By Paul Suni
It's easy for some dentists to make decisions without seeking employee input. That's because many dentists are independent thinkers, entrepreneurial by nature and often inclined to a "my business/my decision" way of thinking.
This attitude can be counterproductive when making a decision that affects the entire hygiene staff on a day-to-day basis, such as converting from film to digital radiography. In this case, getting hygiene staff buy-in will ensure that the conversion process is quick and painless.
This is a perfect opportunity for a senior hygienist who understands the many benefits of digital radiography to help the dentist to gain consensus among the rest of the staff.
First, don't assume that the rest of the hygiene staff has been reading all the articles in the trade publications touting the advantages of digital radiography. You may need to distribute this information internally and ask the question, "What do you think?"
If you take the time to listen, you'll most likely learn that the rest of the staff sees the value of quicker images, more accurate diagnosis and decreased radiation. Their questions are most likely to be, "Is digital radiography hard to learn?" or, "Will this transition make my job easier or more difficult?"
Make careful notes when your staff expresses their concerns, because these are the same questions that you will need to ask your digital radiography vendor in order to intelligently evaluate its training and customer support programs.
When the dentist begins the digital radiography vendor selection process, suggest that the sales rep include the entire staff in the sales consultation process. This will save the dentist and perhaps you as well the trouble of selling the rest of the staff individually. An additional benefit is that you now have a vendor evaluation team whose collective input can help you select the right vendor for your practice.
Ask specific and pointed questions about the vendor's training program. How thorough is it? Is it conducted on site? Will a trainer remain on-site the first day after installation to ensure that your staff knows what to do and that patient confidence is not compromised?
Your front line staff will be especially interested in these answers. Reviewing them together, you will select the right digital radiography vendor and make a smooth transition to digital radiography.
Paul Suni is the CEO of Suni Medical Imaging in San Jose, Calif. For more information, call Toll-Free (800) 438-7864, (408) 227-6698, or visit www.suni.com.
