The 'pingdemic' and your practice
In our recent blog, ‘Mastering effective patient communication’, we outlined several methods of best practice that can help keep your patients in the loop - this is now more important than ever as over 689,000* alerts were sent to users of the NHS COVID-19 app in England and Wales over the past week, instructing individuals to isolate and in turn, triggering mass patient FTA’s and cancellations.
With dentistry in high demand, practices simply cannot afford idle chair time and instead need to take action to optimise their appointment book. Short Notice Lists within EXACT allow practices to add patients to a list where they can then have their appointment moved forward if a sooner date becomes available, meaning:
- Critical gaps can be filled seamlessly by patients who are safe to enter the practice and have ultimately been waiting for their essential services.
- Those who have made the cancellation can get booked back in ASAP, minimising friction and any possibility of prolonged dental problems.
Find out how you can set them up here.
How can we help?
Whilst we are reminded of the impact of FTAs and cancellations during this time, it’s also a good idea to review your day-to-day communications strategy. Book a communications review with our Patient Comms team today to find out where efficiencies can be made within your practice to minimise forgotten appointments, boost patient attendance, maximise revenue and safeguard your practice against any potential cross-infection - call 01634 925660 today!
*Statistics as of the 29th July 2021: https://news.sky.com/story/covid-19-pingdemic-record-numbers-as-689-313-alerts-sent-from-nhs-app-in-a-week-in-england-and-wales-12367080
