Dentrix challenges practices to redefine what a digital workflow means and expand it into every piece of the patient journey
Buzzwords have a way of losing their buzz when they’re tossed around too much. Digital workflow is one that’s been orbiting the dentistry world for years now without a concrete definition, and all too often, its meaning only becomes clear once it’s broken.
At its core, a digital workflow is about connecting technology. But it’s also inseparably tied to the patient experience. Anywhere your patients’ data touches your practice—from scheduling an appointment to digital radiographs to an online review about their experience—is fair game. It’s impossible to manage all of these footprints without a platform in place that can pull the pieces together before, during, and after the appointment.
Streamlining the Patient Journey
Office manager Irene Butterman, of Butterman Dental in Centennial, CO, uses Dentrix to manage the patient journey from start to finish.
“Before the appointment, Dentrix enables our support staff to quickly obtain insurance, financial, and scheduling information,” she said. “During treatment, our clinical staff has instant access to the patient’s chart, x-rays, cone beam scans, and photos.”
After the appointment wraps up, she can easily present treatment plans, generate and send insurance claims and preauthorizations, and schedule future appointments.
Expanding the Platform
Dentrix “Expand Ability” challenges what we know about the practice management system and encourages us to redefine its role in the practice. While most dental offices have shifted from paper charts to digital record-keeping, a practice management system should be more than just a digital filing cabinet.
Before the appointment, your technology should be helping you reel patients in through a combination of social media, search, and website marketing, and then automating the check-in process through electronic forms and questionnaires when they arrive. During treatment, you should be able to access a patient’s 2D and 3D images and document exams via intuitive perio charting, and easily build persuasive treatment plans that can be shared in-office.
“Nobody likes to wait—whether it’s on the phone, in the waiting room, or in the operatory,” noted Butterman. “By putting all the necessary information at our fingertips, Dentrix allows us to run our practice efficiently, and patients appreciate it, too.”
The end of an appointment shouldn’t signal the end of patient communication. Cloud-based software within Dentrix allows you to easily and automatically engage patients throughout the year via email, text messaging, or postcards, and encourage them to write a practice-boosting review about their experience.
Expanding Your Team
Do you know how a day of restoring smiles affects your bottom line? Your practice management system should. Dentrix combines innovative software with an army of experts who guide you through in-office training for scheduling, financial, and clinical workflows, and coaching sessions that help you manage KPIs and hire and train more team members.
“Dentrix can also compile detailed practice analysis reports, which help us to continually refine and attain our goals,” added Butterman.
