Staffing follow-up
In-house vs outsourced treatment coordinator. Who should follow up on unscheduled treatment.
For practice owners and office managers deciding who follows up on treatment patients haven’t scheduled. This is not a job listing.
You have four options. Choose by the hours the list needs, who must be at the consult, and who may see your patient data.
- Give someone on your team protected hours.
- Hire a coordinator.
- Pay an outside service.
- Let software send reminders while a person answers replies.
August sells two of these, options A and C. This guide also says when neither fits.
The options
The four options
| Option | Who does the work | What your team still does | What changes |
|---|---|---|---|
| A. Current staff with protected hours | Someone already on your team, such as your treatment coordinator, office manager or a front-desk lead, with hours set aside for the list. | Covers that person’s other work during those hours. | Their schedule. Software to build the list and log each attempt is optional. See August’s treatment coordinator software. |
| B. A new in-house treatment coordinator | A new employee you recruit, train and supervise. | Hiring, onboarding, supervision, and cover when the person is out. | Payroll and headcount. The new person can also present cases at the consult. |
| C. An outside human service | People employed by another company, working remotely. Who employs them, where they work, the hours they cover and who supervises them depend on the provider. | Approves which patients are contacted and what is said, hands over context, and answers clinical questions. | An outside company works with your patient data, and patients hear from someone outside your office. |
| D. Automated reminders with a person answering replies | Your practice software sends scheduled reminders. Someone on your team answers the replies. | Sets up the messages and answers every reply. | Reminders go out without staff time. Replies still need a person. |
Disclosure: August offers Remote TC, which is option C, and the HelloAugust software used in option A.
For each provider’s own answers on who employs the coordinator, where they work and who supervises them, see what outside services publish.
Costs
Cost categories, with your numbers
Where a dated public figure exists, the table shows it. Everywhere else, use your own number.
| Cost | A. Current staff | B. New hire | C. Outside service | D. Automated reminders | Public figure |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wage or hourly pay | Applies, for hours moved from other work | Applies | Does not apply | Does not apply | Wage proxies and a self-reported coordinator figure, below |
| Benefits and employer payroll costs | Applies | Applies | Does not apply | Does not apply | In private industry, benefits were 30.0% of total compensation per hour worked (BLS, June 2026). Ask your payroll provider what your share is. |
| Recruiting: ads, recruiter, interview time | Does not apply | Applies | Does not apply | Does not apply | Your number |
| Training and ramp time | Does not apply | Applies | Applies in part | Does not apply | Your number |
| Supervision and management time | Applies | Applies | Applies | Does not apply | Your number |
| Absence cover, turnover and backfill | Applies | Applies | Does not apply | Does not apply | Your number |
| Work moved off the person’s other duties | Applies | Does not apply | Does not apply | Does not apply | Your number |
| Outside service fee | Does not apply | Does not apply | Applies | Does not apply | Published prices, in what outside services publish |
| Your team’s time to brief the service and approve lists and wording | Does not apply | Does not apply | Applies | Does not apply | Your number |
| Contract and data agreement review | Applies if you add software | Applies if you add software | Applies | Applies if the software is new to you | Your number |
| Software subscription | Applies if you add software | Applies if you add software | Does not apply | Applies | Your number, as quoted to you |
| Staff time to answer replies | Does not apply | Does not apply | Does not apply | Applies | Your number |
No row has a default, an estimate or a sum.
| Occupation (SOC code) | Median hourly wage |
|---|---|
| Receptionists and information clerks (43-4171) | $22.36 |
| Office clerks, general (43-9061) | $23.00 |
| Medical secretaries and administrative assistants (43-6013) | $23.07 |
| Dental assistants (31-9091) | $23.08 |
| Billing and posting clerks (43-3021) | $24.96 |
| First-line supervisors of office and administrative support workers (43-1011) | $30.72 |
These are proxies. BLS has no treatment coordinator occupation, and which code a practice reports its coordinator under is not known. BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, offices of dentists (NAICS 621200), read November 2, 2026 (Sources).
Payscale reported an average dental treatment coordinator pay of $24.13 an hour in 2026, from 212 self-reported salary profiles (updated October 4, 2026).
Four questions size the list. Use your own numbers:
- How many open treatment plans are on the list?
- How many attempts will you make on each plan?
- How many minutes does one attempt take, including notes?
- How many hours a week does someone have for it?
- Multiply plans by attempts by minutes. That is the time the whole list needs.
- Divide by the number of weeks you want it worked over, and turn the minutes into hours.
- Compare that with the hours someone has each week.
If the list needs more time than anyone has, option A alone won’t cover it.
Outside services
What outside services publish
As published on November 2, 2026. Each row is one type of service, described in its provider’s own words. Not stated means the provider’s page did not say.
| Type of service | Who employs and supervises | Where they work, as stated | Channels | Who books | Data agreement stated | Pricing basis, published price and hours | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Managed service with coordinators the provider calls US-based and in-house | Says its coordinators are in-house. Supervision not stated. Its page also describes AI that texts patients, with people stepping in when needed. | US-based | Texts. Calls and email not stated. | Says its coordinators book directly in your practice management system | Says a business associate agreement is signed before it touches any data | Price not published. Hours not stated. | Provider’s page, read November 2, 2026 (Sources) |
| Dedicated remote seat priced by the hour | Employer not stated. Says a US-based customer success manager owns escalations and quality checks. | Coordinator location not stated | Phone and “Marketplace” (not explained) | Says the coordinator schedules the next phase of care; the system is not named | Lists a signed business associate agreement and secure devices | Hourly, from $14 an hour, for a dedicated full-time coordinator. The seat covers broader coordination work than follow-up; the share spent on follow-up is not stated. | Provider’s page, read November 2, 2026 (Sources) |
| Offshore managed seat priced by the week | Employment model not stated. Described as a dedicated specialist and as “fully managed”. Says an account manager runs daily operations and quality. | Says its support teams operate globally, including secured facilities | Text and phone | Says the coordinator books the start visit in your practice software | Lists a business associate agreement and role-based access to your practice software | Weekly: $399 a week for one seat, $349 at 5 or more, $299 at 10 or more, for 45 hours a week. | Provider’s page, read November 2, 2026 (Sources) |
Prices are as each provider publishes them. What a seat covers differs, so read each row before setting one price against another or against a wage. August is not in this table. As of .
