Clinical Reactivity Assessment

CLINICAL REACTIVITY ASSESSMENT

The Moment You Replay

8 steps · About 4 minutes

You know the one. The patient interaction that went sideways. The moment you got short with your assistant in front of a patient. The insurance denial that made you snap.

STEP 1 OF 8

What actually happened?

Think of a specific moment in the last 90 days.

Patient pushed back on cost

"Why so much?" or "Insurance won't cover this"

Staff missed a step

Wrong tray, room not ready, chart missing

Procedure went differently than planned

Took longer, unexpected anatomy, patient discomfort

Schedule fell apart

Staff call-outs, no-shows, emergency add-ons

Insurance blocked care

"Not covered" or "needs preauth" mid-day

Patient threatened bad review

"I'm telling everyone" or one-star Google review

Patient declined needed treatment

"I'll think about it" = shopping elsewhere

STEP 2 OF 8

What set you off first?

Not the polite reason. The real trigger.

Questioned my judgment

Implied I missed something or don't know what I'm doing

Made my day longer

Already behind, now this takes twice as long

Hit my numbers

Extra time with no revenue, write-off, or no-show

Made me look weak

Challenged me while staff watched

Risk losing good staff

Can't afford to lose key team members

Non-dentist overruled me

Insurance or policy blocked my recommendation

Procedure didn't match plan

Different anatomy or patient in unexpected pain

STEP 3 OF 8

What fired first in your body?

This is your 0.1s interception point

Jaw or face tight

Clenched jaw, may not notice until later

Chest or breath tight

Weight on sternum, breathing shallower

Neck or shoulders locked

Tension that stays for days

Stomach dropped or tight

Falling elevator feeling

Heart raced

Suddenly aware of heartbeat

Hands tensed

Extra grip on handpiece

Went straight to fixing it

Disconnected from the signal

How strong was the signal?

Barely noticeable Overwhelming

Why this matters

Catch this signal → the rest doesn't fire. This is where you interrupt.

STEP 4 OF 8

What story did your brain tell?

This happened 0.2 seconds after the signal.

"They don't trust my judgment"

They're Googling my plan in the chair

"They think I'm upselling"

Trying to help, they think it's a sales pitch

"We'll miss today's goal"

Every 10 minutes means behind all day

"My team may quit"

Already stretched, one more thing breaks it

"Insurance controls care, not me"

Non-clinical person overruling my decision

"I carry all the blame"

Lawsuit, bad review—all on me

"I'm running a terrible practice"

Behind AGAIN, team stressed, can't hold it together

"I can't handle this pressure"

Exhausted, one more thing and I lose it

What most dentists miss

Your reaction isn't to what happened. It's to THIS STORY.

STEP 5 OF 8

What did you actually do?

Select your top 2-3.

Over-explained or argued

10-minute explanation, patient's eyes glazed

Snapped at staff

Sharp tone, room got quiet

Rushed or skipped a step

Cut corners, didn't take final X-ray

Took task back from staff

"I'll just do it myself"

Discounted to make it go away

Avoided conflict, lost needed revenue

Shut down patient questions

"You need it or you don't"

Avoided difficult conversation

Knew I should discuss perio, didn't bring it up

Typed long note after hours

30-60 minutes documenting or justifying

Replayed it for hours

11pm thoughts, Sunday morning anxiety

STEP 6 OF 8

What did that moment cost you?

Next 30 days. Select your top 2-3.

Patient didn't return

Went to another practice

Staff pulled back

Not speaking up about concerns

Had to redo work

Free chair time, wasn't my best work

Gave discount or write-off

Death by a thousand write-offs

Lost sleep or weekend time

Burnout risk, replaying when should be recovering

STEP 7 OF 8

In the last 90 days, how often did this pattern fire?

Count patient interactions, staff moments, payer frustrations.

1–2 times

3–5 times

6–10 times

11–15 times

16+ times (weekly or more)

STEP 8 OF 8

What's the actual cost to your practice right now?

Not theoretical. What's actually happening. Select all that apply.

YOUR CLINICAL CAPACITY

Calculating...

Pattern:

Trigger:

Signal:

Story:

Frequency:

Weekly Time Loss

Hours lost per week to this pattern

Annual Practice Drag

$--

Based on frequency, reactions, and practice impacts

*Time estimates based on incident handling, rumination, and recovery. Cost estimates based on industry averages: dentist time at $250/hr, patient lifetime value of $3,500, staff replacement costs of $15,000-$25,000, and typical write-off patterns in general dentistry. Actual costs vary by practice.

How to Intercept It Next Time

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