Hidden Costs: Going paperless - DentalProductsReport.com

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6. Replacing computers. Your practice is probably already equipped with computers, but that doesn’t mean they can handle the new software you’re about to introduce, said Dr. Bradley Dykstra of Anchor Dental Consulting. Older computers may not be powerful enough to handle digital records. But if you already have the right computers and good practice management software that you and your team really knows how to use, you’re going to save yourself some money.

7. Scanners, shredders and signature pads or wireless tablets. You won’t be able to get rid of all paper right away, so you’ll need a scanner to scan patient documents into their charts and a shredder to shred those documents, Dr. Dykstra said. And of course you’ll still need signatures, so some type of signature pad is a must.

8. Highspeed Internet connection and a backup system. If you’re going to be e-mailing radiographs and other large files, you’re going to need a proper Internet connection, Dr. Dykstra said. You also need a really good backup system. You can do that online, which will be a well-worth it monthly cost.

Don’t rush into it

No matter where you’re starting from, take it slow, Phillips said.

Going digital doesn’t need to happen over night, and if it does it probably won’t work out the way you imagined.

“Don’t say ‘Happy Monday, let’s go paperless,’” Phillips said. “It will never happen. You need team buy-in and training.”

So how should you do it? Here’s what Phillips recommends:

Start with your new patients. Every new patient who comes in will be charted electronically, so everything will be in the computer except the patient forms they fill out. Once everybody feels comfortable with just new patients, then start with recall hygiene patients. Pick two to three patients a day and instead of pulling their charts, start putting information in the computer. Remember it takes about 12 months, but in about a year you’re not pulling charts any longer. Then once everybody is comfortable with that, move to the front desk and start getting rid of the last 3 to 5 pages left.

9. Whatever digital items you don’t have. Whether it’s an intraoral or extraoral cameras or sensors, if you don’t already have them you’ll need to get them to make the transition.

This may seem like a lot to take in, but Dr. Dykstra said clinicians must remember these up front costs are well worth the benefits you, your staff members and your patients will reap from a paperless practice.

“You have to understand your present system is not free,” Dr. Dykstra said “Your paper charts are not free. Your x-rays are not free. That’s the bottom line. Because we have a system we’re using, we assume it costs us nothing to use it. It costs us a lot.”

If the up front costs still seem a bit overwhelming, Dr. Dykstra suggests you take the time to prepare. Take between 5 and 10 percent of your monthly gross and put it aside into the technology fund, and do this as long as you practice. That will pay for hardware replacements, software updates and new technology that comes along, he said.

And there are plenty of resources you can turn to, such as dental consultants who specialize in going paperless, Web sites, trade magazines like Dental Products Report and even colleagues. But once you do some research and get the process going, it will all be worth it in the end.

“It’s a better system and you can do better diagnosis and do it in less time,” Dr. Dykstra said. “You can give your patients more information, which increases patient acceptance. Time is money and you eliminate tasks, so you can do more procedures or take more time off. Life is good.”