Dentaltown September 2019 - 14

professional courtesy
column

Project Paperless: What's Your Score?
YEARS

Editor's note: To commemorate Dentaltown's 20th anniversary, throughout 2019 we'll be running some
classic content unearthed in the publication's archives. (In case you didn't know, every issue back to October
2001 is available online at dentaltown.com/magazine.) The topics in this Professional Courtesy column from
May 2012 are still valid today, which illustrates how, although the dental industry may have changed tremendously
over the past two decades, the need for change and adoption of new technology will always be a constant.

W hen dentists describe their
offices as "paperless," you can't take
the term too literally because this
is a term with a multitude of definitions. They might use a computer
to do scheduling and billing, but paper
charts for treatment plans and progress notes. They might
have progress notes in the computer, but still process
paper checks from insurance companies or have patients
complete a paper form when they come to the office for
their initial visit.
No matter where you are on the paperless spectrum,
I've devised a quiz to test your progress and generate your
"to-do" list.

The test
Check the boxes if the item is true in your practice.
Unchecked items become your "to-do" list.
My practice uses a digital camera or intraoral camera
for patient photographs.
My practice uses dental practice management software.
My practice has a digital X-ray system.
My patient clinical charting and progress notes are
completed in my practice management software.
My practice f iles more than 90% of our claims
electronically.
My practice captures patient
demographic information, as well
as medical and dental history
electronically.
My practice uses an electronic
signature capture pad so patients
can sign treatment plans, consent
forms, HIPAA forms and their
patient registration form.

My practice has a computer in every operatory.
My practice has an internet connection.
My practice has a system to digitize incoming letters from
specialists, as well as dental records from other practices.
My practice is generating referrals "on demand" rather
than filling out forms from a pad by hand.
My practice uses an automated system for confirming
appointments and communicating with patients.

Where should you start?
You must draw a line in the sand and stop generating
more analog information. Pick a date and make a commitment to implement the items on this list that you did
not check. Don't try to do everything at once; implement
items in stages. Start with some of the easier tasks and
build accordingly.
Next, you should consider how you want to convert
your patients' old records. For example, you might only
want to scan the most recent copy of X-rays and store the
others. The chances of needing the older ones again are
slim. With a good sheet-fed scanner, you can scan all the
paper documents in an old chart fairly quickly. When we
eliminated paper charts, we simply scanned the charts of
the patients coming in each day. In our case, we had used
the computer for everything except the patient welcome
form and signed treatment plans, so scanning was minimal.
After six to eight months of scanning, the remaining
charts were inactive patients. We placed those charts in
separate storage boxes and scanned them when patients
were reactivated.
If your team is frightened by the prospect of this daunting
project, fear not. A local teenager or college student would
be a great help with this project. Please share your thoughts
online at dentaltown.com. I'm on Twitter @ddsTom, and
email at tom@dentaltown.com. ■

by Thomas Giacobbi, DDS, FAGD, editorial director, Dentaltown magazine

SEPTEMBER 2019 // dentaltown.com

http://www.dentaltown.com/magazine http://twitter.com/ddstom http://www.dentaltown.com http://www.dentaltown.com

Dentaltown September 2019

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Dentaltown September 2019