Does Your Dental Office Design Increase Productivity?
Posted by HJT Design
The work day is constantly busy, filled with daily work tasks, coworker interactions, and office responsibilities. No matter the industry, one fact seems be common; people are working harder and faster than ever before. The question is, are they working productively?
This is especially true when it comes to the productivity within dental offices. Technological advances and new treatment methods have allowed dental providers to offer the highest quality services around. Even with all the industry advancements, improving staff productivity is always a goal.
One of the best solutions to increasing workplace productivity may be simpler than you think: rethink your dental office design.
“Always treat your employees exactly like you’d want them to treat your best customers.”- Stephen Covey
Creating an office environment that is appealing to your customers will bring them back for return services. Creating an environment that flows well for your staff and goes beyond bare bones office essentials will help improve the collaborative work experience, employee task completion, and positive work encounters day after day. Why not provide your staff the most ideal work environment you can so they can give your patients the best dental care services they can?
To improve your dental office’s productivity, consider these four things:
Organization
Personal workspaces, such as the patient registration and check-in desk, new patient consultation rooms, patient treatment rooms or even personal office spaces all need to be equipped with the proper organizational elements. Filing systems, desk organizers, and easily accessible charts allow for quick access to important patient information. Frequently eliminate non-essential paper waste and clutter that can complicate daily work completion.
Environmental Interior Design
Does the overall layout and design of your dental office promote staff health and productivity? Interior lighting can affect people’s moods. Flickering fluorescent lights and blinding, bright lights may cause employee headaches. Dim lighting may cause drowsiness or low productivity. High noise levels in overly crowded spaces may make it difficult for your hygienists to concentrate on patient care. Tight working quarters may cause stressful working conditions for your staff. Consider these factors and how your staff may currently be affected by them.
Supportive and Flexible Types of Working Spaces
Does your dental office offer the right types of spaces to complete all of the necessary tasks performed daily? Do you have support staff fighting over desk space or available phones? Do you have the proper office equipment and technology necessary for your staff to complete their work efficiently? Does your office have a comfortable employee lounge or break room where employees can eat or relax while on their lunch hour? Are your patient treatment rooms designed to allow for staff collaboration, or is your staff walled off from each other throughout the day? A dental office that is well designed will help foster staff communication and productivity from the start of the workday to the moment that your staff locks the doors in the evening.
Ergonomically Designed
Always consider the ergonomic functionality of the design in your dentist office. Are you and your employees working in a safe, relaxing, relatively stress-free environment that will promote employee satisfaction and productivity? Are desks and chairs comfortable and positioned properly? Are computer monitors, lights, and chairs adjustable for individual preferences? If your staff feels physically strained and stretched beyond their comfort level, this can add to a decrease in productivity throughout the workday.
If you want to improve your dental office’s staff productivity, a few simple changes can make a big difference. Many of these adjustments won’t require huge renovations or inflated budgets to see a big payoff in workplace productivity.
At HJT Design, our team of experts has the industry knowledge and the real-world, first-hand experience to help you evaluate and make the most effective changes to the interior design of your office space. We will help you create a productive atmosphere in your dental office which will increase staff productivity and morale so your office team can give your patients the best dental care around. Contact us today to learn how.