1. Look Before You Leap into Dental Systems Technology
Challenges, barriers and risk
Presented by Manny Molina
Dental Informatics Director
Catalyst Institute

2. What is Dental Technology
Practice Management software applications
Electronic Dental Record software applications
HL7 interface standard or system integration efforts.
Office automation - decentralization of dental offices
Patient education in operatory setting and online web-based sites.
Technology advances in digital imaging, document management and voice recognition

3. Challenges to CHC’s Medical takes priority over Dental initiatives
Force to use an Electronic charting system meant for medical and not dental.
Limited staff resources and lack of funding capital
The various educational levels of support staff
Project Management of dental system implementation
Lack of dental technology expertise
Knowing where to go for help and direction

4. Things to be aware of …
Organize before you implement, if you have a disorganize office before you computerized then after you computerize, you will have a computerized, disorganize office.
Choose if dental will continue to be part of the overall central patient registration and scheduling system of the CHC or a stand-alone.
Come to a decision if dental billing will continue within the central billing of the CHC or will you run dental billing on the new system

5. Things to be aware of (continued)…
Prepare to either update or create new policies and procedures to reflect electronic systems and infection control.
Be aware of the learning curve on any application, the most expensive part of any system you are looking into is the time it takes your staff to learn and get trained
Don’t believe all sales promises (vaporware). If you cannot see it, touch it or watch it operate, than consider that it doesn’t exist.

6. What to look for in a DR System
A module system that contains these main business and clinical modules.
Practice Management Module
Electronic Charting Module
Document Management Module
Digital Imaging Module

7. Key Charting features Dental charting (Existing and performed)
Customized Health history questions
Treatment planning, tracking of procedures performed and pending
Able to set when notes/chart are locked, manual and automatic
Ability to store digital diagnostic images for viewing
Prescription writing and password protected
Perio Data and Graphic charting
Patient education

8. What to integrate?
1. Patient Registration: If integrated with a medical system then you will share same patient demographics and eliminate duplication.
2. Patient Scheduling: If integrated with your current PMS then you will have a central scheduling system that is transparent to what application it uses.
3. Central Billing: If integrated then you will eliminate having different systems to bill from and running separate financial and visit reports

9. Presented by Manny Molina Dental Informatics Director
Leadership
Think outside the box
Be creative
Don’t fear the unknown
Acknowledge success
Be open to change
Presented by Manny Molina
Dental Informatics Director
Catalyst Institute