mention wait
people find their dentists are:
times. Meanwhile, more than 60% of negative reviews mention the doctor
REFERRAL (39.2%)
— and 66% mention a specific team
DENTAL INSURANCE (16.2%)
patients’ desire to feel comforted by
GOOGLE SEARCH (15.6%)
member, which further emphasizes and connected with their treatment team. When patients feel disconnected or unsure of the clinical work
Spear’s “Drivers of Patient
happening in the mouth, they feel
Satisfaction” white paper addresses
motivated to share what they
how to get generate the positive
perceived as a frustrating experience.
reviews that lead to more consistent
These days, those “shares” create
referrals. In an analysis of Google
a significant detriment for
and Yelp reviews of more than 1,200
your practice.
practices in a range of communities across the U.S., four primary factors emerged as to what truly drives patient experiences:
1/ WAIT TIMES 2/ POLITENESS 3/ PROFESSIONALISM 4/ OFFICE
P E R C E P T I O N S O F D E N T I S T R Y I N T H E I N F O R M AT I O N A G E
MORE THAN 60% OF NEGATIVE REVIEWS MENTION THE DOCTOR — AND 66% MENTION A SPECIFIC TEAM MEMBER
To mitigate patient frustration, team
Using team meetings helps the
alignment is crucial. With Spear
entire practice address patients with
Online team meeting modules,
a common language and collective
clinicians and their teams can more
goal to ensure satisfaction. This
seamlessly apply lessons from recent
leads to a unified, consistent voice
continuing education courses or
that the patient connects with in
seminars into an efficient workflow,
their first call and can expect to hear
moving past the staff resistance
as they leave the office.
or delay that tends to happen the “Monday after the course.” Team meeting modules help the practitioner implement impactful, topic-based meetings that reinforce the patient-nurturing standards espoused by Spear and dental experts across the industry.
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S O L U T I O N S T O E M P H A S I Z E VA L U E T O Y O U R P A T I E N T S
Based on Spear analyses of industry trends and feedback received from hundreds of client practitioners as to how their patients react, it is evident that patients are more critical than ever of dentistry.
1
Extensive dental CE multimedia, resources and coursework
More than 1,300 CE-eligible video courses on Spear Online are
Yet while it’s immensely frustrating
separated into easy-to-digest
for a struggling practice to cull new
lessons on topics like restorative,
patients, or for a thriving practice
esthetics, occlusion, worn dentition,
to lose existing patients, this era
treatment planning and more. The
marks a time of opportunity for
functionality of the platform allows
progressive doctors who believe in
doctors to learn at their own pace,
improving the dental experience
on their own schedule, 24/7.
for people who simply don’t understand dentistry.
Having access to a library of training materials empowers Spear Online
Access to Spear Online provides
members to treat more severe wear
doctors and their teams with four
cases, edentulous cases and other
solutions proven to address these
complex cases that are usually
pitfalls with patient loyalty and
out-of-pocket and seen by patients
commitment to dentistry:
as critical investments in their overall health care budget. Gaining that clinical confidence is essential to taking on more of the cases needed to counter the decline in national reimbursement rates. Also, based on instruction from Spear Resident Faculty, doctors can follow Spear CE lessons to learn how to accurately phase treatment, which is important for getting many patients to move forward. The more patients a doctor can effectively treat, the more potential patients the practice can care for.
P E R C E P T I O N S O F D E N T I S T R Y I N T H E I N F O R M AT I O N A G E
2 3
Numerous individual courses, team meetings on patient engagement
Patient Education
Spear Online includes a range
With its visual representation of
of multimedia on how to talk to
dentistry and clinical information
patients, including about how to
distilled into terms anyone can
address the price and value of
understand, the Patient Education
dentistry and patient apprehensions
platform and native apps simply
based on common insurance scenarios.
make it easier for patients to move forward with treatment.
