Data is not Information

by Larry Emmott on May 22, 2013

in e-Services,Management

225moneygraphI was on a bike tour last week with a large medical data processing group. Talking with them about what they did this phrase came out repeatedly: “Data is not information.”

As dentists using computers we generate a lot of data. However if we cannot assemble that data into a meaningful format it has little value. Beyond that what does it mean? Just knowing the numbers is not useful unless we can turn the number into significant action.

Here is an example. Your computer keeps track of the number of prophys you do and the total production of every service you provide. That is data. You can assemble that data to give you a ratio of the prophy income to total income. Numbers or ratios of this kind are called Key Performance Indicators or KPIs. Now what?

In order to act on that data you need to know how your prophy to income ratio or KPI compares with the norm and with the ideal. You also need to know what action you can take if the KPI indicates a problem.

Finally you need to monitor change after the actions are taken turning data once again into information.

Few dentists have the training or experience to use this kind of business information effectively. That is why we rely so heavily on business consultants. Dentrix users have another option.

Dentrix offers an online consulting service called Profitability Coaching. Profitability Coaching monitors the data generated by your Dentrix system generates KPIs and then creates a personalized action plan for your office. Finally they will monitor results and follow up with help as needed.

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Dental Art

by Larry Emmott on May 22, 2013

in Dental Art

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Dental Purse: Dental art is anything that depicts teeth or dentistry in an interesting or artistic way. If you have any suggestions for future Dental Art pieces please send them to me or give me a link. Thanks.

A break from the dark and frightening images, although there are sadly many more in the collection. This purse with teeth is a bit whimsical yet still has a sinister feel. True dental geeks however know the mold and shade of the teeth and are wondering if they are in proper occlusion.

All the Dental Art images can be found here on Pinterest.

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Get Paid

by Larry Emmott on May 21, 2013

in Internet,Management

Very interesting stats from Sesame Communication research, When patients receive a finacial reminder for a past due amount and they are offered the option of paying online:

  • Within 24 hours 38% pay the balance.
  • Within 48 hours 50% pay the balance.
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Inventory Management

by Larry Emmott on May 21, 2013

in Management,Office Design

Cubex uses a digital cabinet to store inventory and track usage. An online management program called SIM (Smart Inventory Manager) gathers the data, and even places orders automatically as needed.

One of the first things most dentists and team members notice is that the Cubex cabinet seems much too small to hold all your supplies. The basic cabinet is the size of a large bookshelf, about 77 inches high, 51 inches wide and 24 inches deep. (Larger models are available if needed.) It seems too small but once you organize the supplies you actually use and reduce the amounts you have in stock to what is really needed it is in fact large enough for most offices. When you see all the “stuff” you had stored in cabinets, piled in the closet or stuffed under the sinks fit into a single cabinet that has about one forth the capacity you were previously using it shows you how much we were wasting in excess inventory and storage space.

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Take the Online Footprint Quiz

by Larry Emmott on May 20, 2013

in Internet,Management,Social Media

man-thinkingAre you net savvy? Take this quiz to determine your online footprint.

  1. Do you have a practice web page?
  2. Has the practice web page been updated in the last year?
  3. Do you send e-mails to patients?
  4. Do you have an office blog?
  5. Are you on Facebook, as a dentist?
  6. Do you Tweet?
  7. Are you listed in online dental directories?
  8. Do you have videos on YouTube?
  9. Can people contact you through the Internet?
  10. Have you claimed your  Google+ place?

Give yourself one point for every yes answer. If you answered no to question 2, your web page is not up to date, subtract 4 points. It is actually worse to have an out of date poor web site than to have none at all.

If you scored a perfect 10 then you are an up to date, 21st Century, net savvy, Web 2.0, power practice.

On the other hand if you scored 5 or 6 you are typical. If you scored less than 3…well you wouldn’t have because at less than 3 you wouldn’t be reading a blog to begin with.

The point of the quiz is to demonstrate that having an online footprint does not simply mean you have a web page or an office Facebook page. A practice web site is just the beginning. To use the Internet effectively means tapping into the power of dynamic, interactive web sites; social media, e-communications, search engines, social networking and more.

For help with setting up your online foot print I recommend Sesame and TNT Dental

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Harriott the HarriedIn case you missed it here is a link to a classic article from last year in Dentalcompare. It is intended to be fun and funny however you may recognize some things that actually happen in your office.

