How to Connect with Patients in a Hyper-Connected World

“When I want my son to come downstairs for dinner, I send him a text message. Works every time.”

I remember hearing that from a busy mom and professional. And I remember thinking that was a great illustration of savvy communication strategy in action. She knew that shouting from the bottom of the stairs had a limited success rate (he might have his headphones on), and she also knew that he always looked at and answered texts. The first step in effective communication is knowing the form of communication to which your intended recipient is most likely to respond.

This is becoming more and more important as our options for modes of communication grow. As far as dental practices communicating with patients, it used to be simple. For decades, the “postcard and home phone call” routine was what you used with everyone. Nowadays, you have so many more options for getting in touch. But the irony is, the more ways we have to communicate, the more ways we have to avoid communication.

For instance, I know a lot of people who use two cell phones – a professional one with a number they give out to just about anyone and a personal one with a number that is restricted to select people. Guess which one they are most likely to answer right away?

It’s the same with email addresses. Many people now have a secondary email account they check maybe once a week, in addition to the “primary communication” address that they use daily. Some people check voicemail obsessively. Some people I know haven’t checked theirs in months and have no intention of doing so. “If it was someone I knew and it was important, they would text me,” they say.

So with all these options, how do you know which is the best way to reach any given patient? The answer is simple: Ask them. Make it part of the interview process when interviewing new patients. Say something like, “I know you probably get a lot of messages all the time, and we want to be as efficient as possible with your time. Sometimes, we are going to need to get in touch with you – to follow up on treatment, maybe talk to you about lab work or just to give you a courtesy reminder to help you keep an upcoming appointment. What is the best way to reach you if we just need a quick confirmation? And what is the best number to reach you at if we need to speak with you?”

Simply getting clarity on this upfront can save you lots of time and resources that would otherwise be spent chasing down patients for a simple reply. Stop shouting from the bottom of the stairs to people who probably aren’t listening. Find out their preferred mode of communication and use it.