Busting the Myths
Recently at Campbell & Peace we completed a large market research project in conjunction with our implant supplier, Straumann.
This involved sending questionnaires to a selection of our referring practitioners as directed by the German market research company Reigl.
The questionnaires were then returned directly to Reigl and analysed along with a series of questionnaires which were directed to the staff at the practice. All responses were analysed and the report was presented to us by the Straumann Marketing Department at the practice in October. The results were fascinating, and while it’s always easy to focus on the negative points which emerge from these types of reports, much of the picture was positive and that was very gratifying for all of us.
The significant part of the project is that the practice was “benchmarked” by Reigl against a large database of other implant practices in the UK, following work that Straumann has done with their customers. When we looked at the results, there were several areas which were suggested that we could improve, but in some of these we feel we are already providing an excellent service and the problem is more to do with how we communicate this to our referring practitioners. In this article we want to bust a few of the myths that seem to emerge from this, and the most important of these were as follows:
- Some practitioners suggested that we have unacceptably long waiting times. In truth, since we began zoning our appointments the waiting times at Campbell & Peace have reduced significantly, and we aim to see your patient two weeks after receiving your referral. If there are any delays, it is generally down to a request for a specific appointment or difficulty in contacting the patient. For urgent referrals you need only contact the practice by e-mail or telephone and we will make every effort to see the patient as soon as possible. In oral surgery cases this is often the same day and at the very worst the same week.
- There were one or two questions over how emergency cover is provided for implant patients. As has always been the case, patients who undergo implant surgery with Colin are given his mobile number to contact him directly in case of problems. If there are any issues, they are seen immediately.
- Ease of referral was also highlighted from this questionnaire. See over for the many methods of referral available – you decide what works best for you.
- I would like to reassure you that all of your patients will be returned to you following treatment unless you have asked for treatment to be carried out as an on-going procedure at the practice. Please do make sure you are still seeing your patient for regular check-ups though, as depending on the treatment we are providing for your patient, they may be in our care for up to a year or more.
- Some of the practitioners felt that our clinicians were not always accessible. If you wish to speak to Ian or Colin directly regarding one of your patients, call the practice and we can provide their mobile numbers on request. Please do not pass on the numbers to your patients though! To contact any of the other specialists, ask our receptionists and they can usually arrange a phone call within the day, holidays permitting.
I hope that this helps to clear up some of the myths that have arisen around the practice over the last few years. On the whole we are delighted with the results of the Reigl project and have scored highly compared with other implant practices in the UK in all of the categories.
Many thanks for your continued support and please do not hesitate to contact us if you have any further suggestions on how we can improve our service to you and your patients.
