Not all practice management software is created equal – have you taken advantage of what the right software solutions have to offer your practice?
There are endless options available to you when it comes to dental applications – what’s the best way to figure out which one is the right choice?
Dental applications are one of the fastest evolving sectors of business IT in the world, and for good reason. It’s not just about delivering a great user experience, or keeping the total cost of ownership reasonable; it’s about improving the way dentists interact with and treat patients.
However, you can’t just treat your patients and call it a day – there’s a lot more going on in a dental practice:
That’s just the tip of the iceberg. The fact is that in addition to the care you provide to your patients, you’re also running a business. Bottom line? A dental application worth using is simply more important and can do more good than the average IT solutions because it has an effect on how patients are cared for.
It’s all about finding the one that has the features that will really support the work you do every day – improving not just your experience as a healthcare professional, but your patients’ experience too.
Think of it this way – why bother lugging around a dozen different screwdrivers when a single powered multi-tool will handle every type of screw you may come across? Being able to take care of work using just one solution just makes more sense – by its nature, it’s simpler, more centralized, and more efficient.
As you know very well from your time at trade shows and from what you get in your inbox every day, there are a lot of vendors out there trying to sell you their dental applications. There’s something for everything – whereas some will help you manage insurance claims, others will provide an automated solution for confirming patient appointments.
With so many vendors trying to get your business, how can you narrow down the options and choose the best one for you? A key differentiator is whether or not the solution can make use of your data – that is, if they offer business intelligence capabilities.
Business intelligence is the collection and analysis of data collected such as department productivity, overall growth, healthcare trends, and patient/client behavior. Applications of this data can range from something as simple as Spreadsheets for the organization, and storage of data to Online Analytical Processing or Reporting and Querying software. Each has a specific use and offers various benefits to your practice.
Reporting and querying software extracts, sorts, summarizes, and presents selected data. This data could range from sale reports of specific items to a measurement of the efficiency of marketing plans.
In a nutshell, business intelligence will help you manage your practice more effectively. Still, many practices don’t take advantage of the tools that they have available to them. Dentists may know that they should be analyzing their data but often fail to do so.
There is a common misconception that business intelligence is mainly for large businesses and grand corporations. While analytics and other business intelligence applications are helpful to large businesses, they also work well for practices like yours.
Still not sure which practice management software you should choose? Allow NOVA to help – we’ve worked with a number of dental practices in to help them select, configure and deploy the right dental application for their needs. We will help you too.
Like this article? Check out the following blogs to learn more:
Consider Dolphin Imaging For Your Dental Practice In Northern Virginia
Part 1: Think It’s Painful To Switch IT Companies? Questions and Answers
Are You Missing a Valuable Resource for Stellar Patient Experiences?
