Don’t Take the Risk - Carestream Dental

Long has the threat of CQC loomed over dental practices in the UK, and in recent months we have seen more fall into the clutches of inadequacy.

Failing to meet all the regulations and comply with the various CQC outcomes can lead to serious problems at best. As we have seen on several occasions now, the CQC does have the power to close a practice it feels is endangering the public in any way. You may have seen the closure of a dental practice in Dudley in the last couple of months, when it failed to meet expected standards in three main areas – care and welfare of people, cleanliness and infection control, and record keeping.

In this particular case, the CQC inspector reported gaps in patient records with missing data that could not be located at all. There were also questions over the security of the records held, with some found in members of staff’s personal cars.

When dealing with paperwork for hundreds or indeed thousands of patients, it requires unnecessary time and effort from professionals and a huge amount of space for storage. When retaining such records for years, it is no wonder that data is misplaced or lost, particularly when the practice is busy and staff have several things on their minds at once. There are, however ways of protecting your practice from the same fate.

This is just one reason why modern technologies have replaced paper records, and the concept of a ‘paperless practice’ is rapidly spreading across the global market. By storing patient records electronically, practices can instantly save resources, time and space, enabling staff to concentrate on their patients. Such records are also easy to update when necessary, and files can be reviewed or emailed to patients accordingly.

The CS R4 Clinical+ practice management software from Carestream Dental demonstrates the latest innovation in such technology. The fully integrated system encompasses everything from appointment schedules to treatment plans, patient records and automatic text message reminders, all easily accessible by any authorised member of staff.

While ensuring your practice is CQC compliant, the software also helps streamline your daily processes and enhance the service you provide your patients as a simple yet effective management tool. In addition, CS R4 Online Backup and Recovery is also available from Carestream Dental to provide added security for all your data in case of a crisis.

So if there is any doubt at all over the reliability or security of your practice records, make sure you so something about it. Various electronic solutions are now readily available on the dental market, all provided with complete installation, training and on-going technical support. Don’t take the risk.

For more information, please contact Carestream Dental

on 0800 169 9692 or visit www.carestreamdental.co.uk