Tips For Dealing With Difficult Patients

Welcome to our first episode of Practice Talk, featuring Lacie Ellis as the host. Today Lacie sits down with Kaitlynn Kopa, the scheduling coordinator at King Orthodontics in Dayton, Ohio. She offers valuable insights on managing appointments for school-age children during and after school hours. She also dives into her strategies for handling disgruntled patients. Additionally, Kaitlynn will address questions from our listeners. Get ready for an engaging episode of Practice Talk!

IN THIS EPISODE:

• [01:25] Kaitlynn explains why there is no difference between checking in an existing patient and a new patient
• [03:45] Kaitlynn outlines the teamwork structure in her office
• [06:26] Teamwork and policies allow for scheduling patient emergencies
• [08:34] How Kaitlynn schedules appointments for schoolchildren before, during and after school
• [13:28] A caller discusses a situation with an angry patient 
• [15:42] A discussion of the frequency of emergencies
• [20:36] Kaitlynn’s number one tip for dealing with an angry patient and why the support of the doctor is so helpful

KEY TAKEAWAYS: 

•  Dr. King’s philosophy is, “People don't care how much you know until they know how much you care.”
• Communication among the office staff is critical. When there is discord among the team, it makes the patient uncomfortable.
• Angry patients want someone to listen to them. Don’t decide on the action to be taken until you’ve heard and empathized with the patient.

RESOURCE LINKS

Practice Talk Podcast Website 

People + Practice  - Website

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