Technology can be there to help us, to make things quicker and more efficient, but can we always work out how or why we need it, and is it moving too fast for our minds to cope with?
The speed of technological change
Shané Schutte, a contributor to Real Business, the online site for small businesses, discussed the speed of technological change nearly two years ago. She argued “‘New’, it seems, has a quick turnover rate, all thanks to frequent upgrades. Indeed, technology is moving rapidly, but is it really moving at a rate where products should be improved upon after such a short period of time? In the end, it becomes too difficult and expensive to keep up with [the latest] technology. After all, if you’re running a business then you don’t have the time to keep up with all the latest technology trends and updates.”
Last year the website Debate.org, asked its subscribers if technology was moving too fast: 44 per cent of respondents said yes. As you would expect, those in the ‘yes’ camp believed we are becoming ‘slaves to technology’ and that it is causing people to become stressed while trying to keep up. One commented, “Technology is definitely moving too fast! Although technology can be useful and even necessary, what is not necessary is the constant ‘updating’ of technology.” Whereas a subscriber in the ‘no’ camp said “The faster technology moves, the more advanced our society can become. Only good things can come from technology.” Ipsos Mori, a leading UK research company, conducts a quarterly survey throughout Great Britain, which measures the emerging trends and access to technology. This survey is the Ipsos Media CT Tech Tracker. The Q4 2014 report said that “Consumers
today are embracing the internet, mobile phones and other technologies more than ever.”
The report demonstrated that the proportion of adults using the internet remained high at 85 per cent, with the number of people accessing it through mobiles increasing from previous reports to 59 per cent. Smartphone ownership had gone from 37 per cent in Q3 2011, to 63 per cent. Although a more recent innovation, tablet ownership was already at 35 per cent. The ‘next generation tech monitor’ section stated that “4G and Cloud Computing solutions have arguably made the switch into mainstream consumer lifestyle and this is reflected by awareness of 65 per cent and 19 per cent usage of 4G, and 49 per cent awareness and 15 per cent of GB adults claiming to use cloud computing.”
There also seemed to be strong awareness of niche technologies such as smart watches (44 per cent) and glasses (33 per cent), even though they aren’t readily available, and people don’t appear to be sure of the relevance or benefits of them. However, your patients could start using these devices in the not too distant future, so it’s something to be aware of for potential use in your practice.
To add to the debate in October last year, The New Scientist stated “Digital technology is transforming the way we read and write. Is it changing our minds too – and if so, for better or worse?” The article went on to state, “Hurrah, some say. Our smartphones and tablets are expanding our worlds. We now have access to vast libraries literally at our fingertips. Good riddance to shoulder-wrenching textbooks, teetering towers of dusty papers, leaky pens and cramped hands. Others, though, worry that the benefits of digital technology come at a cost. Is all that skimming,
scrolling and flicking around electronic screens dulling our capacity for sustained attention and deeper reading? Is there something special about pen-on-paper that typing fails to reproduce?”
So what is the truth? At the end of 2013, two psychologists from the States decided to conduct a series of experiments involving university students, about how using laptops in lectures to make notes affected their learning compared to hand writing them. The idea for these experiments came about after one of the psychologists forgot to take her laptop to a lecture and had to use pen and paper. She found she got more out of the lecture she was attending. Their results, reported in 2014, demonstrated that the students who hand wrote notes “generally understood the content of a lecture better and remembered more”. One of the researchers put this down to the fact that, because we can generally write slower than we can type, we have more time to take in what we hear and distil what we believe is more important, rather than just mindlessly typing what we hear. This supports the growing concern amongst educators regarding the use of laptops in lectures, as there are distractions literally popping up all the time, compared to using paper.
The dental world
The last BDTA Adoption of New Technology Survey was carried out in December, 2011, to gain dentists’ views on new dental technologies, and training courses and providers. One of the main findings at the time was that nearly
half of respondents had purchased intra oral cameras and that looked set to continue, as most people intended to purchase them in 2012.The research showed that almost three quarters had practice management software, and for
those that didn’t, their computers were used for appointment making (85 per cent) and patient record management (81 per cent). I wonder what technologies would be prominent if this survey was carried out even now, just a few
years on.
Dental technology
Technology does seem to be moving faster than ever and the dental world isn’t escaping it. In surgery there is digital equipment including X-rays, CT scanners, intra oral cameras, CAD/CAM, lasers, and that is before you even
consider the technology involved with practice management systems – some practices now even have smartphone apps and DVD glasses for patients too.
New technology, whether materials for a more minimally invasive approach, fast, precise and efficient equipment, as well as patient centred resources, in the main, seem to be there to make patients’ lives easier and help dentists to provide a better standard of care.
However, don’t be pressured to use materials or equipment you aren’t comfortable with; it could have a negative impact on your health. In the 2010 Hill et al paper on the premature retirement of dentists, several factors were
cited as causing an increase in stress: time management, anxious or uncooperative patients, the workload, government changes and the constant drive for technical perfection. One dentist simply stated “I did find computers
and the new technologies being developed in dentistry very stressful.”
The dental trade is fully aware of this fact, as Patrick Allen, the managing director of Henry Schein Dental explains: “We find that many dentists come to us already under pressure with their equipment requirements, and
looking for help to navigate the rapid changes in technology and which pieces of equipment can best help them run an efficient practice. We happily provide the latest information or invite dentists to one of the seven centres we have across the UK and Ireland to see the technology for themselves, before making that final important choice.”
Buying equipment from reputable dealers who provide warrantees and servicing contracts may appear to be expensive compared to cheaper online providers, but in the long run it could take much of the stress out of the technology, not to mention be better value for money. Some larger companies can provide total comprehensive solutions that include consultancy, training and on-going repair and maintenance of the equipment.
So although it seems inevitable that technological change will continue to march forward, it is how you react to the changes that dictate whether or not the move will be a positive one. An efficient integrated practice management
system and quality reliable surgery equipment could really support a stress-free practising life.
References available on request.