Pacific Coast Society of Orthodontists Bulletin Fall 2020 - 62

Practice Management

Staff Report

24 Ways to Engage Your Patients

Mr. Bill Capodagli
Capodagli Jackson Consulting
Coauthor of The Disney Way

It is no secret that creating a patient-centric
culture is beneficial to any health care organization. There are five elements that comprise The
Disney Way's patient-centric culture model: (1)
the " dream " /vision/story; (2) the values or beliefs;
(3) the casting, including hiring, orientation, feedback, and development; (4) the reviews, or how to
measure patient satisfaction; and lastly, (5) producing your unique show, including the story, the
setting, the roles, and the backstage processes.
Each of these elements is essential in creating
a patient-centric culture. However, if you could
do only one thing, I recommend you begin with
the first element of your show: how you engage
your patients from their initial encounters with
your organization. We call this " moments of
truth. "
Being focused on patient engagement is well
worth your effort. For years, the Gallup organization has been tracking the effects of customer
engagement on a daily basis. They report a fully
engaged customer represents a 23% premium in
returns of market share, revenue, and relationship growth. A disengaged customer represents
a 13% decrease in those same measures. (See The
Disney Way Third Edition, Chapter 4).
In my organization, Capodagli Jackson Consulting, we promote three levels of engagement:
transaction, absorbed, and connection. The first
is transaction. For example, if a patient asks,
" Where is a good place to have lunch? " Your answer could be, " There are several restaurants on
the next block. " You have completed the transaction, having politely answered the customer's
question with minimal engagement.
The next level is absorbed. Answering the same
question in the previous paragraph, you may
ask, " What kind of food do you like? " Assume the
customer answers, " Italian. " You reply, " One of
my favorite restaurants is Tony's. It's on the next
block, this side of the street. Enjoy! " You have not
only completed the transaction with the patient,

you have engaged them to solve a problem and
recommended a solution.
The ultimate level of engagement is connection.
Using our same example, after recommending
Tony's in the absorbed level, you conclude by
saying something like, " My name is Bill; tell Tony I
sent you. If you have time after lunch, stop by and
tell me how you liked it. " All of a sudden, you are
connected with your patient and have become
friends, and you may find that you agree on a
favorite restaurant.
I realize you may not have the time or opportunity
to connect with all of your patients. However, it
takes very little effort to elevate from transaction
to an absorbed level of engagement. For example,
in a retail environment, you could ask about the
purchase: " Is this a gift? Would you like it gift
wrapped? " or say, " I notice you have a VFW polo
shirt. Are you a veteran? Thanks for your service. "
What you do not want to do is get into what I call
the supermarket robotic response: " paper or plastic? " " thank you, " " have a nice day, " and so forth.
If the engagement is perceived to be insincere, it
only becomes part of an automatic transaction
response.
Here are 24 ways to achieve positive patient
engagement.
Setting
The very first moment of truth is when your
patients drive in, walk in, or sign in online to your
organization:
1. Make sure signage is clear, informative, and
well maintained. If patients have difficulty
finding parking or are misled by the signage,
it may be difficult for them to experience
positive engagement.
2. Keep the parking lot and entryway " hospital "
clean. First impressions are lasting impressions.
3. Play music in the parking lot and entryway
to convey the mood you are trying to create.

PCSO Bulletin Fall 2020

Pacific Coast Society of Orthodontists Bulletin Fall 2020

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Pacific Coast Society of Orthodontists Bulletin Fall 2020