Become Visible to Nearly 2 Million People: The Value of Patient Discovery

A solid majority of Australian adults (15 years of age and up) have paid a visit to their dentist in the last 12 months, according to the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare. If one of these millions of dental patients wanted to switch dentists, would they be able to easily find your practice?

If someone is new to the country, state or is contemplating switching oral care providers due to unsatisfactory care, they’ll start searching for a dentist, likely online. That’s where the Patient Discovery module can help put your practice on the proverbial map.

Used by more than 4,000 dental practices throughout Australia, New Zealand, United Arab Emirates and several other countries in Eastern Europe, Dental4Windows is a software platform designed to optimise your practice in a variety of ways. One of the solutions within the platform’s online bookings is Patient Discovery, which has the potential to connect you with nearly 2 million potential patients who are in need of new or alternative dental care through partnerships with leading online directories. It’s the quickest way to shore up your patient base without ever having to leave your office.

But the value of Patient Discovery goes beyond patient base expansion. Here are a few of the reasons why this solution is a smart investment toward your practice’s ongoing success, and a great value for your would-be patients as well:

Serve as a lifeline for your patients’ oral care needs

Even though close to 60% of Australians required the services of a dental professional in 2021, approximately 20% wound up not going, according to estimates from the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare.

There are a variety of reasons why patients don’t go to the dentist when they need to, which can include the cost of treatment, a poor experience with their current practice or an inability to find a provider that accepts their chosen form of payment.

When exasperation with a long, difficult search is an issue, Patient Discovery can help. This service ensures your practice is highly visible in top directories trusted by millions of users, making the dental practice search quick and painless for potential new patients. With Patient Discovery, you’re putting your practice in front of a vast new audience and, since you prioritise customer satisfaction, your office may be just the practice that your patients have been looking for. 

Cut wait times

No one likes to wait, especially when it comes to health care. But long delays can be another barrier to health services, whether it’s to see a dentist for a throbbing toothache or for a general practitioner. 

This is another built-in value prop of Patient Discovery. By becoming discoverable and offering convenient scheduling, you can become a good alternative option for patients who are dealing with unnecessarily lengthy wait times with their current dentists.

Simplified appointment booking

In a similar vein, everyone is busy — there’s so much to do and so little time to get it all done. Health appointment scheduling is often on to-do lists, but may go unaddressed if offices close before patients are able to phone in their requests. The hoops patients have to jump through to schedule a visit are among the leading reasons why Australians would not recommend their dentist to a friend, coworker or family member, according to a survey by the Australian Health Index. 

Patient Discovery gives you and your patients the ability to schedule an appointment online, 24 hours a day, so the office opening too late or closing too early is never an issue.  

Tap into remote areas

With a robust population of approximately 25.8 million people, Australia is a great country to live in with lots of things to do and places to visit. While city life is enjoyable for those that thrive in metropolitan settings, many prefer the peace and quiet of the outback. However, according to data from the Australian Bureau of Statistics, those living in remote climes are more than 10% less likely to see a dental professional than people who live in major cities like Brisbane and Melbourne. Lengthy wait times, an inability to find a practice they like or socioeconomics may be contributing reasons as to why. 

Patient Discovery is a great equaliser. Not only can your soon-to-be patients find you, but you can identify your patients, a connection that may not otherwise come to pass in a country as sprawling as Australia. Recruiting more patients doesn’t have to be a pain. With Patient Discovery, it’s a delight. For more about this module and the other solutions that come with Dental4Windows, visit the Patient Discovery page or contact us directly.