Category: Office Design

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Future Tech Management Office Design Paperless

Too Many Goals = No Goals at All

From Marcus Buckingham:

If you overwhelm your people with tons of goals, or many sub-goals, you run the risk of them trying to do everything in a superficial or inadequate way. Instead, try to create total clarity around a few — probably 4-6 a quarter is about right.

What is true about goals in general is also true about implementing technology in particular. If you try and do everything all at once you are likely to be frustrated and discouraged.

Let’s say you want to add a digital pan, launch a practice web page, convert to paperless charts, add photos to every patient exam and install CAD CAM. All of those things will benefit your practice but you are doomed if you try and do them all at once.

People can only cope with so much change at one time. If suddenly everything is different then people simply slow down and quit. People, that is both the team and the dentist, will be frustrated and burn out preferring to slip back to the old way of doing things and your new technology never gets implemented properly.

For example; switching to paperless records is not an event – you don’t do it in a weekend – it is a process that will take from three to twelve months. First you create a system to digitize everything in the paper chart, and then you stop making paper. However you will still refer to the old paper records as needed to review last year’s x-rays or see when some treatment was done. By the way we refer back to these old records far less often then we imagine.

NOTE: Do not try and scan all your old records in order to go paperless it is a big waste of time and money,

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Corona Pandemic Hardware Office Design

CK5 Cleankeys® keyboard with a touch surface

An update on the Cleankeys keyboard.

The new glass keyboard CK5 continues the famous Cleankeys® series and impresses users with its smart design and no compromises regarding hygiene. Compact dimensions and a generous touch pad/numpad area make it possible to operate the unit without a PC mouse

Source: CK5 Cleankeys® keyboard with a touch surface | washable-keyboards.com

Just in time for the Covid Pandemic.

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Hardware Office Design

Donuts?

Monitors follow the law of donuts; if one is good two is better and three is even better.

Two at the front desk: Schedule and patient chart.

Two in the treatment room: One for the patient one for the practice.

Three (or more) in the dentists office: Chart, radiographs, photos.

 

Categories
Management Office Design Paperless

Digital Workflow and Front Desklessness

Many years ago in the BC era (Before Computers) when office data was on paper, work flow meant; where does the chart go and who does what task.

Once a dental office develops a paperless system digital data can be accessed anywhere there is a computer, in the back, at the front or somewhere in the cloud.

This new pattern of doing things has been called Front Desklessness.

Does that mean there is no actual desk? No, Front Desklessness is not about tossing out a piece of furniture or eliminating a staff person. It is all about workflow, doing the non clinical business functions in a different way because technology allows us to handle data in a much more efficient manner.

For example, why make all the appointments at the front desk? If you use an electronic schedule with treatment room based computers why not schedule from the treatment room? Who better to make the appointment than the chairside assistant? She has just heard the dentist and the patient discussing the treatment. She knows exactly what needs to be done next. She knows if the patient is a gagger who needs extra time. She knows if there is lab work involved or any of the other clinical considerations, which would affect the appointment time. Just make the appointment.

Often work flow tasks with digital data do not need a person of any kind. For example making reminder calls, reactivating non compliant patients, sending bills or insurance claims are done in the cloud (online) with e-services, no human involved.

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Office Design

Dental Office Architecture and Design

Michael Unthank, NCARB, DDS is a dentist, a registered professional architect, and a member of the ADA, AGD, AIA & NCARB. As a registered professional architect and dentist, Dr. Michael Unthank speaks both languages fluently.

Source: Unthank Design Group | Dental Office Architecture and Design

If you are looking to build or update your dental office I have great respect for Michael Unthank. He and I worked together many years ago trying to figure out how best to incorporate computer technology into the treatment rooms.

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Hardware Office Design

ICW Ergonomic Dental Computer, Monitor & Keyboard Mounts

ERGONOMIC COMPUTER, MONITOR & KEYBOARD MOUNTS designed to create efficient, comfortable DENTAL workspaces. Superb range of motion, compact, strong and durable.

Source: ICW Ergonomic Dental Computer, Monitor & Keyboard Mounts

A great resource. Ceiling mounts are the best option for most treatment rooms.

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Digital Marketing e-Services Future Tech Management Office Design

Dental Tech Resolutions for 2019

High Tech Dental New Year’s Resolutions

1. Before you purchase new technology resolve to use what you have now more effectively. Chances are you already have some pretty sophisticated technology and you are not getting all you could from it.

Plan at least two technology training session for the team and the dentist in the coming year. Plan it now and budget the funds needed, don’t wait until you get around to it.

2. Beware of old dogs. Resolve to upgrade and maintain your technology infrastructure. For most offices this means workstation computers in the treatment rooms, the business area and the dentist’s office networked to a central server. Computers age like dogs, indeed faster than dogs. Computers need to be constantly upgraded as newer versions of software are released, including Windows. Then they should be replaced every three to four years.

3. After the first two are done resolve to eliminate paper and have completely digital patient records in the next ninety days. How? Look here.

4. Take data security seriously. Resolve to do the HIPAA basics. The first thing the 2013 omnibus rules require is that the office assign a security officer to oversee data security and HIPAA compliance. The second item is to do a technology assessment. A technology assessment is not a do it yourself project. Get an experienced dental IT professional to help you and your staff do the assessment.

Encrypt your data.

5. Use the Internet more effectively. Claim your Google my business page in the next thirty days. If you have already done this make sure it is up to date, has all the correct practice information such as phone numbers and has some good professional photos.

Get a professional web page.

