Maximising your Practice Management System

The vast majority of dental practices in the UK have some form of practice management software. It’s important to uses these systems to their full potential in order to truly maximise return on investment.

Organisation for All

It is not unusual for a dental business to operate from several geographical locations. This can create challenges in terms of communication and co-ordination from one site to another. The premium practice management systems currently on the market can easily cater for such situations; they allow “multiple clinic set-ups” meaning information is held on one central system that can be accessed from any approved location.

It is not just multiple sites that can test the effectiveness of communication channels in a business, but also the management of every member of the dental team’s diary. Dental care professionals, treatment co-ordinators, oral health educators and even practice managers are taking on greater responsibilities and so have more duties when it comes to caring for and communicating with patients. It is therefore essential that the practice management software is accessible to the whole dental team and can incorporate each individual’s schedule, whether they be a clinical or non-clinical professional.

Patient Recalls and Communication

Patients are more dental-savvy now than ever before and with greater understanding of the options available come higher expectations and the greater need for clear and effective communication from the professional team.  Many systems allow for patient records to be sent to them via email and with accompanying e-material, such as information leaflets to aide treatment explanations and encourage informed consent. Cutting-edge practice management software can also make the patient recall process run smoothly if fully utilised, with minimal need for user intervention. Once a patient’s communication preference has been selected, the recare cycle can be highly automated helping to improve on revisit frequency.  The patient record will display when the recare appointment has been booked or an alert will be sent when it is due.

Further considerations when choosing a practice management system for your practice might include the reputation of the provider, as well as the training and on-going technical support available for the team. The CS R4+ practice management software from Carestream Dental, for example, offers outstanding customer service alongside all the benefits outlined above, plus the capability of delivering real-time data for highly accurate practice performance analysis. Find out more today.

For more information, contact Carestream Dental on 0800 169 9692 or visit www.carestreamdental.co.uk

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