Message Boards
Today's Active Topics Today's Active Cases Browse Forum Categories My Recent Activity My Messages Private Groups My Marked Threads My Subscriptions
Today's Active Images Today's Active Polls Most Active Topics Global Townie Map Advanced Message Board Search Message Board Terms of Use

The Right Stuff: Your checklist for adopting new software technology By Dimitry Shuster

View Comments (1)
Header: The Right Stuff
by Dimitry Shuster


In 1979, Nobel Prize winner Daniel Kahneman published his groundbreaking paper, "Prospect Theory: An Analysis of Decision Under Risk,"1 which re-examined the behavioral economics of decision-making.

Kahneman's prospect theory states that in many cases people are risk-averse and are more likely to select an outcome with absolute certainty over one where there is unpredictability—even if the potential benefit of the riskier choice is greater.

This theory directly relates to people who are adopting new technologies. The average person would rather continue to use manual, outdated processes that they're accustomed to using, instead of embracing a new technology with more benefits, because it's unfamiliar and can seem daunting to learn.

There are many concerns and considerations to take into account when you're thinking about implementing a new technology or program in your dental office. If you're worried that the technology may be hard to learn or it will be difficult to get your staff on board with using it, this software checklist may ease your stress and help you make the right choice.

Integration
Pick a solution that will enhance your current system
If you currently have other programs installed in your office, it's important to make sure any new programs will integrate seamlessly so you don't run into inoperability issues between programs.

For example, some current electronic health record (EHR) systems are not fully compatible with new software that's been created as an add-on module, because it doesn't follow current systems workflows. Implementing a solution that doesn't work with existing programs—such as your dental practice-management or imaging-management software—will hinder your staff in completing daily tasks (and will lead them to use workarounds to avoid using the new software).

Product integration will help improve daily operations by reducing the manual data-entry process, which also minimizes data-entry errors. Overall software integration will increase your staff's productivity, improve workflows and save time.

Ease of use
The product should complement your practice, not create a burden
Watch demos or test the solution before implementation. This will help you avoid programs that are not user- or mobile-friendly.

You want a solution that's easy for all team members and patients. Easier programs ensure that your staff adopts the new technology and your patients feel comfortable using it. Mobile-friendly programs enable your patients to complete their paperwork on a device of their choice from office or home.

Easy-to-use technology can help your office's efficiency. For example, a number of innovative email systems improve communication between staff.

Instead of one-to-one emails, an email or referral can be sent to the entire office. There's now only one point of entry and your staff has the ability to see workflows as they progress.

This allows for a streamlined in-house communication that's hosted in one centralized location or hub, similar to your practice-management system.

Automation
Select a product that allows your team to focus on your patients
According to a recent Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality survey,2 50 percent of respondents believe their office has too many patients to provide effective care, and that the office staff feels rushed when delivering patient care.

Automation enables your practice to eliminate redundancy and unnecessary steps while simplifying workflows and tasks. The entire process becomes more efficient and productive. By implementing a solution that allows you to automate workflows and manual processes, your office can handle a large number of patients and your staff can provide better customer service and care.

It's important to understand where patients are spending most of their time when visiting your office. Is it in the reception room, while completing the required forms and having your staff enter the information into your system?

There are programs available that can auto-populate patient information into your practice software, based on what patients have entered previously. Look for a system that will eliminate the redundancy of having your staff manually input patient information and scan documents, cards and forms into your software.

Customization
The ability to tailor unique software to your practice's needs
Your practice is unique. Because of this, it's vital to have software that fits your needs and can be customized to provide better care to your patients. If you're installing a health-record management system, it should provide you with the option to go standard—also referred to as "out-of-the-box"—or to create a custom template unique to your practice. Don't settle for a system that limits you.

Smooth implementation and transitional period
Changes are hard, but they're necessary for improvement
It's important to understand how the new process will affect your business operation.

Remember, the average person is hesitant to change, and any change can scare people away. With a well-thought-out implementation and transition plan, your practice will experience smoother operation after the switchover date.

This is another reason why it helps to select a company that will conduct a demo test: so you can see how the product will work with your current system. Training and clear understanding of the new product will help you and your team gain confidence in using it. You'll see a higher user adoption rate than if you implemented the product without any hands-on training.

The U.S. Department of Health Resources and Services Administration put it well: "Preparation for go-live should cover all aspects of the implementation, with adequate time allocated for becoming familiar with the new task and support resources available during the entire period."3

Make sure the provider is communicating clearly about the steps necessary to implement the new system. If you're unsure of how the new system will affect your current process, ask the provider for some suggestions, recommendations or a checklist on how to streamline the process and which steps are necessary to make it easier for everyone in the practice to adapt to the new system. Security
Private patient data should be secure, both in storage and transit
The Brookings Institution predicts that one in four data breaches this year4 will hit the health care industry. This includes dental practices.

As you know, the industry has been making a big push for software that complies with the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA). However, many providers still don't have the correct software that will help protect their patients' data, and many practices don't even know if their software is up to date. Don't be one of them.

You're adding value to your practice by taking control of your practice data security. Find a secure system that's HIPAA-compliant and backed by a company that has strong security measures in place, so you can reduce your practice's risk of being hacked. Not only will you feel better, but also your patients will have peace of mind, knowing that you have the best system in place to protect their information.

Support
Select a company that can support the product and address your issues in a timely manner
In addition to strong security measures, it's vital that you select a company with a reliable support infrastructure. Time is money, which is why you can't let your practice go down because of technical issues like software failure or internet downtime.

Your practice can be negatively affected if you don't have the ability to rapidly communicate issues and get quick responses. Before selecting a company and its product, understand the level of support you'll be getting after the purchase has been made.

Some key factors to consider are if the company provides technical support in-house or if support calls are being outsourced to another company. Find out what the support hours are, including the time zone, and the quality of the customer service to handle and resolve your issues in a timely manner.

Your dental office can install many options and useful tools. Although change can be scary and it may take some time to get your staff on board, the new technology will help you drive business and provide better care to your patients.

References
  1. jstor.org/stable/1914185?seq=1#fndtn-page_scan_ tab_contents
  2. beckershospitalreview.com/quality/ 10-statistics-on-patient-safety-culture.html
  3. hrsa.gov/healthit/toolbox/RuralHealthITtoolbox/ Selection/golive.html
  4. brookings.edu/wp-content/uploads/2016/07/ Patient-Privacy504v3.pdf


Dimitry Shuster Dimitry Shuster is the chief technology officer of Dental eShare, and the creator of HIPAA-compliant, standardized, interactive patient health-record management solutions. He received a bachelor's degree in computer science and biochemistry from the University of Maryland Baltimore County, and a master's degree in computer science from Johns Hopkins University. Shuster has 18 years of hands-on experience leading the design and development of software and hardware products used by big enterprises and small businesses.




Dentaltown Magazine
April 2024
Dentaltown Magazine April 2024 Read Current Issue Read Archived Issues
Sponsors
Townie Perks
Townie® Poll
Have you ever switched practice management platforms for your practice?
  
Site Menu
Message Boards Magazine Continuing Education Podcasts Blogs Classifieds News Events Townie® Poll Ebooks Townie Choice Awards
Company Info
Contact Us Advertise With Us Howard Farran DDS, MBA Policies and Agreements
Site Help
Sally Gross, Member Services Specialist
Phone: +1-480-445-9710
Email: sally@farranmedia.com
©2024 Dentaltown, a division of Farran Media • All Rights Reserved
9633 S. 48th Street Suite 200 • Phoenix, AZ 85044 • Phone:+1-480-598-0001 • Fax:+1-480-598-3450