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based on their production or held to a certain level of production, efficiently running a short call list can make an appreciable difference. Without a computer, normally only the
front desk person can manage this list, but computerized
scheduling also allows hygienists to access this information.
Also, a computerized schedule can automatically remove a
patient from the list once he or she gets a new appointment,
and there is often confusion regarding rescheduled appointments with paper scheduling.
The changing hygiene treatment options can also cause
communication issues when scheduling is left to the front
desk. There are now insurance codes based not on a whole
quadrant of teeth but on more specific numbers and areas
of teeth, and the reception team may not schedule correctly
for these time consuming treatments. Allowing hygienists
to quickly view their schedules and make their own appointments helps ensure these treatments are accurately planned,
or that any miscalculation by the front desk is quickly corrected.
their patients well can properly adjust their schedules to accommodate them better and allow for breaks between challenging patients. I have also noticed that hygienists who can
schedule their own time are more apt to schedule additional
services, such as nutritional counseling and patient education, that the front desk may not be aware of.
With practice management software, hygienists feel empowered to take more control of their own schedules and
production. An easy-to-use reporting feature, such as the
Reports feature from EagleSoft, lets staff members create reports about their patients, and allows hygienists to
search for patients and follow up or contact them as necessary. For instance, if a patient has completed only one step
in a multistep treatment, the hygienist can contact the patient to check on his or her progress. Also, the records of
family members can be easily linked together. This allows
the hygienist to note, for example, when a mothers children
are due for appointments, during the mothers appointment.
She can then ask the mother if she would like to schedule
any appointments for her children.
The ability to easily view a patients record can help hygienists concentrate their practice-building efforts where
they are most useful. Many hygienists like to suggest optional services such as whitening, but may do this without
realizing a patient has outstanding bills with the practice.
Practice management software enables the hygienist to see
factors such as these and suggest only appropriate services.
In addition to proactively contacting patients, hygienists
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message via the computer to ask another staff member to begin the next appointment by taking X-rays.
An additional feature available with this software is the
ideal day template, which allows a hygienist to communicate preferences and scheduling needs with the front desk.
Some hygienists prefer to perform scaling and root planing early in the day, or want to make sure that time is set
aside each day for a certain type of appointment. Scheduling
software enables each staff member to create a customized
schedule unique to each team member.
Practice management software allows the schedule to
serve as the starting point for access to any other necessary information. Hygienists can easily click into patients
records to locate their history and notes, rather than taking more time to consult a paper chart. The computerized
schedule can also display the date of a patients last X-rays
directly in the appointment box, putting this important information where it can be easily seen. Additionally, scheduling software can help hygienists mask patient information
from the screen, allowing them to display their schedules in
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it is worth exploring all the capabilities of any existing system. Being proactive about scheduling can be a big help for
hygienists in improving patient relationships and advancing
their careers.
Jana Berghoff, RDH, is a Patterson Technology representative with more than
30 years of experience in the dental profession. Initially trained as a dental
hygienist at Northwestern University School of Dentistry in Chicago, she
spent time in the clinical setting learning the ropes of patient care. She soon
found herself moving into office/staff management positions. As an office
administrator, she worked with and was trained on several different dental
software programs and found she liked working with computers. She refocused her career and started working with Patterson Dental.
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