Office web pages are not just for new patients. Consider spending less on web site optimization and more on adding functionality that supports existing patients. At a minimum this should include online appointment requests, online bill pay and online forms.

6. And finally, just like last year, lose ten pounds and visit the gym twice a week. Happy New Year.

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Hardware Management Office Design Security

Cubex Mini

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Hardware Office Design Security

Public & Private

Some things seen on the computer monitor are public. Those are things we want the patient to see, their own chart, x-rays, photos or patient education. Other information should not be seen. That would include another patient’s chart or even the daily schedule. That is private.

Another way to refer to these is the patient monitor and the practice management monitor. Computer monitors in the treatment rooms need to be placed so that they can be seen or not as needed. That means either movable or multiple monitors.

Room Design and Computers in the Back

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Hardware Office Design

Keyboard Asepsis

Computer keyboards are notorious grunge hideouts. Many studies have found keyboards to be covered with grime and crawling with germs. Incidentally the filthiest keyboards were found in lawyer’s offices, but that is another story.

As dentists we have an obligation to keep our treatment room computers clean and germ free.

There are various ways of doing this. One way is to use water proof rubberized keyboards that can be sprayed and wiped down. In broad terms there are two types of sprayable keyboards. One has the keys raised like this:

rubberkeyboard

These work but are hard to really clean as the user has to wipe between the raised keys. This is not simple and usually means using a cotton swab in addition to gauze pads.

The second type has a flat glass (or glass like) surface that can easily be sprayed and wiped in one motion:

cleankey

These are easier to disinfect but cost more than other alternatives.

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Hardware Office Design

Lenovo ThinkStation P320 Tiny packs raw power into a small body

From SlashGear:

Lenovo has taken the wraps off what it says is the smallest ever workstation with ISV certification: the Lenovo ThinkStation P320 Tiny.

Source: Lenovo ThinkStation P320 Tiny packs raw power into a small body – SlashGear

This is ideal for a dental office. The small size can be put anywhere in a treatment room and I love the multiple monitors. I use 4 on my desk: Chart, Photos, Radiographs and Perio.

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Management Office Design

Your office is becoming obsolete ?

A linkedIn resource all about telecommuting. #WorkFromHome

Source: (8) Your office is becoming obsolete | Search | LinkedIn

There is nothing dental here. However it is a great look at what is happening in business and the trend to less office time and more virtual time. Many of the tasks that have traditionally been done in the office by administrative team members can be done from a remote location or outsourced to an online service.

Think outside the box. How about think outside the office?

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Management Mobile Office Design

Simplifeye

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Digital Marketing Office Design

Waiting Room Video

Whitening from Mike Russell on Vimeo.

Sample video from Waiting Room Video.

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Hardware Office Design

Where not to put the computer Tower

Do not put the treatment room tower on the floor.

It is likely to be damaged from cleaning activities; it could easily get wet from spills or mopping and it will pick up lots of dirt and dust. The tower needs to be close to a power supply and allow access in and out for various cables. For example if you position under the chair you will need to run monitor cables and USB inputs under the floor to the tower.

The preferred location is in a cabinet behind the chair. That assumes rear delivery and  cabinets with access to in wall or in floor channels to run the cables.

Categories
Office Design Security

An Onsite Secure Storage Option

ioSafe Server 5 is a fire- and waterproof, scalable and customizable data protection solution that enhances data security while significantly improving recovery times.

Source: ioSafe Products Server5 Overview

Another data storage option. This is a fire proof water proof server. The theory is that you can have your data back immediately after a disaster without Internet connections. However the server is still susceptible to theft, the primary cause of dental data breaches. So do not leave it out in the open lock it up and a kit is available that enables the devices to be physically locked down as well as blocking access to both the ports and the bays.

Nevertheless a prudent dentist would encrypt the data and setup an offsite secure backup in addition to the fireproof server.

Categories
Future Tech Hardware Office Design

This Cute Robot Arm Is Small Enough to Sit on Your Desk

This friend could be yours for just a few hundred bucks thanks to a new Indiegogo campaign.

Source: This Cute Robot Arm Is Small Enough to Sit on Your Desk

Hmmm I see a robot arm like this as a huge help to lab techs or…maybe even as a chairside assistant?

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Office Design

Dentistry First

No matter how much we use technology the prime focus of the dentist and assistant must be delivering dental treatment. When setting up a room all of the ergonomic factors important to four-handed dentistry, the delivery of care, patient comfort and safety must be met before it is appropriate to introduce computers.

There is a zone around the head of the chair, the dentistry first area, which should be reserved for dental treatment only, no computers. This is also the zone of potential contamination from aerosol.

If the technology is in the way of doing dentistry the technology is in the wrong place.

Need Help? Look Here:

Categories
Hardware Office Design Radiography

Nomad and Aw Shucks

Intraoral x-rays have evolved, have you?

Categories
Management Office Design Paperless

Seven steps to developing a high tech dental office

seven1. Begin with the End in Mind:

  • Have a plan and a goal before you start

2. Establish a technology infrastructure:

  • Integrated practice management software
  • Computers networked in the treatment rooms

3. Add the “Big 2”:

  • Digital images
  • Digital radiography

4. Non-dental programs:

  • Word processing
  • Checkbook
  • Anti virus

5. Use the Internet and e-services:

  • Reminders
  • Web Page
  • Billing

6. Add advanced dental applications:

  • CAD CAM
  • Digital Diagnostics
  • Computerized probes

7. Keep a future focus; be open to evolving technologies:

  • Internet
  • 3D Images
  • Mobile