Back with the patient Harriet is ready to try again. Mr. Grumple has been here almost an hour, he is still in pain and now he is clearly ticked off. Judy the front desk fool person is standing in the hall frantically gesturing toward all the people in the waiting room and pointing at her watch. Dr. Paperman steams in, sees what is going on and asks, “Where is the x-ray?”

Harriet bursts into tears.

via Harriet the Harried Dental Assistant | Dentalcompare.com.

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Anti-Buzz: Judo

May 18, 2013

When I’m thinking about modern technology but I’m not waxing philosophic about it here, I’m usually thinking about digital products – music, movies, photos, games, software – and the economic reality behind them. Occasional soapbox moments aside, I don’t delve into these topics much here because it has seemed to me that the subject wasn’t relevant to [...]

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Webinar e-Services

May 17, 2013

At last, technology that pays for itself. One of the most powerful trends in technology is the development and expansion of the Internet and eServices yet many dentists do not understand or utilize eServices. This course will explain what an eService is and how you can use eServices to improve patient care and increase profitability [...]

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Intellectual Property Laws Are Out of Control

May 17, 2013

Interesting, related to “Who owns the data?” The publisher had argued, essentially, that you might own a book you bought, but the company retained the right to sell it. Ownership ought to mean something. When you buy a smartphone or an automobile, it should be yours, and companies shouldn’t be able to leverage their intellectual [...]

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All on Four

May 17, 2013

Taking an “All on Four” clinical course taught by Chris Winterholler. Two quick observations: It works. Like many dentists I scoffed at teeth in a day and only four implants as being not only bad dentistry but fraudulent. Now that I have seen the science and the technique I am impressed. BTW that angled distal [...]

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3D Printing and Plastic Guns

May 16, 2013

This relates to the concept I wrote about in Dentalcompare, A Car is not Merely a Faster Horse. We (all of us) need to understand how different the actual world is from the world most of us think we’re living in.  Most people believe that tomorrow is going to be substantially identical to today.  The [...]

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Who Knows What ?

May 16, 2013

This week on Dental Compare: There are six different primary functions found in Practice Management Software. Everybody does not need to know everything but everybody does need to know something. Every dental team member does not need to be a mouse master with intimate knowledge of every click and cranny of the software. However every [...]

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Quantum computer leaves PC in the dust

May 15, 2013

Hmmm For the first time, a commercially available quantum computer has been pitted against an ordinary PC – and the quantum device left the regular machine in the dust via Commercial quantum computer leaves PC in the dust – physics-math – 10 May 2013 – New Scientist.

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Dental Art

May 15, 2013

Dentist in Red: Dental art is anything that depicts teeth or dentistry in an interesting or artistic way. If you have any suggestions for future Dental Art pieces please send them to me or give me a link. Thanks. Last week I posted a disturbing image and wrote; “Many of the dental art images I [...]

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Oh Yeah, It’s a Phone Too

May 14, 2013

One of the fundamental changes that digital technology has produced is so subtle we often don’t even acknowledge it yet it is so substantial that it has altered everything. Once the basic capacity is in place a digital device can do many many that is to say many tasks. The most obvious example is a [...]

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Minimum Requirements to “Go Paperless”

May 14, 2013

The following are the Minimum Requirements that must be in place before the office can go paperless. Software: Operating System and Network Microsoft Windows 7 and Windows Server 2008 There are other options but Windows is far and away the industry leader. Using an alternative like Linux or Mac is possible but very limiting. Practice [...]

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Ten Truths

May 13, 2013

I think part of a best friend’s job should be to immediately clear your computer history if you die. Nothing sucks more than that moment during an argument when you realize you’re wrong. There is great need for a sarcasm font. Google Map directions really needs to start on # 5.  I’m pretty sure I know [...]

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Scheduling Posts in Facebook

May 13, 2013

A Guest blog from Deploy Dental. The opinions expressed are from Deply Dental not Dr. Larry Emmott. However I believe it is valuable for dentists to get various takes on technology issues in order to make good technology choices. _____________________________________________________________________________ By: Deploy Dental Are you still using third party applications like Hootsuite, Tweetdeck, etc. to [...]

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