Advances in dental technology, over the last few years, including practice management software and digital imaging equipment, have helped to streamline workflow and automate previously time-consuming tasks for practice staff. What many dentists may not be taking advantage of are new generation add-ons that provide a way to reach patients via mobile phone, move around the office freely and access patient records whilst out of the practice; all of which could help to increase productivity and make life much easier for practitioners.
In today’s busy work and social environments mobile phones, personal digital assistants such as iPhones and other smart phones abound. The average patient or businessman now expects to be able to access everything they need to conduct their work and social lives, from their mobile phone. No longer the preserve of businessmen, the average consumer now expects to be able to access phone, text and email services all from their mobile phone.
Remote access
Dental professionals able to work from outside their practice walls or reach patients who are on-the-go are at a distinct advantage to their competitors, and today, the technology exists to make this possible.
Ever been out of the surgery when you get a call about a case from the lab or a referring practice with a query? Rather than having to disrupt your day, or indeed your holiday, to attend to the matter, technology now exists that can enable a dentist to access his or her patient records system via their Smart Phone, such as an iPhone or Blackberry.
Add-on software such as R4 Mobile provides a simple mobile interface solution for dental practitioners who are out and about, allowing them to access and update their diaries, change practice information and view patient records such as X-rays with the touch of a button using their Smartphone.
Because data flow is two-way and in real time, any updates made remotely by the absent clinician are immediately communicated to the practice system so that attending staff can access the most up-to-date information concerning appointments, diaries or patient notes.
Accessing accounting information such as financial and productivity statistics can also be performed, keeping the practice principal in complete control of his or her business, with fully customisable reports from the system viewable from any location, including your sun lounger or sick bed.
Text messaging
It’s a simple fact of modern life that people read their text messages more often, and in a shorter space of time than they read their emails. Patients are busy people themselves who can be difficult to reach because of no longer being restricted to their offices or homes.
Dentists who are smart should take advantage of this simple phenomenon. It will help to reduce cancellations and missed appointments, and could also help save a significant sum in the process.
Built into advanced practice management systems such as Carestream R4, text messaging has been shown to halve ‘no-shows’ in many instances. This facility saves practice staff from time-consuming tasks such as sending out appointment reminders by post, but it can also cost up to 80 per cent less than using traditional mail services, and has the added benefit of immediacy.
All reception staff need to do to send a patient a reminder of their appointment is to access the practice appointment book and set the system to send out text reminders, the software will do the rest, picking up the patient’s mobile phone details from the linked patient records and then delivering the text message reminder directly to their mobile phone.
In addition, the system can also be set up to allow patients to reply to text reminders, with their messages automatically included in the appointment diary. Cancellations are then removed from the diary, freeing up space for others on the waiting list, and the patient’s appointment record is automatically updated.
Wireless technology
Many models of dental equipment, such as handheld intra-oral cameras, can now be set up to operate wirelessly, freeing up dentists to move within the surgery and around the dental chair in an unrestricted manner, with no more messy wires to trip over, and facilitating easier sharing of surgical tools between consulting rooms.
Dental practice owners would be wise to investigate the advantages of such technological advances to improve convenience for patients and smooth the workflow for staff.
For more information, contact CareStream Dental (formally known as PracticeWorks) on 0800 169 9692 or visit www.carestreamdental.co.uk