Observing the shift towards a text-first world, Summerville Spine and Disc, a trusted chiropractic practice based in Summerville, South Carolina, implemented Doctible’s Patient Communication Platform into their practice in July of 2019.
The challenge
The chiropractic practice needed an efficient solution to manage all patient communications, reduce both doctor and staff workload, and simplify the appointment processes.
Now, with Doctible’s Patient Communicator, patients interact with the practice and reschedule appointments effortlessly, any time of the day.
Previously, the practice used to send the patient intake form through emails. Often captured by firewalls or lost in hundreds of unread emails, half of the patients didn’t even see the emails and filled out the form only after coming to the practice.
With Doctible, the practice sends the intake form through a text message. Now, 90 percent of the new patients fill out the form before coming to the practice, saving around 20 minutes on the first appointment for both parties. This adds up to five hours a week for the doctor - enough time to allocate 25 new patients!
Also, patients find it easier to interact with the practice as text messages are sent from a static number, which makes it a two-way communication channel. When patients want to book or reschedule an appointment, they simply reply to the text message, and the staff takes care of the rest.
Patients love the flexibility - they can book an appointment, reschedule it, or make an inquiry any time of the day just by sending a message. They don’t have to make calls during office hours, and all the interactions and responses are always there on their phones.
With the patient intake paperwork before, I would send it out via email. 50% of the people would say, oh, I got that in an email. The other 50 percent if they came in and didn’t do it, it shaved 20 minutes out of a new patient appointment. With Doctible, I’m at a 90 percent new patient intake paperwork retention now because I send it in a text message.
- Amber Wheeler, Office Manager, Summerville Spine and Disc.
Text-first approach reduced the workload on staff: 20 hours saved each week.
Amber Wheeler, Office Manager at Summerville Spine and Disc, says, “Doctible has been a blessing” in reducing her workload. As texting is now their preferred way of communication, appointment reminders and notifications are just a matter of a few clicks.
Thanks to Doctible’s alerts, Ms. Wheeler keeps track of all patient communications even in the busiest of hours. Even if the staff misses a notification or a message from a patient, Doctible notifies them through pop-up notifications and emails. Amber has linked all of her alerts to her phone and watch, allowing her to keep herself updated when focused on other jobs.
I can’t even estimate the amount of time saved by the Patient Communicator. It’s immense; it’s ridiculous. If a patient doesn’t show up for an appointment, it’s a quick text message versus me trying to call them three times a day trying to reschedule. It’s a text message - hey, you missed your appointment. Oh, I’m sorry, I was tied up at work; schedule me for Friday - versus three calls a day until I get them on the phone. So, I save a good 20 hours a week there.
- Amber Wheeler, Summerville Spine and Disc.
Healthier patient interaction translated to better patient retention, reputation, and efficiency.
Since Doctible established a more accessible, two-way communication channel between the patients and the practice, patients started informing the practice in advance when they would miss appointments. This notice allowed the practice to allocate those slots to other patients, keeping them always busy and improving the overall efficiency.
In case of missed appointments, the practice sends a text message asking if they want to reschedule. They get an impressive response rate, which in turn translates to improved patient retention.
The practice also has a clear edge over other chiropractors in the area when it comes to patient acquisition. They had only 33 Google reviews two years back before introducing Doctible’s Reputation Management, and today, they have over 140 Google reviews and maintain the highest possible average rating of 5.0! This reputation has helped them acquire patients who use Google to find doctors.
I do multiple jobs here on top of it. So, I’m the office manager. I do all the insurance. I’m like, this has been a godsend for me, and I told you this morning; our patient retention has increased astronomically because of the ease of making an appointment, not having to call and sit on hold, and all of that. It’s awesome.
- Amber Wheeler, Summerville Spine and Disc.
Starting to work with Doctible
Like many medical practices, Summerville knew they delivered excellent patient care, but it was a challenge constantly asking patients for reviews.
Summerville first started working with Doctible in July 2019, when they implemented Doctible’s Automated Online Reputation Management system. Back then, they had 33 Google reviews and a stellar 5-star rating.
By April of 2021, Summerville had earned 143 Google reviews, and they have maintained their 5-star rating.
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