I had the 'pleasure' of grocery shopping with my mother recently. The task itself wasn't too painful, in fact we made it round the aisles much quicker than I'd anticipated but any time saved was lost as we stood in the queue for five minutes waiting to be served. Now five minutes isn't a great deal of time you might say, but every one of those 300 seconds felt like an age to me – partly because I was holding the basket and it was doing its best to pull my arm off - but more so because we were queueing at a manned checkout in spite of the fact that just a few feet away there were two or three self-scan tills free.
My suggestion of using the facility was waved away by my Mum because she didn't know how to use them. In spite of my enthusiasm to show her how easy it was, we remained for another painstaking 258 seconds. Though my Mother was happy to stand in line and wait her turn, I was already planning the rest of my day and getting frustrated with the needless hold up and wondering which would give in first - my arm or patience.
Is this just a generation thing? The fast pace gallop of the younger generation (if I still qualify in that category) demanding results instantly versus the slower canter of maturity preferring the human contact of the sales assistant? Or is it the youth being enthusiastic to try new things and a natural conservatism of older people leading them to stick with what they know? These theories were put to bed when an OAP marched up to the self-service till (he ended up getting out of the shop a good 26 seconds ahead of us!).
A dental practice treats patients rather than customers but in the wider sense it is a service industry and increasingly patients are judging their practice against the standards set in other areas of retail. When shopping you can serve yourself, when buying music you can download it straight to your computer or MP3 player, and ordering tickets for events (be it dinner at a restaurant, a football match, the theatre, or a hot air balloon ride) can be done online. The aim is to be as user friendly as possible and make the whole purchasing experience as little effort as can be.
If effort is considered potential hindrance for companies that provide a service or goods that customers actually want, then it is a big issue for dental patients whose attendance is more typically reluctant rather than out of enjoyment or a sense of fun. How many patients miss recalls or delay appointments because they call once and the call is unanswered? Are you happy to (or to phrase it another way – can you afford to) let the fate of recalls rest on whether their call coincides with a phone line being free?
Software of Excellence has recently launched an Online Appointment Book service, which gives patients the ability to instantly organise an appointment through their computer or smartphone. Integrated into the EXACT practice management software, the Online Appointment Book automatically sends out a text message or email to patients whose recall is due, with a link to the Appointment Book website where they can view the times available for their dentist – (pre-defined according to the dentists' preferences) and book their appointment instantly.
For patients
Patients can access the appointment book as and when they choose and when on the site the appointment book is 'live' – so they are seeing exactly what appointments are available at the time and can choose. As soon as an appointment is selected, the book will then show this slot as unavailable to other patients.
A patient can respond to the recall instantly and set their mind at ease that it is organised, or can leave it until they have free time or can check what else is in their diary – meaning less appointments made have to then be rescheduled. Whilst this technology may be new to dental practices, from a patient's perspective it is in keeping with the 24 hour-access lifestyle many have come to expect.
For the practice
Superficially it is a service that will make the practice look modern, and the ease of booking an appointment will reflect well on the general perception patients will have of the practice. More tangible practice benefits will be the increase in patient recalls, as fewer patients slip through the net completely or delay booking an appointment.
An additional advantage is that the messages can be practice branded. The confirmation email or text can include the practice logo, a map to the building, practice news (of new services offered) or even details of discounts. During financially tough times many practices want more from their advertising budget, and question how effective a leaflet drop or advert in the local press is. By telling recall patients about special offers, for example half price whitening, the Online Appointment Book gives the practice an opportunity to 'advertise' to a customer - a customer who is about to attend the practice, making it far more effective.
The online appointment book is also a good opportunity for the practice to fill short notice cancellations, which would otherwise mean money wasted in terms of unutilised chair time.
For the practice team
The service removes a considerable administrative burden from the reception staff who no longer need to contact patients for routine appointment bookings. It also removes much of the stress of the 'bottleneck' of queries at peak times. As the system allows patients to update their health records before visiting the practice it makes the whole administrative process much smoother.
For clinical staff it means very little (other than the fact their appointment book might be busier). The practice can personalise the times on offer to accommodate part-time staff, and the system is completely open to change by the practice, meaning if a dentist is on holiday or attending a training course the appointments during that period are blocked in the diary and automatically removed from the booking system.
The modern world
The administrative improvement the online appointment book brings appears to be win-win. Patients benefit from a smoother and less time-consuming booking service (something which could in fact increase demand), while practices save on the cost and hassle of traditional recall methods.
Just as with shopping in a supermarket there will be some people who do not wish to use the new service and prefer the human contact of a phone call. This isn't a problem necessarily for the Online Appointment Book. The service is not seeking to completely replace traditional booking methods, it is adjunct. The system is designed to offer additional options for patients wanting to book an appointment and does not in any way want to disrupt the special relationship between practice and patient. In fact there is potential for online appointment booking to actually help promote better relations. Once installed, all those wishing to book online can do so, meaning the phone lines are less burdened by those wanting to call, meaning the service the reception team is able to provide will improve, thereby creating a stronger relationship.
Without question there is a great potential for Software of Excellence's new service, and the theory is hard to argue against. The proof of the pudding is in the eating though, so how does the Online Appointment Book fare in practice? In the next issue of The Dentist I will be visiting practices which have installed the system to discuss how the teams and patients have adapted to it.