Friday not only means the weekend right is around the corner, but it's also a day where I can sleep in and go to work a little later than usual. Today I woke up around 8 and took my time getting ready in the morning. It's great having a car because I am not bound by the Capital Transit bus schedule. I got into work around 9:45 ready to do some telephone surveys. Friday is the perfect day to do surveys because both Dr. Bornstein and Dr. Hort have Friday off. I can use their offices and telephones without disturbing anybody else. I have stopped counting the number of death stares I have gotten from the other dentists in my office as I repeat my survey script over and over and over.
The survey started pretty slowly initially, but I have found a bit of a rhythm. At first it was very disheartening when I would call and not get an answer or begin the survey only to be told that the person was not interested in participating or hung up in the middle of a question. I worked for a week to research past dental anxiety surveys and edit my questions. I also pretested with members of the dental staff so I felt I had prepared a very polished product. It's always discouraging to have someone not be interested in something you have spent a lot of time on. However, since the first few days, I have learned to shrug off these roadblocks and keep plowing through my growing list of phone numbers.
It's extremely rewarding to get some constructive feedback that I think will help the dental staff in the future. I have done so many surveys that I have kind of lost track of the trends, but I can't wait to compile all of the data in a few weeks and see what the patients are saying about their dental anxiety and why they are continually missing or breaking appointments. One positive thing that I know has come out of the survey is the discovery of many wrong or out of service phone numbers. To me, this is just as important to the dental staff as getting someone to take the full five minute survey. If the front office workers do not have working phone numbers they cannot call and confirm patient appointments. If they don't confirm appointments that lessens the chance that a patient will remember they were scheduled and actually show up to the clinic at the appropriate time.
After work I had to walk the dog in the rain. The typical Juneau weather has set in - cold with a constant rain. My rain jacket is my new favorite article of clothing and the windshield wipers on my car are permanently on the highest setting. I don't mind the rain while I am in the office, but it really affects my ability to go out and explore the city and the trail systems in Juneau.
Last night I went out to dinner and to the movies with some people from the clinic. We ate Chinese food (who would have thought I would eat Chinese just as much as I would eat seafood in Alaska?) and went to the movie theater downtown. It's a pretty neat theater. There are two screens - one on the lower level and one on the upper level. You walk up a few flights of stairs just to reach the theater.
Tomorrow I will be up early to watch the World Cup (USA! USA!) and to go out to breakfast with the Wilkinson's. We are going to Paradise Cafe downtown. I hope it's good...
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