Easing Patient Fears About Specialist Referrals

Easing Patient Fears About Specialist Referrals
January/February 2007
Diane Chandler, CDA
Contemporary Dental Assisting

Fear of the unknown is a common phenomenon. Most everyone feels uncomfortable when some form of change is necessary or when his or her usual routine is disrupted. When a patient comes into the dental office, the routine is usually the same. The office staff for the most part is the same and the expectation is that the treatment will be the same. But what happens when appointments turn into specialty referrals? This takes patients out of their comfort zone and creates uneasiness about the unknown.

Just about every practicing dental assistant I know has been faced with this situation: The doctor has referred a patient to a specialist and, after the doctor leaves the room, the patient turns to you, the dental assistant, and asks, "What should I do? Should I go? What will they do? Why can't you take care of the problem here?" The patient is expressing fear of the unknown; he or she wants some TLC and information, and he or she wants it from you.

I have, in the past, given patients information about their problems, what the treatment options might include, and how to address their problems, but after years of experience I realized that that is not really what they are asking. They seem to want to know more about the specialist to whom they are being referred. It seems as though the more information I gave them about the doctor and his staff, the more comfortable they were about making their appointment.

I began to realize that I needed more information to be helpful and current in my approach with these patients. As with any good detective story, the need for facts bridges the gap of the unknown. I made it a point to know the specialists to whom our office refers patients. I attended all their holiday social gatherings and made it a point to talk to all of the specialists in each practice. I also made it a point to know the names of their office staff. When I could, I found out what their hobbies were or whether they liked sports or opera or rap. I could finally put faces with the names and give my patients information. Knowing a little bit about the person/specialist whom they would be meeting seemed to make patients comfortable.

Having experienced some success with this method, I took my exploration a little further. I tried something else, which I am happy to say works very well. I tried to match my patients' personalities with doctors in the specialty practice. If I knew my patient was a buttoned-up kind of person, I would try to refer him or her to a specialist with a similar personality. I know this doesn't seem like much, but when they are asked to see a surgeon or a periodontist, where the treatment might be extensive and invasive, this really seemed to comfort them. For example, one of my patients is a camera buff, and it just so happened that one of the local periodontists was also a camera buff who enjoyed underwater photography. Not only was the match complimentary, but they also exchanged photos. The patient did not seem to mind the extensive treatment he needed because he was comfortable with the doctor. I really think that the personality match made the difference.

I had another patient who needed to go for a biopsy, and she was fearful about the procedure. She felt that if she ignored the problem, it would go away. I started talking about how much I liked the new oral surgeon in town and about how I felt he was so calm and mild-mannered that he just had that natural ability to put everyone at ease. When she finally went, she told the surgeon that she felt like she already knew him.

This gesture goes a long way in making patients feel that we are providing the best possible referral service. It ultimately shows that we care about our patients. This gesture has also greatly helped patients accept necessary treatment. Knowing that the 2 or 3 doctors that they feel comfortable with are working together to help them lets patients know that they are truly in good hands.

If you really care about your patients, it shows. Our caring should not be confined to the services we render, but should extend to our patients' total health and well-being.