In the dental industry, the first consultation is everything. It’s where practitioners and patients feel each other out, developing a mutual understanding of goals and managing expectations. With the availability of patient video call and online consultation, booking appointments have entered a whole new ballgame. There’s no more fighting for reservations over the phone, getting through traffic, and waiting in a crowded room.
Now, practitioners can simply assess a potential client’s needs through an online consultation. Not to say that virtual consultations have never existed, but the COVID-19 pandemic has further cemented their place in the modern world.
Isn’t it crazy to think communication modalities have evolved so much that your patient is just one video call away? Thanks to the rapid advancement of technology, online patient conferencing might be the golden ticket in the dental industry.
While there is much to gain from it, three key benefits are indisputable.
When running a clinic, you always have to think bigger. Your clientele could expand beyond your immediate vicinity, and virtual consultations can help you remove these locational restrictions.
Today, dental patients can easily browse through the web for their ideal procedures and top practitioners anywhere. They are also unlikely to travel long distances for in-person appointments when there’s uncertainty about your service’s success.
Providing online consultation can allow you to address a prospective patient's needs and required treatment whilst accommodating a broader demographic. Plus, dental patients are finicky in finding the right practitioner for their procedure and may only be willing to make the trip once you’ve positioned yourself as so.
Despite our eagerness for things to return to normal, we’ve grown accustomed to certain conveniences, such as online services. We expect these day-to-day conveniences to prevail, and your patients are not exempt from such expectations.
Thus, patients who have busy work schedules or children to care for are more likely to engage your services with the ease of a patient video call. Your clinic already has a competitive advantage as long as you offer services that barely disrupt their daily existence.
Moreover, the increased convenience might even be a deciding factor for whether a client schedules the initial consultation.
Online patient conferencing tends to be cheaper than in-person consultations. Aside from the convenience, patients can also cost-effectively access your expertise.
Charging a small fee for online consultation would help weed out no-show patients or unmotivated buyers. This practice saves you valuable staff time and money to cover your overhead.
Additionally, it conveys your clinic as established and could even increase the conversion rates of potential patients. Use the consultation time to build trust and showcase your knowledge, assuring dental patients that their desired results are achievable. Your patients want to feel like their time is valued and their investment will pay off. A patient video call can be productive and remarkably telling as to whether you’re a good fit.
That said, consider converting to kumoDent’s all-in-one Patient & Practice Management System, where the benefits are limitless for dental industries. Schedule appointments and track your patients’ footprints with ease.
B. Malaysia