New individual doctor reviews offered by Dental Associates gauge patient satisfaction
Dental Associatesis the first and only group dental practice in Wisconsin that has implemented a completely transparent way for patients to review and select a doctor. The group practice has conducted ongoing surveys with Press Ganey to hear patients' voices, and they've decided to share that information in a public way.
Each dentist at Dental Associates has a profile page on the company’s website, DentalAssociates.com. This page features an overall five-point rating for the doctor, nine ratings based on specific questions asked by Press Ganey related to the patient’s interaction with their doctor and patient comments from the past 18 months. The page also includes a headshot of the doctor, details his or her education, and lists any professional associations they’re involved in.
To follow up on this announcement, DIQ reached out to Anthony G. Vastardis, CEO of Dental Associates, with a few questions about the new procedures.
DIQ: Why did Dental Associates decide to offer patient reviews?
Vastardis: Word-of-mouth is a very strong marketing tool in a dental practice. Now more than ever, people want control of their health care decisions – oral health care included. People look for the best doctors, the best care, and the best experiences. What better way to reach today’s consumers than providing information they are seeking on a platform that expands your traditional word-of-mouth.
DIQ: Where did you get the idea, and how did you choose Press Ganey?
Vastardis: I went to an industry group practice meeting 14 years ago, and in one of the breakout sessions the topic was patient satisfaction presented by Press Ganey. I was intrigued by how extensively it was used in the health-care industry but not in the dental arena. I was impressed with the questions being asked and the information Press Ganey was able to gather directly from patients. It became the basis for developing our strategy at Dental Associates for improving our practice.
DIQ: Why do the dentists of Dental Associates believe that a review system is a good thing to have?
Vastardis: The only way to gauge whether a patient is satisfied is to measure their reaction to the care they received. Offering patients the opportunity to share their voice is the only way to truly tell what we are doing well and how we can improve our practice.
DIQ: Why would you encourage your peers to do the same thing?Vastardis: Our dentists would encourage any excellent provider to use transparency on the Internet as a way to differentiate themselves from other dentists. Consumerism is here to stay, and consumers make decisions based upon valid information.
DIQ: Do you feel it’s successful. If so, why?
Vastardis: Yes we feel it's successful because we accomplished what we set out to do, which is to provide patients with unbiased information on our dentists so they can make an informed decision in choosing their dental caregiver. It has also been successful because patient feedback is used to continually evaluate our processes and improve the overall patient experience.
