The purpose of continued care is to motivate our patients to maintain good oral health.
Recare
Recare acts as a conduit of communication between the practice and its existing patients. An efficient recare system benefits the patient, the doctor and the practice.
Recare Policy
Before being released from the treatment room, each patient should have their next recare appointment scheduled. Make sure to present this appointment as a benefit to the patient when we offer to schedule it. We encourage all patients to pre-schedule; don’t let opportunities slip through the cracks.
Upcoming Recare
Remember that not all patients will schedule their follow-up appointments in advance. The goal should be to gently remind people to call the office and make an appointment before they are late. When should we remind our patients that they are overdue?
- 2 months before due date – text and postcard
- 1 month before due date – text and postcard
- 2 weeks before due date – text and call
Overdue Recare
A patient is considered overdue once their recare due date has passed. Contacting these patients on a regular basis increases the likelihood that they will call and schedule an appointment. How frequently should we reach out?
- 2 weeks overdue and once a month following
It may be a good idea to make the final contact via both email and traditional snail mail. The letter requests that the patient respond so that their record can be updated. Again, it is critical to remember that this is about the patient and their oral health, not the practice.
Confirmation Process
Remember that the majority of our recare patients scheduled their appointments months ago. A solid confirmation protocol is essential for reducing no-shows and last-minute cancellations. Here are a couple of examples:
- 1 month prior to appointment – text, email or postcard
- 1 week prior to appointment – text, call and email
- 2 days prior to appointment – text, call and email
- 1 day prior to appointment – text, call and email
*Require patient confirmation at least 24 hours before appointment; if they do not confirm, inform them that they will need to call to reschedule. This gives you plenty of time to work through the ASAP list. If you are going to implement confirmation requirements, patients must be aware of this prior to their next appointment in order for you to be successful and keep patients happy.
Conclusion
Our goal is to provide our patients with the best care possible. Following a recare protocol helps the office do just that.
The recare protocol is adaptable; if your hygiene schedule is booked months in advance, adjust how frequently you reach out. Maintain awareness of current capacity.
