Dentist, why is it your obligation to computerize the dental office?

Technology is present in everything we do and it is very difficult to imagine our days without these advances. When it comes to running your practice, this should be no different. The computerization of offices and clinics is an important procedure, capable of making your daily routine more practical and offering a series of advantages, both for management and for patients. Do you want to better understand what it is and why you should computerize the office? Read on!

What is computerization of clinics and offices?

Computerization, generally, involves the use of management software and other technologies that help to make everyday life inside the clinic simpler, such as electronic medical records, scheduling applications and even virtual assistants.

With these technologies, it is possible to integrate the sectors, improve the control of the professionals' agendas and make their management more professional. This is because the software generates accurate data about the office, improving decision making.

It will be easier, for example, to control the financial part, detailing the inflows and outflows, making it easier to predict how the next months will be, the minimum number of patients to cover the costs of the clinic, the profit margin of each service provided and others Details. Many of these software work in the cloud. That is, the files and information are not stored on the clinic's computer, but on an online server, so you can access the data and software whenever you need it, even at home, for example via smartphone and tablet. This makes it easier to manage your business, access documents or even check patients' medical records.

What are the benefits of computerizing the office?

Still don't believe that computerizing the office is a good idea? Below we separate the main advantages that these technologies can bring.

- Great cost-benefit ratio

Many health professionals do not invest in computerization because they believe that the costs are too high. This is not true, after all, there are solutions for clinics of all segments and sizes. The important thing, in this case, is to analyze the return on investment, that is, what benefits the technology will bring to help your clinic attract more patients, reduce costs and improve your financial life.

When we think about it, we can see that computerization brings a series of benefits that help to save and even optimize the generation of revenues, making this investment pay off in a short time.

- Centralized management

The great advantage of using a management software is, in just one program, to concentrate all the important information about your office, that is, you will no longer need countless spreadsheets or loose documents that make it difficult to access information that is necessary in the routine . With the data from the software, it is possible to have an overview of your office, understanding, for example, how much each professional brings in profit per month, the main operating costs, average service time, stock management etc. This makes it much easier on a daily basis, in addition to allowing data to be cross-referenced and making more informed and correct decisions.

- Increased productivity

When the office is computerized, the processes tend to be simplified, from scheduling appointments to registering information in the patients' medical records. This means less time for your professionals to spend filling out paperwork, looking for documents and data or performing a series of bureaucracies that do not bring real results to your clinic.

- Better control of data and information

With the centralization of data in the software, it will be easier to organize and standardize this information. Instead of searching the physical file for each patient's file, you can quickly search the name on the software and find all the data you are looking for.

The electronic medical record also allows the sharing of exams and information among professionals who care for the same patient. Just as it is possible to cross this data with personal, contact and financial information.

- Differentiated service to patients

The computerization of the office also brings benefits to patients. After all, there are several solutions that make their lives easier. For example, with the possibility of scheduling online, which makes it easier to book or reschedule an appointment, without the need to call the clinic.

The electronic medical record is another that brings positive points in the service. After all, the health professional will have much more information about each patient, since he may include videos, photos and other media, making this file richer and more detailed.

- Optimization of physical space

All medical or dental records must be kept in the office for at least 5 years. If this storage is physical, it means the need for an increasing space just to keep the file, in addition to the need for specific labor to care for and organize this space, but if you keep this data in your software, you will not have the need for that extra space in your clinic. In addition, there is less risk of loss and unauthorized persons having access to this information, increasing security.

- Reduction of errors

Errors affect clinic productivity and patient experience very significantly. Inconsistent information, for example, or recipes with illegible letters are situations that usually occur in most offices. When computerization is performed, the chances of these errors occurring are drastically reduced, since any discrepant information is easily perceived and corrected.

Regarding legibility, many software have the possibility of printing the prescriptions, which also brings more tranquility to the patients, reducing the chances of them taking medications or carrying out the treatments incorrectly.

- Greater efficiency

With all these benefits, the computerization of the office, of course, contributes to increased efficiency. After all, your sectors will be more interconnected, the reception will have a precise control of the professionals' agendas, the patients will have a more efficient service and you, as manager, will have access to reliable and real-time data about your clinic.

It is possible to cross-check information and have personalized reports about the office, which favors decision making and helps make your office more competitive. You can, for example, analyze the costs of your clinic and know how to reduce them appropriately, understand the average waiting time of your patients, evaluate your suppliers and better manage your stock, offer more scheduling possibilities for your patients, trigger messages and automatic reminders of appointments reducing the no show, among numerous other demands.

All this helps the manager to make his clinic different from the competition, offering excellent care to patients and with greater financial and managerial control. It is precisely for all this that computerizing the office is practically a must today. Especially if you want to stand out in your environment and have a much more efficient and productive clinic.

Source: Cloudia. Available at: https://www.cloudia.com.br/informatizar-o-consultorio/. Access on: 11/12/2020.