Lessons from Glander Rochford Orthodontics

Streamlining Patient Onboarding and Treatment Acceptance

At Glander Rochford Orthodontics, our focus has always been on providing exceptional care while ensuring our operations run smoothly. However, like many practices, we’ve faced challenges in managing patient onboarding and treatment acceptance, particularly with the inconsistency in our patient intake processes.

Over time, we realized that addressing these challenges required more than just small tweaks to our system—it needed a comprehensive solution. This led us to adopt Gaidge Consult Manager (GCM), a tool that has significantly transformed how we manage our practice.

Tackling the Challenges of Patient Intake

Before implementing GCM, our practice struggled with managing patient intake efficiently. We had multiple platforms in play: online forms, paper forms, and documents from our practice management software. This fragmented approach made it difficult for patients to complete their information accurately and often led to missing details, causing delays and additional administrative work for our team.

Patients were frustrated by having to fill out the same information multiple times across different platforms, and our staff spent valuable time tracking down missing or incomplete data. This lack of uniformity not only impacted our efficiency but also affected the overall patient experience, leading us to seek a solution that would streamline our intake process.

The Role of Gaidge Consult Manager

Gaidge Consult Manager brought the consistency and organization we needed. GCM introduced a uniform digital intake package that consolidated all necessary forms into one cohesive system. This package included not only the standard health history forms but also features that significantly enhanced our ability to manage patient information effectively.

One of the most impactful features of GCM is its conditional formatting within the health history forms. For example, if a patient indicates a condition like snoring, additional questions automatically open to gather deeper insights into potential airway issues. This ensures that we are fully prepared to address specific patient concerns during their initial visit. Additionally, the forms are designed by Gaidge 360 Consulting, incorporating industry best practices that have proven effective in orthodontic practices like ours.

Another standout feature is the ability for patients to upload photos of their insurance cards directly into the system. This has been a game changer for our financial team, allowing us to verify insurance details before the patient even arrives for their appointment. By the time the patient comes in, we have all the necessary information, which significantly reduces the time spent on administrative tasks during the visit.

Introducing the New Patient Coordinator

Along with adopting GCM, we introduced the role of New Patient Coordinator in our practice, a move recommended by Gaidge 360 Consulting. The New Patient Coordinator is responsible for managing the front end of our patient onboarding process, from handling new patient inquiries to ensuring all necessary documentation is completed accurately.

GCM has been instrumental in supporting this role by providing a new patient checklist that tracks every step of the onboarding process. This checklist includes tasks such as form completion, confirmation calls, insurance verification, and gathering patient demographic information.

With everything accessible in one place through GCM, the New Patient Coordinator can efficiently manage these tasks, ensuring a smooth and organized process for every new patient.

This role has become critical in shaping the first impression patients have of our practice. By using GCM, our New Patient Coordinator can offer a personalized and efficient experience, building trust and rapport with patients before they even step foot in our office.

Simplifying the Treatment Process

One of the key areas where GCM has made a significant impact is in the treatment coordination and fee presentation process. Before GCM, we relied on Excel spreadsheets to generate payment options and patient contracts. This manual process was not only time-consuming but also prone to errors, which could lead to discrepancies in fees or discounts.

GCM has replaced these spreadsheets with a more accurate and efficient system for generating treatment plans and payment options. The system considers all relevant fees, additional charges, discounts, and insurance contributions, ensuring the numbers are accurate and easy to present. Our Treatment Coordinator now spends less time worrying about calculations and more time focusing on the patient conversation, making the entire process more patient-centric.

With GCM, treatment plans can be presented on a computer screen or tablet, allowing patients to review their options in real-time. This interactive approach not only enhances patient engagement but also makes it easier for them to understand their options and make informed decisions. Once a patient decides to move forward with treatment, they can sign contracts either in-office or from the comfort of their home, offering them flexibility and convenience.

Managing the Patient Journey

One of the most valuable aspects of GCM is its ability to manage the entire patient journey through four distinct buckets. These buckets are designed to align with the different stages of patient management in our practice:

1. Patient Intake/Insurance Verification: This first bucket is managed by the New Patient Coordinator, covering initial inquiries, scheduling, and the completion of intake forms, including insurance verification.
2. Treatment Coordination and Fee Presentations: Once the patient’s insurance has been verified, they move into the Treatment Coordination bucket. Here, the Treatment Coordinator creates and presents treatment plans and payment options using GCM’s tools.
3. Contracts Accepted: After the treatment plan is agreed upon, the patient’s information moves into the Contracts Accepted bucket. This stage is where contracts are signed, and the treatment process officially begins.
4. Closed-Out Patients: The final bucket holds patients who have completed their treatment and whose contracts are fully closed out. This ensures that all aspects of the patient’s journey are documented and complete, allowing us to easily access their records if needed in the future.

These buckets create a clear and organized workflow that everyone in the practice can follow. By having a single point of organization, each team member involved in the new patient process can see exactly where the patient is in their journey and what needs to be done next. This clarity not only improves efficiency but also enhances communication within the team, reducing the likelihood of errors or delays.

The Impact on Glander Rochford Orthodontics

One of the most noticeable benefits has been the reduction in the administrative burden. With GCM, our team no longer has to juggle multiple platforms or manually track down missing information. Everything is organized and accessible within the system, allowing us to focus more on patient care and less on paperwork.

Additionally, the accuracy and efficiency of our financial processes have improved significantly. The transition from Excel spreadsheets to GCM’s integrated system has eliminated many of the manual errors that can occur when calculating fees, discounts, and insurance contributions. Our Treatment Coordinator now spends more time engaging with patients and less time worrying about the details, which has led to more productive and positive patient interactions.

Finally, the ability to track the patient’s journey through GCM’s buckets has brought a new level of transparency and accountability to our practice. Everyone involved in the new patient process knows exactly what needs to be done and when, which has reduced the risk of miscommunication and ensured that our patients receive the highest level of care.

At Glander Rochford Orthodontics, our experience with Gaidge Consult Manager has been overwhelmingly positive. By streamlining our patient onboarding and treatment acceptance processes, GCM has allowed us to operate more efficiently, improve our patient experience, and continue growing our practice. The organization and clarity provided by GCM have been particularly valuable, ensuring that every team member is aligned and informed throughout the process.

For other orthodontic practices facing similar challenges, I highly recommend exploring Gaidge Consult Manager. The benefits we’ve seen in our practice are a testament to the power of a well-organized and integrated patient management system. As we continue to grow and evolve, GCM will remain a central part of our strategy for delivering exceptional patient care.

About the Author

Born and raised in Greenwood, Dr. Brian Rochford leads a team of over 20 dedicated staff members, all focused on serving the Greenwood and Indianapolis communities. Dr. Rochford has intentionally tailored his practice for optimal efficiency, allowing him to balance a successful career with quality time with his family. His innovative approach to orthodontics has made him a respected leader in his field and one of the industry's most sought-after speakers on business management and treatment efficiencies.

About Gaidge

Since 2010, Gaidge has transformed orthodontic practices with insightful business analytics and advanced technology. Its solutions streamline operations, boost efficiency, and enhance profitability. Combining decades of orthodontic experience with cutting-edge tools, Gaidge offers performance tracking, patient conversion management, and HIPAA-compliant form handling. It empowers orthodontists to make informed decisions, driving practice success through data and innovation. To learn more, visit Gaidge.com.