DEBRA MILLER
DIRECTOR OF COACHING
In the previous Part 1 article on clinical efficiency, Dr. Ace Goerig outlined 10 tips for how doctors can improve their clinical efficiency. In this Part 2, I will share 10 tips on how endodontic teams support and contribute to the goal of clinical efficiency for doctors.
#1 Referral marketing for the right type of patients and easier cases
While the doctor-to-doctor relationship is key in referrals, it is team members who stimulate referral relationships to higher levels through complementary team-to-team relationship strategies, and with a systematic approach to marketing driven by an effective Marketing Coordinator. Great team-driven marketing systems lead referring doctors and their teams to understand that the easiest, fastest and most effective treatment option for their patients in pain is to refer them to your office. That results in a notable increase in the number of easy cases that can be completed super-efficiently by the doctor.
#2 Knowing they can fill the schedule
With great marketing, the flow of referred cases increases, which gives the team the ability to fill the schedule better than ever before. By knowing that a certain number of cases are going to be referred every day, including cases that need same-day treatment, team members no longer approach the schedule as being set in stone at the start of the day. They can adapt and schedule patients according to a clinically efficient and productive scheduling template that makes the best use of the doctor’s time.
#3 Team bonus system and commitment to teamwork
Team bonus systems sometimes get a bad rap in other kinds of dental practices because those systems are often designed to reward teams on case value factors that they have little control of. Endodontic practices are unique in dentistry because almost all cases have a relatively similar value, and so growth is almost entirely driven by improving referral flow and scheduling … two factors that great teamwork can directly influence. Increasing clinical efficiency can easily create openings for 2 or more additional cases per day for most doctors, which adds hundreds of thousands to the practice’s bottom line. When teams get a share of that growth through a bonus system that incentives fully appointed and productive scheduling, everyone wins and enjoys the “game” of practice success.
#4 Commitment to the doctor and practice success
It’s common for team members to waver in their motivation if they work in an environment that lacks vision and leadership. Great doctors are great leaders for their teams. They provide an exciting vision for superb patient care, excellent referral relationships, daily productivity, workplace enjoyment, and growth to better levels of practice success. When team members become invested in their leader and committed to the leader’s goals, they become agents of improvement. That’s when they start contributing ideas, personally commit to developing their skills, and want to be the best they can be in their role. That results in a team who measures their success by the productivity and efficiency they create for their doctor and leader.
#5 Great team members (and the right number)
Sometimes you have team members who fall short … either by not pulling their weight when it comes to performance, or who have a negative energy zone around them that limits teamwork and enjoyment. Performance factors are often a training issue and can be overcome to result in more efficient and productive teamwork. But negative attitudes or personality factors are much more innate and difficult to deal with. They can drain the energy level (and create a barrier to growth, enjoyment and efficiency) of both the doctor and other team members. Sometimes you have to tell someone to move on when they no longer fit with your vision of the practice.
Equally to great team members, you need the right number of team members … especially in order to drive your efficiency and productivity. The cost of the doctor waiting for the team to have the next patient ready is always greater than the cost of a properly trained and fully staffed team.
#6 Timing of clinical team movements
High clinical efficiency is the result of coordinated teamwork to optimize the doctor’s daily flow. In fact, it’s useful to think of this as “choreography”, not just coordination. Choreography is about planning every step, understanding everyone’s position and movements, and ensuring that hand-offs and interactions between the doctor, patient and dental assistant are effortless. Just like timing the doctor’s clinical procedures, timing the steps of dental assistants before the doctor arrives in the treatment room and after they leave shapes your understanding of overall clinical team efficiency. That leads to identifying better efficiencies and improving the clinical schedule.
#7 Systematic approach to clinical procedures
Many doctors have a favorite assistant who seems to read their mind and always be ready for the next step in any procedure without prompting. This is often developed over time with experience and a good communication approach, and an assistant who intuitively looks beyond their basic job functions so they can support the doctor at the highest level. However, improving overall clinical efficiency can’t depend on just one of your dental assistants. All of them need to rise to the level of your favorite assistant, which means they need a practice clinical manual to give them the insight and knowledge into the doctor’s clinical approach (by procedure). By mastering these steps for each procedure, assistants understand that one of their primary functions is to keep the doctor on-time, efficient and focused on patient treatment. With proper delegation and support, easy cases can often be completed in as little as 30 minutes of doctor time if the assistant is fully prepared.
#8 Optimizing the schedule and minimizing downtime
Every day in the practice, the schedule can experience a number of changes. Patients may cancel, arrive late, or no-show. These events can significantly impact the doctor’s efficiency and productivity for the day. Likewise, a patient may require emergency same-day treatment when the schedule has limited availability. Great teams support high efficiency by proactively managing the schedule throughout the day. For example, calling a patient to request that they arrive earlier or later than planned can consolidate open time to create an opportunity for an emergency. Similarly, a no-show is an opportunity to move up another patient who is nearby and available, which creates more schedule flexibility later in the day.
#9 Mentorship on great office and clinical systems
Even the best teams can benefit from seeing their practice with a new perspective. Mentorship from an experienced and highly efficient team allows your team to observe (directly or virtually) another team throughout the day. For example, new coaching clients are invited to bring their team to Dr. Ace Goerig’s practice to observe and learn from his highly trained team. Seeing how all the systems and strategies work together for the team can light the path forward and energize progress.
#10 Mastermind Group
Just like the doctor can benefit by interacting with and sharing knowledge between colleagues, team members can benefit by being part of a mastermind or study club where they share and learn with their peers. At Endo Mastery, our Mastery Circle program provides doctors with a mastermind group, and also provides Office Managers a parallel program so that progress happens at multiple levels in the office.
Bonus: Coaching as the foundation
A practice has many moving parts, and a professional practice coach is instrumental to improving teamwork and practice efficiency. For doctors interested in clinical and practice growth, Endo Mastery’s enhanced coaching program now includes advanced clinical team training. Call us today to discuss your vision and goals.