Every endodontist does things a little different. Sure, the procedures are all the same, but it’s up to every endodontist to decide how they want to run their practice. There are only so many approaches to a root canal, but there are infinite ways to handle scheduling, staffing, patient management and general operations.
Are you the type of person to buckle down and power through a day stacked full of appointments? Or, is every case a work of art that’s worthy of a highlight in the Journal of Endodontics?
What if I told you that you could be both: an efficient endodontist who can schedule however you want and maintain a highly lucrative practice? To get there, you need to embrace efficiency, without compromising patient care.
Patient experience vs. practice efficiency
Whether you prefer to take your time on only a few cases each day or stack the appointment books for an entire week, efficiency is key. When your practice runs efficiently, you can approach procedures however is most comfortable and accommodating to you.
Start by considering your scheduling. How much time are you spending on administrative vs. prep time vs. procedure time? No matter how many appointments you take each day, your workflow should allocate time where it’s most-needed (procedure) without taking away from the patient experience (admin and prep). In an efficient practice, staff gets the patient prepped and ready in a positive environment—then, you, the endodontist, provide stellar results. Patients walk away feeling great about not only their visit, but their oral health, as well.
Remember: this needs to be the result no matter what your approach to scheduling is. Whether you do three cases each day or stack 10 back-to-back, patient care is what determines your success as an endodontist.
Finding the sweet spot
Do you feel like quality of a patient’s experience is impacted as you schedule more appointments? Are you worried that too much time spent on procedures might be putting a limit on your practice’s earning potential? This is a push-pull factor many endodontists face when it comes to evaluating their approach.
My first piece of advice in finding a sweet spot is to lean on your staff. So many practices have a stellar staff that makes patients feel welcome and comfortable; however, staff are often too focused on admin work to give the patient their fullest attention. Find ways to automate and find efficiency within the information intake process, so your staff can do what they do best: welcome patients, prep for procedures and answer any remaining questions. Cutting down the clerical work and automating means putting a premium on patient care.
Technology also offers a way to find your sweet spot. GentleWave Procedures help endodontists find middle-ground between what they’re doing and their strive for a more efficient, lucrative practice. GentleWave helps expedite the root canal procedure itself, without compromising on quality. In a nutshell, it helps you either open up your books to more patients and improve the patient experience through exceptional results.
Efficiency and patient care can coexist
The most important aspects of any endodontic practice are patient care and the patient experience. If your practice’s operations don’t align with patient experience, you need to reevaluate. That doesn’t necessarily mean scheduling fewer appointments or setting aside more time per appointment. Instead, it means seeking out ways to be more efficient. Find efficiencies that help you maintain the workflow you’re most comfortable with.
Remember, the procedures and treatments themselves are the same—how you choose to manage your practice is the variable you can control. Let me show you how to become an efficient endodontist.
If you’d like to have a chat about what improved clinical efficiency could look like in your practice, please schedule a call.