Orthodontist offices are busy places and there is no shortage of challenges. Managing your workflow efficiently is crucial, especially in light of what orthodontists are dealing with today:
- Increased competition. Over 50% of general practice dentists are now offering brackets, clear aligners, and other orthodontic services.
- Hiring, training, and retraining staff. About 85% of practices say that there is a shortage of staff available to hire. Two-thirds are currently looking for staff.
- Declining insurance reimbursements. Around 25% of dental practices report lower reimbursement rates from insurance providers.
Against this backdrop, orthodontic practices need to streamline operations with solid processes and orthodontic case management tools.
Streamlining Orthodontic Case Management: Top Ten Features
You need comprehensive case management and 3D software to save time and provide a better patient experience. An organized, digital workflow provides a fast, simple, and efficient way to manage your workload.
Here are the top ten features that you want. The best orthodontic case management tools will offer these options and more.
1. One Platform to Manage All Labs
Depending on the practice, you may be working with multiple labs. When you can view all your cases from multiple labs in one place, it’s easier to manage them. Rather than having to log in and out of different lab portals or email back and forth, you will see everything associated with your cases at once.
2. Universal Forms for Prescriptions
Stop filling out different forms for each lab. For patient appliances, aligners, and indirect bonding prescriptions, use a universal orthodontic lab prescription form that can be used by commercial labs. This saves time and makes it less likely that you will miss entering the vital information that labs need.
3. Ability to Manage and Track All Patient Cases
Another frustration for many orthodontic offices is keeping track of all their current lab cases, especially when using multiple labs. When you can manage and track progress on all your prescriptions, appliances, and clear aligners cases in one platform, it can reduce frustration. You will no longer have to make multiple phone calls or send multiple emails to find out the status of your cases.
4. Paperless Workflow
When you use a digital solution for your case management, you can eliminate spreadsheets, sticky notes, and handwritten files. This makes for a more efficient workflow and ensures that anyone who needs to be in the know can find the information that they want. It also provides an audit trail, enabling you to see what happened with your case management even years later.
5. Secure, Efficient Communications
The best cloud-based orthodontic case management tools should provide secure and efficient communications. This way, you can manage all your cases in one place and easily share information with labs without having to call or email.
6. Standard Lab Pricing
Different labs may have significantly different pricing structures, but the price shouldn’t be a mystery. When you enter the information for a case, you should be able to see the standard pricing for each prescription so you know what to expect and provide greater transparency for your patients.
7. Integration
Streamlining operations requires integration with your other systems to simplify workflow. Your orthodontic case management tools should integrate with:
- Practice management software
- Intra-oral scanners
- 3D printers
This enables you to work more efficiently and connect digital files with cases for easier access and retrieval.
8. Management and Storage of STL Files
With the right orthodontic case management tools, you can streamline the management and storage of STL files. You should be able to view and base STL files within the platform, add labels and remove artifacts, and manage the 3D editing process with ease. You should also be able to automate STL file optimization for 3D printing.
9. Up-to-Date Status Information
When appliances are not delivered on time, it causes all sorts of problems. You may have to call and reschedule patients and have holes in your schedule. It can reflect negatively on your practice, even if it’s not your fault. The right tools can alleviate these worries by providing up-to-date information so you can be proactive.
10. Management of In-House Labs
If you operate an in-house lab, you want to be able to manage and control your cases in the same efficient manner. Implement barcode scanning to easily look up prescriptions as part of your workflow management.
Comprehensive Orthodontic Case Management Tools
EasyRx offers comprehensive orthodontic case management tools designed to ensure that every case is delivered accurately and on schedule, so you can provide the highest level of patient care. Its case management solutions include these listed features and many others.
Here at EasyRx, we help orthodontic practices by giving them the tools that they need for comprehensive case management to streamline their workflows and achieve maximum clinical efficiency.
To see how we can help your practice get away from paper documentation, confusing spreadsheets, and costly workflow errors, contact our specialists today!
