Content Dam Diq Online Articles 2015 01 Eaglesoft 1
Content Dam Diq Online Articles 2015 01 Eaglesoft 1
Content Dam Diq Online Articles 2015 01 Eaglesoft 1
Content Dam Diq Online Articles 2015 01 Eaglesoft 1
Content Dam Diq Online Articles 2015 01 Eaglesoft 1

The 3 C’s of practice management software: Competency, Completeness and Consistency

Jan. 16, 2015
It is necessary to have the three C's in order for a dental practice to run efficiently. Does your practice management software deliver?

As a dentist who has used computers in his practice since the mid 1980s, I’ve seen many dental software programs. Over the years, I’ve identified three qualities that practice management software must deliver in order to be worthwhile – competency, completeness, and consistency. What does each of these factors encompass? Let me explain.

Competency The competence of a practice management system refers to how suited it is for the tasks at hand. In the early days of practice management software, some systems were not really tailored for dentistry, but for more general health care settings. That’s less of a problem today, but it’s still important to make sure that any system you’re considering is truly customized for dental practice, and has options that allow you to customize it specifically to YOUR practice. I’ve been an Eaglesoft user for approximately 20 years, and this is one of Eaglesoft’s key strengths. Because it is backed by a dental supply company, it is incredibly well integrated into the practice, and adapts to the rapidly changing dental industry.

Completeness
Good software provides easy integration between the front office and clinical sides, and enables easy communication between team members. Our practice management software has a messenger feature that allows staff members to chat with each other between operatories or the front desk to facilitate in-the-moment communication. More importantly, the system allows us to be paperless, which enables a clear path of navigating through charts so each staff member can easily see what has been done, what needs to be done, who has spoken with the patient and what has been said. This level of e-documentation is one of the most important aspects of communication in our office and ensures all communication is properly documented.

From day one with our system, one of my favorite features has been digital charting, which lets us click on a tooth in a patient’s file and see the entire history of that tooth. This gives us ease of identification with both immediate and historic issues, and is a huge step up from anything we had on paper charts.

Consistency
With any technology, the quality of support provided when you need it is critical, and this is particularly true for a software system that runs your entire practice. I enjoy that our practice management system comes with excellent support options, including phone, email, and live chat, so we’re never left stranded when we need assistance. This has been very impactful when we’ve needed immediate help.

My 20-year experience with Eaglesoft has shown its ongoing consistency in staying up to date and relevant for any office. The software’s ability to integrate deeply with all of our technology systems means it is a key enabler for us to provide the best level of care for patients.

I encourage you to think about the 3 C’s as they relate to your dental software, and make sure you have a system that makes it easy for you to provide you patients with the best care possible.

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Dr. Steven McConnell is with the Marin Center for Restorative and Cosmetic Dentistryin Novato, Calif. He's been in practice for 30 years, with a focus on overall oral health and esthetic dentistry.