Dental Sleep Medicine Insider August 2016 | Page 21

KIMMY MOONEY TALK THE TALK, TALK WALK THE WALK Dental Sleep Medicine (DSM) is a rapidly growing and continually evolving field. This means that you should also be continually evolving your strategy in your practice as production grows. In my experience, this really needs to begin with you, the dentist. What systems do you have in place to ensure this occurs? Are you holding weekly DSM huddles? Is DSM featured prominently on your website and on brochures or posters in your waiting room? Are you broaching the topic of sleep apnea with your patients? All of them? What does that conversation sound like? How is your staff communicating with each other as the patient advances through the treatment process? Are they properly tasking themselves and each other to ensure that patients don’t fall between the dreaded cracks? Do all of your team members truly understand the roles that they play in the process? Do you? Are they empowered to do what needs to be done to grow this segment of your practice? Have you provided your team with the tools for success? Are you using a DSM practice management software? Do you have a clear pathway to screen all your patients? What about getting them tested? Do you know what documentation you need to capture? Does your team? What’s the plan for billing? A lot of questions, I know… Are you prepared and is your staff prepared to answer them? IT STARTS WITH YOU. will come.” Dental Sleep Medicine implementation isn’t difficult but success requires a plan to minimize and overcome the hurdles. They are complex and they are many, but you can do this. Communication is key and it starts with you. Develop a plan. Communicate the plan. Execute the plan. I’m here to help. Call me and let’s get this party started! This isn’t a situation in which “if you build it, they YOU SHOULD ALSO BE CONTINUALLY EVOLVING YOUR STRATEGY IN YOUR PRACTICE... THIS REALLY NEEDS TO BEGIN WITH YOU, THE DENTIST. KIMMY MOONEY Member Support Expert [email protected]