The hard things about the hard things...
I spoke about the real cost of things at:
https://www.dentinaltubules.com/tubules-live/blog/the-true-cost-of-things
So there is a real tangible cost.
Now, in healthcare - anything and everything we do is about providing solutions for the long term. Anything we provide, we have to try to ascertain how long it will last (prognosis) and provide treatment that will enable the outcome to last for as long as possible. In dentistry, this is particularly so. We know that nothing is immortal or infinite, but making it as 'immortally mortal' as we can is important. This needs time.
This means there is a cost and herein lies the difficult conversations with patients.
Two barriers present themselves:
- first, the absolute cost which is the real tangible number that may sound big.
- second, the relative cost which is the number related to something familiar (a comparison).
With the rising costs in general dental care, the absolute cost is going up and the relative cost is being compared to the standard of what they've always received - the cost as available under the NHS.
As NHS funding cuts happen deeper and quicker, a choice will have to be made.
Try to provide treatment at a low cost while putting uncertainties in the long-term outcomes
Or
Increase the cost independently, take the time, and hope for greater sustainable healthcare outcomes.
Convincing patients about the true long-term benefit is not easy when the baseline is so low.
Winning their trust, acting in their best interests, and looking after their view is not easy when they're used to a relative comparison.
Taking the plunge for you is not easy when you have the risk of your business loan tied to the security of an NHS contract.
However, this is where the true value lies. The hard path will end up in a sustainable long-term win.
If your cause is healthcare, with sustainability value, how much courage do you have to take the plunge?
After all, in this one, you are solving a real healthcare challenge but you'll need emotional fortitude and mental strength to ride through the storm.
As an example: discussing the quiet periodontitis happening in their mouth and the long-term plan needed to stabilise this disease is not an easy discussion. It needs time, understanding, and education...
if not a periodontal problem, how about an endodontic problem? Explaining how the disease occurred, the complexity of negotiating canals, the relative predictability, and the uncertainty of outcomes is a complex process. The patient has to understand this, value it, and be ready to take the uncertain plunge while trusting you.
Oh, and you have to do this in an environment of high pressure, high stress, and high stakes. Any failure and the avenues to follow through with complaints and legal procedures are far too easy.
It's the hard work of winning trust, and showing genuine honest value.
Winning trust takes time and effort. Patients take time to see both value and the difference.
As the saying goes 'Rome was not built in a day' because doing the hard thing is the hard thing.
Of course, one can find an easier option. One where convincing, trust-building is easier and where the barriers to break down are much less.
Of course, the align and bond avenue is always open.
There are many patients with sound teeth who have some insecurities about how their teeth look.
In a normal world, we would have said that these are ok but in an increasingly social media and selfie-aware world, there are more and more insecurities.
When such patients do present to us, their insecurity can be leveraged with communication techniques and 'sales' language that results in huge treatment plans.
No relative cost to compare to, minimal convincing of the service required, and a path of much less resistance.
Those insecurities may be the issue to address but that may be a hard thing. It's easier to leverage it.
However, long term, what value does this add other than reinforce the very insecurity they came to see you with?
Well, this depends on your cause first, your vision and goals second, and your incentives third.
The hard thing will always be the hard thing.