Imagine having all of the pieces of the puzzle available to you but not having the picture of how the finished puzzle will look? That is what happens when dentists focus on technology without any consideration to an ideal workflow.
This article is an excerpt from our most recent eBook, “Your Journey To A Paperless Practice.”
Avoid the “We’ve Always Done It This Way” Syndrome
Many of the tasks that your employees perform daily are based on old habits and outdated technology. Breaking free from the traditional paper mindset is tough because we are all familiar with paper and paper-centric workflows. For your new technology to work and bring value to your practice, you will need to create new workflows and adjust your office culture to fit a new, data-centric environment.
Evaluate Your Existing Workflows
Moving to a data-centric system requires you to ask a lot of how, who, where, when, and what questions. How do we receive this information? Who needs to see this data, where and when? What is the purpose of this particular process and how can we accomplish the same using the latest technology? How will job descriptions change or shift when we implement new technology?
Create a New Paperless Workflow
Look for ways to simplify, automate, and eliminate. Which processes are no longer necessary and can be eliminated with the use of new technology? Which steps can be automated? Which tasks could be performed more consistently with the help of software? How could we leverage technology to optimize our day-to-day operations so that we could have more time to focus on patient care?
As you analyze your processes and workflows, you will be able to identify opportunities to leverage your existing and new technology to capture and use real-time data. Creating a new data-centric workflow in your practice is the catalyst that will drive your transition.
