Does anyone blame a child for their anxiety about health-related appointments? It’s understandable if you recall your own childhood fears. And it’s all the more reason to find and implement calming strategies for kids to help them cope with their visit to a physician or dentist.

Seeing the world through a child’s eyes perhaps prompts some childhood memories of your own. Remembering your own experiences helps you get on their level about the potential for anxiety.

• Children worry about separation from their parent(s) and being in the presence of a relative stranger.
• Children fear procedures (e.g. shots, etc.).
• Children can experience confusion about necessary physical contact required from a healthcare provider on occasion.
• Children’s anxiety can be heightened by a well-intentioned adult or parental conversation about medical or dental appointments.
  
  

These and more create a “perfect-storm” of sorts regarding a child’s nervousness and anxiety about a medical or dental visit. Setting them up for a lifetime of confidence about their healthcare starts early, by giving them the calming strategies to use when they feel anxious.

SIX CALMING STRATEGIES FOR KIDS EXPERIENCING ANXIETY ABOUT MEDICAL AND DENTAL APPOINTMENTS

1. Help Them Make-Friends with Their Feelings and Emotions

It’s natural to want to keep fear at arm’s length. What’s perceived as a threat or potentially painful is best avoided – in a child’s mind.

Kids aren’t wired to handle fear, anxiety, or whatever they believe to be harmful to them. So it’s best to help them accept fear as a normal reaction rather than giving the impression that it’s not real.

• Allow them to express their feelings about the approaching appointment or present situation.
• Avoid rescuing them and instead stand alongside them and together process their emotional response(s).
• Affirm your confidence in them but don’t “sugar-coat” their upcoming experience.
• Ask questions without fueling anxiety. Asking, ”How are you feeling about visiting the doctor/dentist?” is a better question than, ”Are you nervous about visiting the doctor/dentist?”

2. Lift (Rather than Lower) Their Expectations with Advanced Preparation

A brief explanation about what it’s like to visit the doctor or dentist helps frame a satisfying experience for a child and their family. It’s important that you avoid creating unrealistic scenarios that lowers their expectations to a negative level.

For example, promising that a doctor visit is “no-big-deal…” or that it won’t be painful is a promise that might be easily broken – and with it their trust.

• Frame possible scenarios. A useful phrase could be, “I’m not sure if you’ll get a shot this time…but if you do, it will be over quickly and feel like a ‘pinch.’”
• Reward their bravery after an appointment in a way that’s meaningful to the child.
  
  

3. Maintain Consistency with a Trusted Physician/Dentist

Overtime a child who sees the same professional will begin to trust them. And make sure your trust in your chosen physician/dentist is evident to your child.

Announcing an upcoming medical/dental visit will be less discouraging when a child can put-a-face with who they’ll see. The more personal your doctor/dentist relationship the better – for you and your child.

4. Use At-Home Role Play

Many kids play “doctor” on occasion. Role-play scenarios can help take the edge off of upcoming medical/dental appointments.

• Use play instruments to listen to your child’s heart, look into their ears, check their teeth, etc.
• Encourage your child to give a doll or toy an “exam.”

Playful routines can normalize what might be an anxiety producing experience.

5. Help Your Physician/Dentist Find Common Ground with Your Child

Provide your care provider as much information about your child as possible. What they enjoy doing, playing with, watching on TV, the sports they’re involved in, their hobbies, favorite foods/snacks, etc.

This information provides an opportunity to lighten the mood and establish a friendly relationship during an appointment.

6. Model Calm and Patience

Remember that anxiety or fear can be contagious. The opposite is true as well – if you’re calm, cool, and collected it’s more likely your child will be.

• Set a positive mood for their approaching medical/dental appointment. Again, be realistic rather than reactionary.
• Help your child relax with breathing techniques and the reassurance that helps take their mind off of their fear or anxiety.
• Know that some emotion is normal (e.g. crying, etc) and that time and trust are on your side as your child matures and grows.
  
  
  

Calming strategies for kids are supported by an equally calming environment that helps them overcome anxiety and have a positive experience with their care providers.

Outstanding patient experience for children and families begins with a kid-centric mindset and environment. Check out the following resources for providing anxiety-free medical/dental visits:

How (and Why) to Help Kids with Anxiety About the Dentist

A Practical Guide to Creating an Exceptional Patient Experience

Our Top 5 Hands-Free Waiting Room Ideas to Engage and Entertain Patients

And…

Download Our White Paper: Alleviating Patient Anxiety Through Office Theming

Valuing your patients and their families sets them up for a lifetime of positive health outcomes. And the environment you create can help you achieve a better patient experience.

• Reduce patient anxiety and enhance their relaxation
• Prime patients and families for their appointments
• Create positive medical and/or dental care experiences

Contact Imagination Design Studios (IDS) to get started transforming your office into an anxiety-free patient experience.

Every practitioner wants their patients to leave happy, but what exactly does that mean and why does it matter? Well, when “happiness” is measured by how to improve patient satisfaction it’s worth investing your energy.

