The journey to making a digital transformation can lead to many challenges for an orthodontic practice. For example, the opportunities that digital resources and digital orthodontics have to offer. The digital gap between market leaders and laggards has become more relevant to businesses today. Furthermore, the gap significantly impacted orthodontic practices over the past two decades.
I remember in the ’90s when orthodontists began embracing digital practice management systems, and the internet was still new. Fast forward to today, and few practices can thrive without digital integration. From digital marketing tactics to communication systems and orthodontic appliances, our transformation into a digital way of life is profound.
When orthodontic practices dive deeper into their digital journey, five key strategies should be considered and implemented for greater returns.
Customer experience
Customer service is king in a service industry like orthodontics. A key digital strategy involves customer experience for the healthcare and elective dental care we provide. The patient journey and a properly implemented digital experience have the opportunity to leverage these resources. As a result, our practice grows and patient care improves.
Competition
Although it is helpful to be aware of what the competition is delivering in the marketplace, the right strategies come from creating an organization that is competitive in the present and future. The internet and proliferation of treatment providers force us to consider a competitive approach to keep our orthodontic practices ready to compete with so many players in the orthodontic arena.
Data integration
One of the greatest opportunities of digital resources is leveraging data to make better decisions. Scientific decisions drive most practitioners to deliver better care. Similarly, extensive data resources can help us improve treatment and business decisions. Orthodontic practices poised to integrate business and clinical data are more likely to succeed in a more competitive landscape and follow best practices that deliver results.
Innovation
Innovative change and creative processes drive improvement. Innovation drives all advances in our lives and creates greater opportunities. A strategy for innovation with digital resources and work will take the technology and information available and make it more powerful and beneficial for the orthodontic team.
Value
Value creation is pivotal to making a digital transformation. Technology and most modern advances come at a cost, so a business must drive a value strategy to gain a return on investment. Companies experience greater benefits of digital advances when they focus on building internal value for the patient and treatment decision-maker.
