Mike Buckner of Weave, a communications software that works directly in helping us dental industry folks keep in touch with our patients and team members, is currently repositioning to offer resourceful COVID-19 solutions to dentists around the nation. If you aren’t familiar with Weave, it’s software that works to streamline the office-patients commutation process, minimizing your overall costs by combining your office phone, at-home scheduling, team chat, and review management access into one cohesive app.

The way 9/11 changed airport security measures and acceptable behaviors, Mike predicts that COVID-19 will have a lasting impact, creating new health-related taboos such as shared pens and clipboards at doctors’ offices. Patients are going to be more aware of everyday health concerns.

When the pandemic first broke out, Weave team members gathered together to strategize exactly what innovations needed to be launched to better us serve Weave subscribers during the COVID-19 spread and after.

Off the bat, Mike suggests creating a mobile waiting scenario for patients, communicating with them via text message allowing them to wait in the safer of their own vehicles until the dental team is ready to bring them straight to the back. Weave also implemented a message service that screens patients with a questionnaire about their possible exposure to COVID-19. Combined with the screening, Mike encourages dental practices to send their patients paperless forms to be completed prior to entering the dental office. The Weave platform offers a new paperless function to prevent patients from any unnecessary exposure. This online paperwork service will remain available even as things improve, as Mike expects that contactless paperwork will be a new norm for all similar communication services in the future.

Mike predicts that our national payment trends may be evolving too, due to the longterm impact of the virus. In Canada, almost all credit and debit cards are already contactless, allowing customers to pay without touching the terminal or having someone else hold their card.

If your office is still getting calls and no one is physically stationed at that phone, the Weave app will allow you to receive those calls on your mobile device. You can also return calls from your personal phone and it will appear to your patients that you are calling from the office. Weave has also developed a new feature that allows you to create an automated text message in response to a missed phone call. You can set this message to explain changes due to COVID-19, showing new and loyal customers that their phone call is important even if they cannot directly make an appointment or ask questions at that time. This gives you the freedom to communicate with your patients on an ongoing basis from a remote location via text.

Recently, Weave partnered with a new company to offer virtual consolation software with a billing feature. Through Weave’s partnership, if the consultation is COVID-19 related, this service has no charge. Teledentistry could be a viable option to keep your business running if your state’s legislation allows it. Unfortunately mine (Texas), still hasn’t updated its laws regarding its teledentistry.

Current Weave customers can access teledentistry resources through the Weave app’s COVID-19 toolbox. Text the word “Nifty” to (385) 293-3939 to begin setting up this new service.

Weave customer or not, you can also access a free selection of CE credits that address general and COVID-19 topics. I’m happy to hear that Mike and his team at Weave are eager to help dentists get past these new hurdles and adapt to any of the potential lasting impacts. Together, we can make it through this.

https://youtu.be/1q4klRrAbow

Learn more about:

• New methods of staying connected with patients remotely

• Weave’s paperless innovations

• Remote waiting room conduct and viability 

 

*Disclaimer* 

This post contains affiliate links, which means we receive a commission at no additional cost to you.  The funds we receive are small and go towards running this site and our podcast.  For more information about our affiliate policy, please click this link.