It’s all about the HANDOFF!

Welcome to Tuesday Tips with MODPractice!

This week’s tip: The HANDOFF

Think of your team as the best 400m relay team in the Olympics.  Every one of those athletes is world class on their own but what will make or break a relay team?  The handoff. 

Picture it in your head: Team USA is in the lead by .09 seconds only to struggle on the third handoff and lose to Canada (this JUST happened at the Track and Field World Championships BTW). In fact, Team USA’s 400m relay team has struggled with handoffs in recent years and went from dominating this race to being lucky to qualify.  If you want to read a little more about what it’s like to pass a baton when you’re sprinting at the fastest pace that a human being could possibly run, check out this article by the Washington Post. 

How does this apply to dentistry?  Well, you can have a world class front office team and a world class back office team but unless you have systems or “Relays” in place, your practice isn’t fully functioning as a team.

There’s a simples solution in regard to your patient flow: The Handoff

Once your patient is finished with treatment, ensure that you are utilizing both a verbal and written handoff.  Best practices look something like this:

FRONT DESK HANDOFF

[Assistant walks patient to front desk]

Assistant to FD: “Everything went great today. Ms. Smith’s appointment went as scheduled and we’ll see her in 6 months for her next cleaning and exam.”
Assistant hands routing slip with completed treatment to FD (instead of routing slips, the treatment can be completed/walked out by the doctor or assistant in the operatory)

HYGIENIST TO DOCTOR HANDOFF

[Dr comes into op and greets patient]

Hygienist to DR: “Ms. Smith’s homecare is good overall.  We reviewed flossing techniques and I gave her a Go-Between for hard to reach areas. There is an area of concern on tooth #30 along the margins of the amalgam and she reports sensitivity on the upper left when drinking anything cold. I noticed a possible fracture line on the buccal of #14”

Your processes and handoff can always be customized for your practice but MUST include communication between the back office and front office regarding what treatment was completed and what the patient’s next appointment should be.

Interested in learning more about Revenue Cycle Management for your practice? Contact us today!