Dental Sleep Medicine Insider May 2017 | Page 23

PSG . Now with HST ’ s , it has revolutionized the field . We see patients on recall every 6 months . Once they ’ re screened , they can usually be provided with a HST . Our acceptance rate when suggesting a patient take an HST is about 97 %. This high acceptance rate is due to 2 things ; affordability & convenience . We charge
INTERVIEWED BY
Once you ’ ve taken these steps , you have to invest in DSM-specific software . You might think you ’ re going to save money and use your practice management software . You ’ re wasting time . You ’ ll give up before you even get started . You can ’ t create the right progress notes , send letters to physicians , or track progress
Brandie Havell Senior Account Manager brandie @ dentalsleepsolutions . com 877.95 . SNORE know if
• I ’ m a Medicare provider ?
• I accept medical insurance ?
• I provide free consultations ?
You need to be able to answer “ YES ” to each of these questions . This instills confidence to send referrals and it lowers barriers . After the first year , we cycled through our existing patients so referrals are so important .
BH : Thank you for the valuable insights . Any parting words ?
Dr . Doucette : If you ’ re going to
$ 99 per test . It ’ s affordable and it ’ s convenient . We hand it to them . Providing patients with HST ’ s doesn ’ t mean we ’ re circumventing MD ’ s . It ’ s actually the opposite .
Most of my patients now come from physician referrals . They know that I ’ m simply trying to increase our shared patients access to care . Get some HST units and network with knowledgeable physicians to interpret the results . Period .
Occasionally , when I have a patient that lives quite a distance away , I use a 3rd party company for a HST . DS3 allows me to press one button to transmit the order for the test and then the results are loaded into my software by the HST company . without software and I chose DS3 . It ’ s cloud-based . I can communicate with my 3rd party billing company efficiently through the software so I don ’ t have to fax or pick up the phone . It ’ s all right there AND the monthly rate is really affordable . We can ’ t live without it .
BH : Earlier you mentioned the dirty words “ medical billing .” Is it really that bad ?
Dr . Doucette : Not if you outsource it . We use GoGo Billing . Contact them or get your 3rd party biller to sign you up with Medicare . No , Medicare doesn ’ t pay a lot BUT , it will greatly increase the likelihood that you ’ ll get referrals from your medical colleagues . Don ’ t try to manage billing on your own . Outsource right out of the gate .
Next , you have to figure out how to market to ENTs and Pulmonologists . This accounts for 90 % of my referrals now , about 30 each month . Each time I meet with a physician , they always ask the same 3 questions . They want to do it the right way , you need the right equipment . You ’ ll need to invest in time for education for your team , HST units to streamline processes and improve access to care , software to manage the processes , and a 3rd party biller .
DSM doesn ’ t provide immediate gratification , but it provides immense rewards when you treat properly and change lives . The money will follow . Like my friend , Erin Elliott says , you can do this forever . It ’ s not physically taxing and it ’ s incredibly rewarding . This is a marathon , not a sprint . Making this a significantly profitable part of your practice can take 2 or 3 years , but the personal and financial rewards will be beyond anything else you ’ ve experienced in your dental career whether you ’ ve been practicing 3 years or 30 .
DR . JASON DOUCETTE CAN BE REACHED AT :
doucettedmd @ gmail . com ( 775 ) 358-1555