Dos and don'ts for the new patient experience: Make it easy for new patients

Prospective patients are motivated when they call your office. That motivation can easily dissipate if patients can't get an appointment for weeks. You want to be perceived as a practice where new patients are welcome. If you make it challenging for patients to be seen in a timely manner, they will seek care elsewhere.

Schedule new patients within seven to 10 days. The sooner you can bring in new patients, the more motivated they are to accept recommended treatment. Levin Group has found the 7-10 day timeframe ideal for accommodating new patients. Anything longer that, and motivation begins to wane.

Don't overbook the schedule. You have to leave room in your schedule for new patients and emergencies. If it takes four to six weeks to get an appointment, the practice will have trouble scheduling new patients. Levin Group clients use Power Cell Scheduling to construct schedules that can easily accommodate new patients within seven to 10 days. That should be the goal for every practice!