Seseme Communications is sponsoring a one hour free webinar on “Going Paperless” Tuesday Feb 28.

Registration Here

Interesting concept. I can see many possible uses in the dental office but wonder about the direct line of sight issue. Reminds me of the old IR devices. If they could not “see” the receiver they did not work.

AMONG the many new gadgets unveiled at the recent Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas was a pair of smartphones able to exchange data using light.

via Visible-light communication: Tripping the light fantastic | The Economist.

Follow the link for a report from Medscape asking doctors which insurers are the best which are the worst and what are the differences.

And the loser is…

Insurer Ratings Report 2011.

A Guest blog from Deploy Dental. The opinions expressed are from Deply Dental not Dr. Larry Emmott. However I believe it is valuable for dentists to get various takes on technology issues in order to make good technology choices. This is the second of a three part series on the value of Facebook. Part 1 is here.

_______________________________________

4. Gaining New Patients

The Internet in general is the fastest growing source for new patients.  Statistics show a large segment of that is coming from Facebook.  In a recent poll of 23,000 Americans, 16% used social media as a source for health care information, with 94% of those people choosing Facebook as their primary source². One surprising aspect was that the average age of respondents was 41 years old.  We would infer from this poll that using Facebook as a means to find and connect with health care providers is becoming more mainstream among even older Americans, and in the coming year it will be even more important for these providers, such as dentists, to increase their presence and participation on Facebook.  These statistics directly correlate to new patients, because, whenever a current patient becomes a fan of your page and clicks the ‘Like’ button, a notification is placed on their wall where all their friends can see it.  In today’s modern world when it is often quipped that ‘Nobody talks to each other anymore’, this is becoming the new word of mouth advertising.  There is almost no higher recommendation you can receive.

5. The Growing ‘Viral’ Aspect

The viral aspect of Facebook is one of the most powerful examples of reaching large amounts of people quickly.  If one fan ‘Likes’ a post, then you are instantly exposed to all their friends.  If two of those friends like it as well, then you are growing at an exponential rate.  Since the average Facebook user has 140 friends, you can very quickly be reaching thousands of people in only a few clicks.  This is not to imply that any of this is a given, only to demonstrate the potential ‘reach’ of your Facebook Page.  It still takes a lot of hard work, and it is the dentist’s responsibility to create the valued content that encourages their fans to take the action of ‘Liking’ or ‘Reposting’.

Part 3 will examine:

6.    Engage Current Patients

7.    Personal Connection

8.    Community

Editors note: It is quite possible for a dentist to set up a social media program, including Facebook, by him or herself. On the other hand you may find it valuable to use a service to help set it up and maintain it. In addition to Deploy Dental  the following vendors can help with setting up your social media presence.

Sesame Communications: Sesame is my favorite and a sponsor of EOT. They are currently offering 365 days of free Facebook content; just send a request to emmott@sesamecommunications.com

DoctorBase: I have not worked directly with these people but we have talked on the phone and I like their approach. They also have a great blog.

Dentrix has started shipping their newest version G5 to a limited number of users. The “Official” release is scheduled for the Hinman meeting in Atlanta March 22-24. However by starting now with limited numbers they can ensure tech support for users installing the new version and catch and fix any unforeseen bugs before general distribution. That’s a good thing

Dental Software – Dentrix.

A short list of G5 enhancements includes:

• Electronic Explanation of Benefits (eEOB) lets practices receive, review and automatically record remittance advice in the Dentrix Ledger.
• eClaims Attachment Notifications warn users to include attachments on insurance claims for carriers that require them, reducing rejected or delayed claims.
• The new Screen Capture utility lets users drag over any part of the visible screen to create a new document and save it to the Document Center.  This is especially useful for creating claims attachments.
• Sequentially Numbered Daysheets record each time the Daysheet is printed or previewed.  When combined with logon passwords it creates a gapless record that shows who has accessed the Daysheet and when.
• Dentrix Dentalink is a new add-on feature that provides secure instant messaging, letting users easily communicate throughout the office with minimal disruption to patient care and workflow.
• The new Dentrix Mobile upgrade is an add-on product that presents an improved interface designed specifically for Apple iPad and Motorola Xoom tablet users.