Patient satisfaction also presents something of a paradox. What makes a patient happy may or may not ultimately be in the best interest of their health.

Overall, the goal of patient satisfaction has to do with creating an experience where decisions can be made that benefit the patient and their ongoing health.

Why Even Think About How to Improve Patient Satisfaction?

Like it or not, your patient and their family are “customers.” A consumer mindset drives most “buying” decisions today – your services are no exception.

Expectations are high and opinions matter.

• Social media gives patients/families an opportunity to post their satisfaction…or their dissatisfaction
• Online reviews provide patients/families a positive or negative forum to express their opinions about your service

The result of improving patient satisfaction is long-term patient loyalty. A satisfied patient and family become immune (in many ways) to a competitor’s marketing efforts.

The loyalty earned from patient satisfaction can naturally lead to an increase in revenue. And satisfied patients/families create positive reviews that generate vital word-of-mouth marketing.

HOW TO IMPROVE PATIENT SATISFACTION IN 7 STEPS

---

1. Make an Engaging First Impression Online

An initial phone call or a facility drive-by was once the first perspective someone formed of your practice.

Times have changed.

These days your online presence is often the first impression a patient/family has of your practice. Realize that your front-door is now your digital platform.

• Evaluate your current website. Confirm that it’s easy to navigate, has a conversational tone, is clear, and compels action.
• Digitize your patient’s interaction with your practice. Provide digital options for your patients/families to contact you, schedule an appointment, and securely access and complete all necessary forms ahead of their appointment.

2. Communicate Comfort with Reassuring Tone

Every conversation carries a tone. That tone – positive or otherwise – creates an environment that helps put your patients at ease.

Many patient interactions begin with a question or two. How you answer can help determine the next step a patient takes with treatment.

• Maintain eye-contact. Make the patient/family member in front of you the center of that moment’s attention.
• Speak in a reassuring tone throughout each patient interaction. This helps restless patients and/or family members feel more comfortable.
  
  

3. Be Accommodating with Your Appointment Schedule Availability

Your patients/families have time and schedule challenges. School, work, and recreation can impact how and when they schedule their oral health care.

How to improve patient satisfaction is often a matter of adapting to their schedule and time constraints.

• Update your appointment options. Consider early morning, early evening, or weekend availability so patients have more opportunity to schedule.
• Provide virtual solutions such as teledentistry. Remote consultations help maximize time.
  
  
  

4. Shorten the Perception of Wait Times with Positive Experiences

You might not be able to completely eliminate appointment “wait-times.” But you can creatively help your patients/families by decreasing those perceived wait-time moments. Free WIFI, books, activities for kids, photo ops, and refreshments all help create a positive experience.

A relevant study found…

”…satisfaction to more than double when the waiting room was viewed as ‘comfortable and pleasant’ by patients with the same perceived length of wait.” ^[1]

And speaking of “comfortable and pleasant” wait-times…

5. Upgrade Your Practice Atmosphere with Welcoming Decor

What you see and experience daily can differ from what your patients experience and see. Familiarity can lead to complacency especially when you’re onsite every day.

Though your patients/families will perhaps form a first impression online (as earlier mentioned) that impression will be further validated when they arrive at your practice.

• Update your waiting room with simple improvements. New, modern, themed furniture or a redesigned layout can set a fresh tone throughout your practice.
• Upgrade your practice on-theme. A themed environment – especially for pediatric practices – will help put kids and their families at ease prior to and during an appointment.
  
  
  

6. Empower Your Patients Through Educational Resources

Your patients/families value their oral health. But they might not be aware of what produces it. Their satisfaction will increase when they leave your practice feeling empowered rather than overwhelmed about their health and related choices.

• Follow a knowledge-is-empowerment mindset. Set patients up for success outside of your practice by giving them useful information online and in-person.
• Retain more patients by providing them ongoing and consistent resources via a blog or e-newsletter – answering their specific questions.
  
  

7. Cultivate Patient Engagement and Create Long-term Relationships

Think long-term relationships. The key is engaging each patient/family individually.

Daily production goals can easily take precedence over the patient/family that’s right in front of you. More detrimental to a positive patient experience is that they can sense the somewhat impersonal connection.

• Know your patients/families personally. Recognition of birthdays, personal milestones, loss, or challenges, and more help build long-term relationships.
• Follow-up calls or messages help patients/families feel like their recent treatment is a priority.
  
  
  

Take Strategic Steps to Improve Your Patient Satisfaction Level

Set your environment up for success from the very first impression. Patient satisfaction for children and families begins with a kid-centric mindset and environment. In essence, it’s an investment decision.

Invest in Your Patients

Valuing your patients and their families sets them up for a lifetime of positive health outcomes. And the environment you create can help you achieve a better patient experience.

• Reduce patient anxiety and enhance their relaxation
• Prime patients and families for their appointments
• Create positive dental care experiences
  
  
  
  

Invest in Your Business

Maintain your edge in the crowded dental service space. Attention to details in your niche can transform your environment and overall patient satisfaction…especially in a pediatric practice.

