Using a High-Value Short-Notice List to Fill Schedule Gaps

December 26, 2024

Filling gaps in your dental schedule with high-value procedures is not just a strategy to recover revenue, it’s an opportunity to transform downtime into a powerhouse of profitability.

High-value procedures such as crowns, implants, veneers, and full-mouth rehabilitations bring significant returns and often result in greater patient satisfaction as they address key health and aesthetic needs.

To fully leverage this approach, it’s crucial to implement a structured, strategic system that maximizes your practice’s production potential while maintaining seamless patient care.

The Importance of High-Value Procedures in Filling Openings

High-value procedures should be the cornerstone of your strategy for filling gaps because of their unique advantages:

• High-value procedures offer higher hourly revenue than routine care, such as cleanings or exams. This makes them ideal for maximizing production potential quickly.
  
  
• These procedures are often more time-intensive, making them a natural fit for longer appointment gaps created by cancellations. Offering short-notice access to premium procedures enhances patient satisfaction, reinforcing your practice's commitment to prioritizing their care.
  
  
• Over time, consistently filling gaps with high-value procedures boosts daily production averages, solidifying your practice’s financial health and operational efficiency.
  
  

Define High-Value Procedures and Prioritize Them

Defining and prioritizing high-value treatments is essential. Focus on procedures that align with your financial and operational goals. High-value treatments typically require longer appointments, generate significant revenue, and substantially impact patient satisfaction.

Not every procedure qualifies as “high-value” for your practice. Focus on treatments that:

• Require longer appointment slots (e.g., 1–3 hours).
  
  
• Offer a high return on time and resources invested.
  
  
• Have a significant impact on patient outcomes, increasing satisfaction and referrals.
  
  

Examples include:

• Implants: High ROI often involves multiple phases of care, which can be scheduled strategically.
  
  
• Cosmetic Dentistry: Veneers, whitening, and aesthetic bonding are profitable and in demand.
  
  
• Crown/Bridge Work: These procedures fit well into mid-length time slots and require minimal preparation if pre-treatment scans are complete.
  
  
• Comprehensive Cases: Patients seeking full-mouth rehabilitations or multiple-unit restorations.
  
  

Develop a Short-Notice List Specifically for High-Value Procedures

Managing cancellations effectively is critical to maintaining profitability in a dental practice. One of the most effective tools to address this is a short-notice list, which allows you to fill last-minute schedule gaps with patients who are ready to proceed with high-value procedures.

These treatments, such as crowns, implants, or cosmetic dentistry, drive revenue and make the best use of available time in your schedule.

Creating and maintaining a short-notice list specifically for high-value procedures is critical. Tailor this list to include patients who are ready to proceed, flexible with their availability, and open to short-notice opportunities.

Once you’ve identified potential candidates, collect detailed information to ensure smooth communication and scheduling:

• Contact preferences: Ask patients whether they prefer to be contacted by phone, text, or email for short-notice opportunities.
  
  
• Availability: Document specific days and times they will most likely be available.
  
  
• Readiness for treatment: Confirm that any necessary pre-treatment steps, such as scans, impressions, or financing, are completed.
  
  

Segment the Short-Notice List

A segmented short-notice list allows for more precise and efficient outreach when gaps arise. Categories might include:

• By procedure type: Group patients by high-value treatments such as implants, crowns, or cosmetic work. This helps you match patients to openings based on the required time and resources.
  
  
• By flexibility: Separate patients who can respond to same-day openings from those who require a bit more notice.
  
  
• By urgency: Highlight patients who have expressed urgency in completing their treatment, as they’re more likely to accept an opening.
  
  

Communicate the Benefits to Patients

Patients are more likely to join a short-notice list when they understand the advantages. During consultations or follow-ups, explain how the list works and its benefits:

• Faster treatment: Patients on the short-notice list can often complete their care sooner than expected.
  
  
• Prime appointment times: They gain access to last-minute openings that may align with their preferred schedule.
  
  
• Customized opportunities: Emphasize that the list is tailored to their specific treatment needs and availability,
  
  

Your team should frame the short-notice list as an exclusive service that prioritizes patients' needs while maximizing their convenience. By making the short-notice list a standard part of patient interactions, your practice will have a steady pool of candidates ready to fill openings.

Match Openings to High-Value Treatments

Matching openings to high-value treatments requires quick evaluation and decision-making. Assess the length of the gap and its suitability for specific procedures.

Use your short-notice list to identify patients whose treatment needs align with the available time slot. Contact patients strategically, emphasizing the value of the opportunity and encouraging prompt responses.

While time availability is a critical factor in scheduling, it shouldn’t be the sole consideration. To maximize profitability, practices must focus on the production potential of the procedures being scheduled.

Leverage Automation for Faster Turnaround

Leveraging automation speeds up the process of filling gaps. Use your practice management software to send mass notifications to suitable patients when a cancellation occurs. Include call-to-action options, such as one-click confirmations, to streamline scheduling and reduce response times.

Automation ensures efficiency and minimizes your team's manual workload.

Train Your Team

Educate Your Team on the Value of High-Value Gaps. Your team plays a pivotal role in matching openings to high-value procedures. Train them to:

• Recognize the financial and operational importance of prioritizing high-value treatments.
  
  
• Quickly identify which patients on the short-notice list are suitable for the available gap.
  
  
• Communicate the urgency of the opportunity to patients in a way that encourages immediate booking.
  
  
  • For example: "We have an unexpected opening tomorrow that’s perfect for your veneer placement. We want to prioritize you for this spot because it aligns with your treatment plan and saves you time. Would you like us to book you in?"
    
    

Monitor and Optimize the System

To ensure your short-notice list remains effective, regularly evaluate its performance and adjust as needed. Key metrics to monitor include:

• Response rates: How quickly patients respond to short-notice opportunities.
  
  
• Slot utilization: The percentage of gaps filled with high-value procedures.
  
  
• Patient feedback: Are patients satisfied with the short-notice scheduling process?
  
  

Analyzing these metrics helps identify areas for improvement and ensures the list continues to meet the needs of your practice and patients.

A well-organized short-notice list is a powerful tool for filling schedule openings with high-value procedures and turning potential downtime into productive, revenue-generating opportunities.

Your practice can efficiently manage cancellations and maximize profitability by proactively building and maintaining the list, segmenting patients for targeted outreach, and leveraging automation.

With the right approach, your short-notice list will improve your practice’s efficiency and enhance patient satisfaction by providing faster access to premium care. Start building your list today, and watch your schedule and revenue thrive!

Not sure where to start? Contact us today!