Eliminating paper in the practice

Thread view:

Enable EMail Alerts

Start New Thread

Thread rating:

TW Burger - 23 May 2006 17:29 GMT

I work for a company that provides EHR software for dental schools and
is the leader in EHR design and implementation. We are now expanding
our ability to integrate diagnostic information, goal based treatment
planning, and digital imaging into a single package. Using our
software, several universities are running paperless practice studies.

Commercially, I believe most western practices, both medical and
dental, run a heavily EHR based systems or at least integrate EDI due
to government or insurance industry claims submissions demands. The
last piece of the solution is the ablity to do away with the patient
chart. Nothing has yet been able to replace the ease, portablity, and
convenience of writing notes on paper. PDA's are too small and
difficult to use. Recordings must be trascribed and then the
transcription re-rentered into the EHR. Voice recognition is not
accurate enough.

What is needed is the solution that can eliminate the paper chart. Has
anyone suggestions as to how this could be done?

Reply to this Message

billkatz - 24 May 2006 00:11 GMT

That's the gold standard that no one has been able to set. Most of the
practice management systems out there will tout the ability to be
paperless but I've not seen one that is truly 100% digital. Taking the
chart out of the doc's hands may be another matter to contend with too.

One thing is sure. If you can accomplish this, you'll have built a
better mousetrap. :)

TW Burger Wrote:

> I work for a company that provides EHR software for dental schools and
> is the leader in EHR design and implementation. We are now expanding
[quoted text clipped - 14 lines]
> What is needed is the solution that can eliminate the paper chart. Has
> anyone suggestions as to how this could be done?

Signature

billkatz

Reply to this Message

KeithMDDS@comcast.net - 04 Jun 2006 05:38 GMT

The problem of course is that dental software is really designed for the
front office - billing and scheduling. The charting portions of the
applications are usually weak. I have never seen any dental application
that can duplicate the detailed chartings and excellent records we did at
dental school. I must confess that my examination records are pretty basic
now. Of course we have a good medical history form. We record all existing
restorations, caries and failing restorations. We always do a full perio
charting on new patients. When I first started in practice I had a 6 page
examination booklet that we would work through during the first exam.
However after a few years in practice the charts became so thick and bulky
we stopped doing it. Also it took so long to do. I would really love an
application that could quickly and efficiently allow me to record all the
data from a detailed comprehensive examination. After all isn't accurate
diagnosis and treatment planning the most important part of patient care?

Keith M.

> That's the gold standard that no one has been able to set. Most of the
> practice management systems out there will tout the ability to be
[quoted text clipped - 23 lines]
>> What is needed is the solution that can eliminate the paper chart. Has
>> anyone suggestions as to how this could be done?

Reply to this Message

billkatz - 06 Jun 2006 04:01 GMT

One program I've seen that makes a good stab at the clinical aspect of
dental practice management systems is Easy Notes Pro
(www.easynotespro.com). It takes some time to set up but from there
your clinical notes can be set up on a point-and-shoot basis... pretty
slick actually :) They'll give you a 45 day 'try it before you buy it'
period to evaluate too.

Lesse... A bridge between the PMS and the radiography system... a
bridge between the PMS and the clinical notes system... a bridge
between the perio probing... the camera... the assistant and the
hygienist... Perhaps it isn't an ideal situation and it involves more
upkeep between the systems but "seamless integration" is overrated IMO.

As a general rule, having a hodge-podge of programs in order to achieve
one's needs isn't unusual in vertical markets, like dentistry.

Kind regards,
-B

> The problem of course is that dental software is really designed for the
> front office - billing and scheduling. The charting portions of the
[quoted text clipped - 46 lines]
> > billkatz's Profile: http://dentalcom.net/forum/member.php?userid=519
> > View this thread: http://dentalcom.net/forum/showthread.php?t=4418

Reply to this Message

Newbie - 30 May 2006 20:46 GMT

>What is needed is the solution that can eliminate the paper chart. Has
>anyone suggestions as to how this could be done?

The paperless office has about as much chance of success
as a paperless Rest Room.

Reply to this Message

Bill - 02 Jun 2006 19:22 GMT

> >What is needed is the solution that can eliminate the paper chart. Has
> >anyone suggestions as to how this could be done?
>
> The paperless office has about as much chance of success
> as a paperless Rest Room.

____________________________

Paperless restroom?

Funny you should mention that . . . :-)

About 20 or 30 years ago there was an advertising campaign by a company
that billed itself as the producer of the "American Bidet." I remember
running across its magazine ads way back then.

Although the regular European bidet (as distinguished from this new
"American" bidet) had been a standard fixture in French bathrooms for
decades, the regular bidet never really caught on in America. The
French seemed to expect it as a standard plumbing fixture, but most
Americans didn't know what a bidet was.

So this company decided to cash in on that ignorance, and invented the
"American Bidet."

Unlike its European counterpart, the "American" bidet was meant to
cleanse the anal orifice and perianal tissues after defecation. This
nifty device directed a stream of water upon said tissues, which were
then dried with a subsequent stream of air.

The result? A "paperless" bathroom! Voila!

Apparently the fixture was less than a smashing success, as I haven't
heard anything about the company and its product in many years.

Still, it was an interesting idea -- probably too far ahead of its
time.

- dentaldoc

Reply to this Message