Class 6: Software and Digital Integration
Operations Management
Operations management is the planning of business operations to provide a service as efficiently as possible. Planning the operations of a business relies on:
1) Capacity planning
2) Location planning
3) Layout planning
4) Quality planning
5) Methods planning
Scheduling
There are multiple theories for best practices of patient scheduling, yet most dentists know how important the scheduling of patients can be. A light schedule does not allow for productivity and earnings, while a busy schedule leads to a nervous, low work satisfaction environment with high turnover of staff. Some elements of a well functioning appointment control system would be:
1) Maximize dentist efficiency and effectiveness
2) Allow for on time treatment delivery for patients
3) Balance treatment load and service procedure mix
4) Allow for flexibility (emergencies, etc.)
5) Stabilize production per day
6) Reduce uncertainties that lead to longer than anticipated appointment times
7) All employees understand their role in the schedule
Information Technology
Technology is rapidly evolving and in turn changing the tools we use to accomplish our dental services. Changes in technology have allowed improvements in diagnostics, patient convenience, patient safety, information accessibility, automatization, and collection/analyzation of clinical/consumer big data.
Depending on the technology the cost to include in the dental office can be a large investment. Some digital technologies are now required like digital xray and electronic patient records (EHR). Although other technology like CAD/CAM, CBCT, and intraoral scanners can have a large price tag. To assess the financial feasibility to incorporate a large technology investment a break-even analysis might help.
Cybersecurity
For any business cybersecurity is a threat that can cause costly damages. Most attacks are due to phishing attacks and these attacks have become more sophisticated. Basic cybersecurity awareness and training are important to deter situations that might lead to a cyber attack. As data has become more accessible the unintended consequence is that the data is more vulnerable to a breach.
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Self-Assessment
Please use this self-assessment tool to see your understanding of the material. Click on the answer that you feel is the best. If you choose the incorrect answer you can use the arrow on the upper left or click "try again" to go back to the question.
