Having a telehealth option used to be a fairly rare sight in today’s world… before COVID-19 hit, that is. Ever since the pandemic started spreading in America in early 2020, however, it’s been a fairly common service offering. This applies to all industries and dentistry is no exception.
But what happens after the pandemic is over? We’re already seeing numbers drop and, dare we say it, life seems to be getting a little closer back to normal. Should you still offer telehealth services even when they aren’t absolutely necessary? It depends on your situation. Let’s go over a few factors to consider.
The Demographics Factor
First, the demographics of your patients might sway your decision about whether to continue offering telehealth services. Dental implant dentists with mostly elderly clients may want to keep telehealth, as this age group is more at risk to viruses and disease. Plus, older patients may simply enjoy the conveniences that come with doing a consultation online, and Medicare benefits have been expanded recently to include more telehealth options. Dentists with primarily child patients, on the other hand, might not get as much use out of telehealth.
The Popularity Factor
Is your current telehealth option popular? Are people scheduling enough consultations to make it worthwhile? Or, is the telehealth option taking away from in-person visits and you’re seeing a drop in revenue as a result? You’ll have to keep these questions in mind, but one thing many dental implant dentists are doing as COVID-19 wanes is simply making the telehealth option less prevalent. For example, if you have a dental implant landing page, you can move the telehealth option down toward the bottom of the page so visitors don’t see it right away.
The Technology Factor
There are several sub-factors when it comes to technology. For one, you want to make sure your staff is able to use your telehealth provider software easily. Second, the software might cost a fee, so you have to weigh that with your practice’s budget. Then there’s the user experience factor. Are your patients getting frustrated using telehealth? Is there another telehealth option? Do you need better training or instructions? These are all things to think about.
The Readiness Factor
Finally, as painful as it is to mention, you never know when another pandemic might hit—or we see a resurgence in COVID-19 or its variants. So if you still have a telehealth option at your practice, you’ll already be ready to go in case there are government restrictions put in place again.
Interested in setting up telehealth services for your dental implant practice? We can help! Contact us today for a free consultation.