• Create “buzz” in the community you serve
• Accelerate patient referrals
• Generate positive online reviews
  
  
  

Check out these related resources for upgrading, renewing, and improving patient experience:

5 Goals for Improving Patient Experience in Your Pediatric Dental Practice

The Importance of a Website for Promoting Your Dental Practice

Why You Should Have a Blog on Your Dental Website

A Practical Guide to Creating an Exceptional Patient Experience

Contact Imagination Design Studios (IDS) to get started transforming your office from a mundane to magical patient experience.

^[1]  Five Evidence Based Ways to Increase Patient Satisfaction

“It’s not what you look at that matters, it’s what you see.” Those words from Henry David Thoreau have broad application. They especially help answer the question, what is patient experience?

Essentially, patient experience is often less about what’s obvious and more about those in-the-margins or between-the-lines realities that are truly “seen”. Every dental practice operates from a business perspective and a customer (patient) service perspective. The intersection of those business drivers and customer service drivers is where patient experience happens.

WHY SHOULD THE PATIENT EXPERIENCE MATTER TO YOUR PRACTICE?

Consumerism affects your patient families like it does everyone else. Satisfaction with a product or service relies on the acquisition experience as much as cost on some occasions.

It’s said that, “perception is everything…” And your patient experience factors into how they see your services, your team, dentistry in general, and their future loyalty to your practice.

Keep in mind that patient loyalty is a by-product of the comprehensive patient experience you provide. This experience includes:

• Arrival and parking
• Entry and reception area theme
• Front-desk staff interactions
• Reception area amenities
• In-chair treatment
• Post procedure consultations
• Check-out, financials, and re-appointment

Every interaction with your facilities and staff reveals how in-tune you are with your patient’s needs regardless of their age.

The goal: put them at ease and elevate the value of your services for their health.

WHAT DOES GREAT PATIENT EXPERIENCE LOOK LIKE?

Adapting to Their Expectations

The patient experience you provide reveals that you understand what it’s like to walk-in-their shoes. Each person or family seeks your services, communicates with your team, and arrives for their scheduled appointment with a set of expectations.

Keep in mind that their expectations might not always match your passion for their oral health. Prioritizing dental care is a process that often begins with pain or an immediate need more than it does a routine commitment.

Making dental care a priority involves consistent communication and positive engagement.

Communicate about…

• Smile and appearance goals plus overall oral health goals
• Treatment tailored to help them achieve their goals

Create an open environment of communication that doesn’t rely on being “salesy” or over-promoting.

And speaking of environment, patient experience is also…

Creating an Atmosphere

Knowing patient expectations helps you create an environment that anticipates their needs and wants. The tone you set throughout your practice reveals your sensitivity to their emotions about dentistry in general.

• Lighten the mood throughout your practice
• Leverage themes to create a consistent atmosphere
• Listen to their feedback and reviews to make upgrades and improve your patient experience

Engaging Them from the First Interaction

You might call it making a first impression. Remember that patient engagement starts before someone schedules or arrives at your facilities.

Your facility ROI will work to your advantage when you give attention to those vital first-impression strategies.

• Phone tone
• Informative website
• Compelling digital communication (SMS, email)

The more engaging these support tools are the better your ROI and branding will be. Healthcare (these days) is more and more reliant on attention to service details.

You’ll reach, retain, and experience referrals the more you embed a first-impression mindset into your practice culture. Those strategies will elevate your patient experience to new levels that improve your ROI.

Ongoing Education via Useful, Informative Content

It doesn’t matter how state-of-the-art your facilities or technology are if you miss opportunities to communicate how they practically benefit your patients. New technology or the creative use of your physical space can be to your advantage if you connect it to the patient experience.

That connection is how consistently and effectively you educate them about the benefits.

• Use digital communication channels to inform your patients (blog, email, social media, etc)
• Survey your families/patients to source questions you can answer
• Synch your team members to an educational focus – one that listens and then leverages the information for family/patient benefit
  
  
  

NOW IS A GOOD TIME TO IMPROVE THE ROI OF YOUR PATIENT EXPERIENCE

Take your patient experience to new levels. You’ll stand-out from other service providers when you…

Invest in Your Patients

Valuing your patients and their families sets them up for a lifetime of positive health outcomes. And the environment you set can help you achieve a better patient experience.

• Reduce patient anxiety and enhance their relaxation
• Prime patients and families for their appointments
• Create positive dental care experiences
  
  

Invest in Your Business

Maintain your edge in the crowded dental service space. Attention to details in your space can transform your environment and the overall patient experience.

• Create “buzz” in the community you serve
• Accelerate patient referrals
• Generate positive online reviews
  
  
  

Check out these related resources to upgrade or renew your patient experience:

5 Tips for Creating the Experience Parents Really Want While in the Waiting Room (But Won’t Tell You!)

Case Study – Adding Theming to Increase Profitability and Patient Satisfaction

A Practical Guide to Creating an Exceptional Patient Experience

Contact Imagination Design Studios (IDS) to get started transforming your office from a mundane to magical patient experience.