Orthotown March 2016 - (Page 10)

wired for // success Google Voice The Future of Patient Communication by Alan A. Curtis, DDS, MS, Editorial Director, Orthotown Magazine A As orthodontists, we deal with what often seems like a countless number of patients each day. Each patient comes with a different treatment plan and different concerns. How can we keep in contact with all these patients in a timely and orderly fashion, without disrupting workflow? I have a certain set of rules. If you want to reach me with anything urgent or important, don't send me an email, don't call me during my busy day, and-heaven forbid-don't leave me a voicemail message! If you're anything like me, you know what I'm talking about. It's just too time-consuming to take these calls in the middle of work, and listening to voicemails can be so tedious. So my question to you is: Why are you still calling and emailing your patients to share important and timely information? Nowadays when we want to share information with our family and friends, we send them a text message. It's quick, easy and to the point. So what is keeping you from texting your patients? I can think of two main reasons: * You don't want your patients to have your personal cell number. * You don't have an easy way to text patients in a professional, convenient way. Fig. 1 10 MARCH 2016 // orthotown.com The power of Google Luckily there is a simple solution and it's free! It's called Google Voice, and it's available to Google and Gmail account holders. If you don't have an account, you can sign up for free. Here's what you do: * Go to Voice.google.com. * Select a local telephone number to use within the program. * Start texting, calling and more. With Google Voice you can select a different phone number that will forward messages to your actual phone number. No more worrying about patients having your personal number. Here are some situations in which using Google Voice would be extremely beneficial (see Fig. 1): * Grandma brings Johnny to his appointment and he's getting an expander. You need to educate his parents on how to activate the expander. * Patient is grabbing a coffee while you make her retainer. You want to let her know it's ready for pick-up. * Patient is 60 days delinquent on his payments with your office. You know he is dodging your requests for payment, but you know he is sure to pay his mobile http://Voice.google.com http://www.orthotown.com

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Orthotown March 2016

Orthotown.com Highlights
Embrace Progress: Organizing the Digital Office
Wired for Success: Google Voice: The Future of Patient Communication
Welcome, Dr. Edmund Khoo, to the Orthotown Advisory Board!
Industry News
Simplifi ed Correction of Class II Using PowerScope
Looking Toward the Social Media Horizon
What’s On Your Tray? Tray for Bonding Brackets
Herbst Fixed Functional Treatment for a Severe Class II
I’ve Done a Tongue Guard … Now What?
Modern-Day Retention
Retainer Clasps
Message Board: Retention
New Products
Software Showcase
Product Profile: Burleson
Poll
How to Manage Overhead Percentages in the Practice
Ad Index

Orthotown March 2016