#120 Am Empfang: Begrüßung und Anmeldung – At the Reception: Welcoming and Registering Patients

00:00:03: Sabine Nemec: Herzlich willkommen zu Dental English to go. Ich bin Sabine Nemec und lade Euch ein, mit diesem Podcast Euer Englisch aufzufrischen. Ich möchte Euch zeigen, dass es ganz leicht ist, sich im Praxisalltag auf Englisch zu verständigen. Jede Woche schauen wir uns eine bestimmte Situation in der Zahnarztpraxis an und trainieren/üben die passenden Vokabeln und die richtige Aussprache. So here is your weekly dose of language refresher.

00:00:33: In today’s lesson, we will go through that part of the practice that every patient encounters first: the reception desk. So, let’s start! The front desk team sets the tone for the entire patient experience — and in an international or English-speaking context, confident, warm, and professional English at the reception can make all the difference. Das Team am Empfang prägt den ersten Eindruck von einer Praxis und gibt damit den Ton für das gesamte Patientenerlebnis vor. Gerade in einem internationalen Umfeld oder im Umgang mit englischsprachigen Patientinnen und Patienten kann ein selbstsicheres, herzliches und professionelles Englisch an der Rezeption den entscheidenden Unterschied machen.

00:01:33: First impressions matter enormously. Whether a patient is walking in for the first time or returning for a check-up, the welcome sets the emotional tone for the whole appointment. Here are some phrases to greet patients warmly and professionally: "Good morning! Welcome to our practice. How can I help you today?" "Hello! Great to see you — do you have an appointment with us today?" "Welcome — is this your first time visiting us, or have you been here before?" "Good afternoon! Please come in and take a seat — I'll be right with you." "Hello and welcome! Could I start by taking your name, please?"

00:02:33: The first task is to establish whether the patient is new to the dental office or an existing patient. This determines what information needs to be collected, and which forms they need to complete. "Is this your first visit to our practice?" "Are you a new patient with us, or have you been here before?" "We have you in our system — let me just pull up your details." "As you're new to us, I'd like to register you in our system. I just need to take a few details from you — is that okay?"

00:03:19: For new patients, you will need to collect basic personal data. It is important to ask clearly and to confirm the information back to the patient to avoid errors. "Could I take your full name, please — first name and surname? And your date of birth?" "What is your current address, including postcode?" "Could I take a telephone number for you — a mobile number if possible?" "Do you have an email address you'd like us to use for appointment reminders?" "Who should we contact in case of an emergency? Could I take a name and number, please?" "Could I ask you to sign and date this form here, please?"

00:04:48: When collecting an accurate medical history, it is necessary to ask about chronic illnesses, previous surgeries, allergies, and current medications. "Before we get started, I'd like to ask you a few questions about your general health — is that okay?" "We ask all our patients to complete a short medical questionnaire. I can help you fill it in if you'd like." "Some of these questions might seem unrelated to your teeth, but they help our dentist treat you as safely as possible." "Do you have any chronic medical conditions — for example, diabetes, high blood pressure, heart disease, or epilepsy?" "Have you ever been diagnosed with osteoporosis or a blood clotting disorder?" "Do you have any heart conditions, or have you ever had a heart attack or stroke?"

00:06:06: "Are you currently undergoing any medical treatment or seeing a specialist for anything?" "Have you ever been told that you need to take antibiotics before dental treatment?" "Do you have any known allergies — to medications, latex, or any dental materials?" "Have you ever had a reaction to local anesthetic — the injection used to numb the tooth?" "Are you allergic to penicillin or any other antibiotics?" "Have you ever had an allergic reaction during or after a dental appointment?" "Are you currently taking any medication — either prescribed by a doctor or over the counter?" "Do you take any blood thinning medication, such as aspirin, Marcumar, warfarin, or similar?" "Have you brought a medication list with you today? That would be really helpful." "If you're not sure of the exact names, even a photo of your medication packaging on your phone would be very useful."

00:07:42: Here is your overview of the vocabulary of this week’s lesson: to confirm – bestätigen; to sign – unterzeichnen; to prescribe – verschreiben; postcode – Postleitzahl; emergency contact – Notfallkontakt; appointment reminder – Terminerinnerung; errors – Fehler, Irrtümer; blood thinning medication – blutverdünnendes Medikament; general health – Allgemeingesundheit; blood clotting disorder – Blutgerinnungsstörung.

00:08:41: Das war unsere Lesson für diese Woche. Nächste Woche befassen wir uns weiter mit der Kommunikation mit Patientinnen und Patienten an der Rezeption – genauer mit der Datenschutz- und Einwilligungserklärung. Wenn Ihr noch mehr Dental Englisch trainieren wollt, empfehle ich Euch mein Buch „Dental English“, erschienen im Quintessenz Verlag, oder auch die Fachzeitschrift „Team Journal“ – hier findet Ihr in jeder Ausgabe eine Übung. Vielen Dank fürs Zuhören. Wenn es Euch gefallen hat, dann abonniert diesen Podcast. Es gibt jeden Montag eine neue Folge – überall, wo es Podcasts gibt. Wenn Ihr Fragen habt, dann schreibt auf Instagram oder an podcast@quintessenz.de. Alle Links und Adressen findet ihr auch in den Shownotes. Ich sage: Goodbye and see you next time! Das war Dental English to go mit Sabine Nemec: der Englisch-Podcast für den Praxisalltag – ein Quintessence Podcast.