More to come.

This link

Remember When “e” was Just a Letter?.

Will take you to the course I did for the DT Study Club at the Greater New York Meeting. The topic is e-Services, what they are, how they work and how they can be used to both save money and improve patient health.

Next month I will be participating in the annual AADPA meeting in Scottsdale. AADPA is the American Academy of Dental Practice Administration. I have been a member of this organization for over twenty years and can say with conviction my association with this group has had a profound positive effect on my life and my dental practice.

The academy is not for everyone however if you are interested in the business side of dentistry and especially  human relations then the AADPA is an organization you should check out. Membership is limited but invited guests are welcome at the annual meeting.

This new holder for digital sensors was designed with the help of XDR Radiology and Adam Chen, DDS. It is a single ring designed to replace the need for three separate rings used in a full mouth series. Plus the metal positioning rods have been replaced with a non metal high heat plastic resin, these rods are completely autoclavable, reusable and both low cost and light weight.

ClikRay – ShaRing.

A Guest blog from Deploy Dental. The opinions expressed are from Deply Dental not Dr. Larry Emmott. However I believe it is valuable for dentists to get various takes on technology issues in order to make good technology choices. This is the first of a three part series on the value of Facebook.

——————————————————–

Is it really necessary for a dentist to be on Facebook?  Well, in recent years Facebook has surpassed Google as the most viewed site on the entire Internet, and a staggering 75% of all Internet users in the United States are on Facebook¹. Your current patients simply expect you to be there, and it gives you the chance to connect with them through a media they already use. Below are some benefits you can realize by having a Facebook page for your practice

1.    Free Advertising

It should be stated that while it may be ‘free’, there is a lot of time and hard work that goes into creating and maintaining a successful Facebook campaign.  But, what other medium can you think of that asks only for your participation in exchange for potentially tens of thousands of dollars in business?  This is why Facebook is such a valuable resource for all businesses, including dentistry.

2.    Reputation and Brand Mangement

When people perform searches for a specific dentist or practice’s name, the Facebook page itself will often be one of the top results. This is a valuable avenue through which potential patients will find you, and many people will prefer seeing what others in the community are saying (as well as seeing your online interaction on Facebook) before visiting your personal site.  This is also crucial because, unlike Google Reviews or Yelp, Facebook allows you to monitor and control what is being said about you, so you can delete hurtful or misleading comments and even ban problem users.

3.    A More Effective Method

The average user spends more than an hour per day on Facebook, which is vastly more than any other website.  So, any time you can keep them on Facebook, users will be much more likely to stay engaged than say, linking to your own website.  That is why one of the most valuable aspects of a Facebook Fan Page it the ability to create your own ‘tabs.’ A tab refers to the icons located on the left-hand side of your Fan Page underneath your profile graphic, most commonly ‘Wall’, ‘Info’, ‘Photos’ and so on. A more complex tab could even include an entire micro-website, all within your Facebook Fan Page.  Fans can get all your crucial information without clicking through to your website.

Parts 2 and 3 will examine:

4.    Gaining New Patients

5.    The Growing ‘Viral’ Aspect

6.    Engage Current Patients

7.    Personal Connection

8.    Community

Editors note: It is quite possible for a dentist to set up a social media program, including Facebook, by him or herself. On the other hand you may find it valuable to use a service to help set it up and maintain it. In addition to Deploy Dental  the following vendors can help with setting up your social media presence.

Sesame Communications: Sesame is my favorite and a sponsor of EOT. They are currently offering 365 days of free Facebook content; just send a request to emmott@sesamecommunications.com

DoctorBase: I have not worked directly with these people but we have talked on the phone and I like their approach. They also have a great blog.

1. Begin with the End in Mind:
Have a plan and a goal before you start

2. Establish a technology infrastructure:
Integrated practice management software

Computers networked in the treatment rooms

3. Add the “Big 2”:
Digital images

Digital radiography

4. Non-dental programs:
Word processing

Checkbook

Anti virus

5. Add advanced dental applications:
CAD CAM

Digital Diagnostics

Computerized probes

6. Keep a future focus; be open to evolving technologies:
Internet

3D Images

Mobile