In addition to specific courses on patient engagement, the video
Increase credibility with patients
lessons and guided discussion
by having a visual aid at your
resources on Spear Online enable
fingertips. Demonstrating
doctors and their staff members
conditions and procedures with
to make regular sit-downs highly
a video, both chairside and in your
focused and productive. Meeting
lobby, helps ease patients into the
modules come fully equipped with
conversation about their overall
agendas, discussion questions and
oral health. Many people are visual
implementation plans, which help
learners who see Patient Education
practices maintain consistent
as a value-add that differentiates
standards and messaging with
the practice from others they’ve
patient care.
visited recently.
For example, in a series of recent
With visuals to help tell the story,
team meeting modules that
you can speak to patients on
encourage positive patient relations,
their level and effortlessly remove
Spear Resident Faculty member
any friction from the informed
Dr. Ricardo Mitrani teaches how
consent process.
to develop “emotionally engaged patients” and turn negative patient reviews into “a growth opportunity for the entire practice.”
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CONCLUSIO Communicating with patients is
To keep patients returning, and to
essential to the overall health of the
cultivate new patients, it takes an
practice. Yet while this has been
intentional process of making them
anecdotally understood for decades,
feel nurtured, supported and
today dental professionals must
encouraged to do what’s best for
consider it an obligation to
their oral health. But they have little
connect with patients — rather than
threshold for wasted time or feeling
an option that you might address
like they’re being sold on
when the team isn’t too busy.
non-essential procedures.
To truly engage with a patient,
The modern patient simply expects
communicating takes more than a
more to become a loyal returnee
couple minutes or some outdated
who characterizes your clinical work
printouts that a team member
with five-star, thumbs-up reviews
robotically distributes to patients
that make more people aware of
as they leave their appointment.
your caring nature and dedication to Great Dentistry.
In the Information Age, where more and more people use digital media to educate themselves about their health, patients desire to “see” their dentistry in action. Plus, with millennials and other informationsavvy patients addressing their dentistry with great scrutiny and frugality, doctors and their teams must evolve more as trusted “partners” rather than health care providers.
PATIENTS DESIRE TO “SEE” THEIR DENTISTRY
P E R C E P T I O N S O F D E N T I S T R Y I N T H E I N F O R M AT I O N A G E
ON Bring Passion and Purpose to Your Meetings Create a powerful practice, one meeting at a time. With Spear Online team meeting video modules, you can encourage your staff to follow a consistent standard and message with all patients.
Learn More
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T H E P U R S U I T O F G R E AT D E N T I S T R Y
Based in Scottsdale, Arizona, Spear Education is an innovative dental education company that includes the following practice-building, member-based services:
Spear Online
Spear Study Club
Named “Best Product” by Dental
Spear Study Club involves small
Product Shopper, Spear Online
groups of peers that meet locally
includes more than 1,300
as many as eight times a year to
CE-eligible online video lessons
collaborate on real-world cases,
spanning restorative, esthetics,
improve their clinical expertise and
occlusion, worn dentition, treatment
discuss growing practice
planning and more. But access is
profitability. Spear has the largest
not only for dentists. Membership
network of study clubs, with active
provides your office team with staff
clubs in more than 40 states and
training, team meeting and patient
six countries.
communication tools — like the Patient Education platform and native apps — to align the entire practice on patient care.
P E R C E P T I O N S O F D E N T I S T R Y I N T H E I N F O R M AT I O N A G E
Spear Campus
Spear Masters Program Specialist Workshops
Thousands of dentists visit Spear’s With 2½-day workshops for both
scenic Scottsdale campus annually for
endodontists and surgical specialists
continuing education seminars and
tailored to meet the needs of
workshops. Members attend sessions
doctors and their teams, you will
in a state-of-the-art, 300-person
learn how to strengthen relationships
lecture hall and receive hands-on
with your referring practices,
training in the Spear laboratory.
develop your team for growth and build the leadership skills necessary to streamline case flow.
Spear Faculty Club Designed as a prestigious community of doctors who share the journey to
Spear Practice Solutions
great dentistry with others committed to continued learning, professional
The fully integrated business and
growth and providing the best patient
clinical solutions platform blends
care, Faculty Club is at capacity and
custom education, personalized
acceptance is on a wait-list basis.
coaching and real-time analytics to help your practice reach its full potential.
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