At this point we’ve been through U for understanding. The patient has had a sleep study done, or you have accessed a copy of a prior sleep study. You have conducted the visual and intraoral exam, as well as an airway assessment, and now have a good picture of the pathology of his or her sleep breathing disorder. Now you must make a compelling case for treatment!

The first thing to remember is that case presentation is a lot more than just explaining the sleep study and treatment options. You really have to pull together all the details that got you to this point. Go back to the first conversations you had with your patient and stress the same points that made him or her willing to open (or reopen) this can of worms.

Interpreting the Sleep Study

When preparing to interpret the sleep study for your patient, you really must lean heavily on the findings of the sleep doctor. Frame the entire conversation around the fact that the findings are not coming from you, as a dentist, but from a highly qualified, board-certified sleep physician.

Stress the fact that this doctor has reviewed, minute by minute, exactly what was happening when he or she conducted the study. Since apnea is considered a lifelong diagnosis, not only does the study represent one night in the past, but also it provides a snapshot that predicts what is happening every night of the patient’s life.

Make a copy of the sleep study so you can to highlight specific details and make notes, for example:

• How many times they stopped breathing
• How long the apnea events last
• Oxygen desaturation levels
• Recommendations

Go over each detail in patient-friendly language and stress the health implications of each piece of data. Use visual language and stress the health-threatening events that have been documented by the study.

For example, don’t just cite the oxygen levels and expect your patient to know the importance of the readings. Explain the health implications of chronic oxygen desaturation: what it means day-to-day, and what it means for long term health.

When you get to the recommendations of the study, remember that you should always explain all treatment options. Do this even if your patient has heard them before, and even if your patient has tried some of them. You may only be able to provide an oral appliance, of course, but as a faithful interpreter of the study, you have a duty to explain every treatment fully.

Rally Your Team

When it comes to making a successful case, the devil is really in the details. Sometimes it takes a whole team to make a patient understand why it’s so important they get treatment. Every member of your staff involved with this step should be aware of their role, and what type of language they should use when interacting with the patient during this stage.

For example, if a member of your staff will be presenting the insurance and financial side of the case, he or she must also be aware of the health implications of treatment. He or she must be willing to help the patient visualize the seriousness of the problem and take ownership of their condition.

Use Our Financial Templates

Use the financial templates that we customized together during your initial strategy sessions. Our forms are self-explaining, so they can guide you, step by step, through a logical explanation of the financial aspects of the case.

When you can explain to the patient that, yes, you’ve checked with their insurance, and yes, you’ve maximized their benefits—it assumes that they will take advantage of this treatment. It starts the ball rolling before they have the chance to say yes or no, and it can help build the momentum to get you to acceptance.

More Than a Financial Presentation

It’s a big mistake to think of case presentation as being a chiefly financial presentation. It’s really about education. Let’s be good educators throughout the process, so we can rest easy knowing our patients have everything they need to make an informed decision. Educate each patient about the medical condition itself, his or her own documented health situation, the dangers of non-treatment, and the easy steps they can take to seek treatment.

Crushing the Fourth Quarter!

The fourth quarter is the ideal time to look back at prior unresolved cases from earlier in the year. Get together with your team to plan ways you can reach out and reactivate oral appliance therapy cases that may not have been implemented due to insurance considerations.

At this point in the year, deductibles may have been satisfied (or nearly satisfied) so it may be easier or more affordable for patients to initiate treatment now. Everything we can do to help our patients go forward is a win/win for both patient and practice, so it’s certainly worth a try.

In planning for 2018, consider becoming a Medicare DME Supplier.  Offices and teams that are going to be the Go To Offices, in any given demographic area, are going to be part of the Medicare system.  This is a high risk patient population and all of your potential referring sleep docs and physicians are almost certainly Medicare providers.  I’m happy to have a complimentary conversation with you to review the pros and cons for your practice and I am extending an invitation to call or email to set that up!

I’ve been asked to pass on a marketing possibility that you may want to call and get more information on if you are located in a Southwest Airlines city.  Dr. Frank Burrell is forming the Southwest Sleep Network and would welcome your call at 310-213-4412.