Compare
How to compare the options
Where the answer depends on the provider or vendor, the cell says what to ask.
| Question | A. Current staff | B. New hire | C. Outside service | D. Automated reminders |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hours added each week for follow-up | None, unless hours move from other work | One person’s working hours, shared with any other duties | What the contract covers. Ask. | Reminders need no staff hours. Replies do. |
| Present at the consult | Yes, if the person works in the office | Yes | No. A remote coordinator is not in the room. | No |
| Patient context | Usually knows the patients already | Learns them on the job | Needs a handover. Ask what they can see in your records. | Uses what your software holds |
| Who the patient hears from, and on which number | Your team, on your number | Your team, on your number | Someone outside your office. Ask which number patients see. | Your practice, by automated message |
| Who handles patient data | Your own staff | Your own staff | An outside company. Ask what written agreement covers it. | Your software vendor. Ask what written agreement covers it. |
| Who books, and in which system | Your staff, in your practice software | Your staff, in your practice software | Depends on the provider. Ask. | Your staff, unless your software lets patients book. Ask your vendor. |
| Who answers clinical questions | Your clinical team | Your clinical team | Your clinical team. Ask how questions reach you. | Your clinical team |
| Record of what was done, and who can see it | What your team writes down | What your team writes down | Ask what they record and whether you can see it. | Ask your vendor what it logs. |
| Commitment and exit | A schedule change you can undo | An employment relationship | A contract. Ask how you stop and what happens to your data. | A software subscription. Ask the same. |
| Consent and opt-outs for texts | Decide how your team records them | Decide how your team records them | Ask how they record them. | Ask your vendor how they are recorded. |
Before you sign
Questions to ask any outside service
- Who employs the person who calls my patients, and where do they work?
- Which list do they work from, and who approves it?
- Which channels and phone numbers do they use?
- Do they book appointments, and in which system?
- Who answers clinical questions?
- What do they report to me?
- What written agreement covers my patients’ data?
Also ask how they record consent and opt-outs for texts. Then ask how you stop, what notice they need and what happens to your data afterwards.
Choosing
When each option fits
This is our reasoning. We have no measured results behind it.
| Option | Fits when | Does not fit when |
|---|---|---|
| A. Current staff with protected hours | Someone already has the patient relationship and can get protected hours that match the list. | Protecting those hours leaves the front desk short. |
| B. A new in-house treatment coordinator | The list is big enough to fill a role, and you can recruit and supervise. You also get a person who can present cases at the consult. | You need cover soon, or you can’t recruit. |
| C. An outside human service | Nobody in-house has the hours, you can hand over context, and you accept an outside company handling patient data under a written agreement. | You won’t grant data access, or the gap is in the consult room. |
| D. Automated reminders with a person answering replies | Most plans need a reminder, and someone has time to answer replies. | Nobody has time to answer. |
The options can also be combined, such as protected hours for current staff alongside automated reminders.
Limits
When August is the wrong choice
- Someone on your team already has protected hours and works the list. Keep them on it.
- You have no open chair time for the treatment you’d follow up. Fix capacity first.
- You won’t give an outside company access to your patient records. Any outside service, ours included, needs those records to know whom to call.
- The gap is presenting the case at the consult, not following up after it. A remote coordinator is not in the room.
- You need a start date or set hours promised up front. Scope, start date and terms are agreed with each practice.
- You need a published price to compare. Pricing is agreed with each practice.
- Nobody on your team has time to make the calls, and you were looking at software. The software is for your own team, so it doesn’t add hours.
August
About August
Disclosure: August offers Remote TC, which is option C, and the HelloAugust software used in option A.
Remote TC: August’s own US-based treatment coordinators follow up with your patients about treatment they haven’t scheduled. Scope, start date and terms are agreed with each practice.
- August’s own US-based treatment coordinators: people, not AI.
- They follow up with your patients by phone and text. A person writes or reviews every text before it is sent.
- No extra staff to hire.
The HelloAugust software is for your own team, and it is sold on its own, without Remote TC.
If you’re weighing August, ask us the questions above. Book a demo.
Checked against
Sources
The practices and patients in the examples are made up.
- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025, offices of dentists (NAICS 621200), median hourly wage: enter series OEUN000000062120043417108, OEUN000000062120043906108, OEUN000000062120043601308, OEUN000000062120031909108, OEUN000000062120043302108 and OEUN000000062120043101108 in the BLS Series ReportRead .
- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics Employer Costs for Employee Compensation, June 2026Published . Read .
- Payscale Treatment Coordinator, Dental: hourly payRead .
- Codent Homepage (row: managed service with coordinators the provider calls US-based and in-house)Read .
- Staffing For Doctors Dental treatment plan coordinator (row: dedicated remote seat priced by the hour)Read .
- Staffingly Dental treatment plan and financial coordinator (row: offshore managed seat priced by the week)Read .
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