Blending leadership, creativity, and technology to deliver measurable results: Interview with Cameron Full
Cameron Full is the cofounder of Referral Lab and Tekneq Digital Strategy. He holds a doctorate in business administration from St. Ambrose University, with advanced studies in organizational behavior, strategic management, and organizational theory. He also completed a master’s in organizational leadership and certifications in international leadership and entrepreneurial management. As a seasoned business professional, -Cameron blends leadership, creativity, and technology to deliver measurable results. He specializes in envisioning and implementing technology models, problem-solving, and driving efficiency through innovative project management practices, making a significant impact across diverse market segments.
Joshua Austin: Cameron, you’ve been in the dental industry for a bit, but I believe mainly on the marketing side. Over the past couple of years, you have been working on a new project that uses analytics in a different way. What can you tell me about it at a 10,000-foot level?
Cameron Full: Absolutely, Joshua! You’re right—I’ve been in dentistry for about a decade. I entered through the web strategy space, where I’ve been working since the late ’90s. We identified a significant gap: the lack of a robust workflow and analytics platform for limited or referral--oriented practices that catered specifically to the business team. That’s where our system, Referral Lab, comes in. It provides an easy-to-manage interface that offers our nonclinical staff a frictionless management system, along with advanced analytics to evaluate their referral base with much greater precision. Essentially, you not only identify your “A” referrals, but you can also take actionable steps based on that information.
[JA] When you talk about referral-oriented practice, that sounds to me like specialists, correct? Ortho, perio, OMS, endo, etc. … right?
[CF] Yes and no. Referrals can come from everywhere. While we were designed for and are predominantly used by traditional dental specialists, nearly 25% of our customers are what we call “advanced” or “limited” general practitioners. Specialists typically have a broader referral network, but we’ve found that these unique groups of general practitioners also recognize the value of high-level referral tracking. While specialists primarily rely on standard referral sources, these advanced or limited general practitioners track a variety of sources, including other specialists and patients.
[JA] Can you give me an example of some of the procedures that your “high level” or “limited” GPs might be doing to necessitate this kind of tracking solution?
[CF] Of course. When we say “advanced” or “limited” general practitioners, we’re typically referring to those involved in increasingly comprehensive care, sleep, airway, even TMJ treatments. These areas significantly expand the sources of patient referrals. General practitioners are also showing a growing interest in “reverse referrals” from their specialists—meaning, “I’m sending patients to my specialist; is he or she sending opportunities back to me as well?” However, the system is predominantly used for the traditional general-to-specialist tracking function.
[JA] That sounds great! I always love to see some referrals back from the specialists I work with. What sets Referral Lab apart from any other solution on the market?
[CF] Joshua, we’re pretty unique. Most other products on the market focus on the clinical aspect of the referral process, utilizing portals to bridge the gap between the referring provider and the specialist. While this approach has inherent value, expecting a referral network to adopt it at scale is simply unrealistic. You might get a few of your top referral sources to use it, often at the reluctance of their business team.
We’ve taken a completely different approach by focusing entirely on our side of the engagement. Referrals and opportunities are often lost not just at receipt but throughout the entire exam, presentation, and treatment process. By concentrating on what we can control—tracking these patients through their entire life cycle—we see improved practice performance and, ultimately, better patient care. Additionally, because we’ve addressed this issue through this lens, we’re able to provide referral analytics and workflow capabilities at a level the industry hasn’t seen before.
[JA] So, for referral-based practices, are you seeing an increase in production and collections after instituting Referral Lab in their practices?
[CF] As Peter Drucker said, “What is measured, improves.” The adoption of Referral Lab has proven advantageous in more ways than just boosting production. While we have consistently reported year-over-year production increases, it’s equally important to highlight the by-products of using the system. Business teams have become significantly more proficient in managing referral engagement with both patients and providers. They now have a much richer understanding of the patient opportunity life cycle, ensuring no patient gets left behind. Our teams have also been able to leverage the system to enhance efficiencies in scheduling and engagement, driving even greater overall performance.
[JA] Can you give me a quick rundown on how much work is involved for the team with Referral Lab? Is this going to be a heavy lift for them?
[CF] Wonderful question! Practices typically come to us in one of two ways: either they already understand the value of tracking parts of this process and are using spreadsheets, or they aren’t tracking beyond their practice management software (PMS) at all. Practices using spreadsheets tend to adopt our system quickly, as it saves them significant time, energy, and stress.
For those not doing any additional tracking outside of the PMS, the challenge lies less in the time required and more in habit change. However, these practices often see the most substantial gains in system improvement and efficiency. When they fully embrace the benefits of not only tracking but also understanding its relevance, it’s an incredibly rewarding moment for us as service providers. Knowing we’re making such a significant impact is truly fulfilling.
[JA] This sounds amazing. Where can our readers learn more about Referral Lab and what it can do for their practices?
[CF] Thank you! We’re incredibly proud of what we’ve been fortunate to be a part of. Providing service at this level has been immensely rewarding.
Our website, referrallab.io, offers detailed information about our system, training opportunities, and contact options for requesting a demonstration.
Thank you for showing such genuine interest in what we’re doing. We truly believe our system makes a significant difference, and we look forward to continuing to serve the dental community for years to come.
Editor's note: This article appeared in the April 2025 print edition of Dental Economics magazine. Dentists in North America are eligible for a complimentary print subscription. Sign up here.
