Going Paperless: The K'I'S'S' Method

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Going Paperless The K.I.S.S. Method

• Dr. Amy Renee Lalick, DDS
• Dental Director
• Muskegon Family Care
• Muskegon, MI

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Muskegon Family Care

• 10 Chair office
• 5 Dentists
• 6 RDH
• 2 University of Michigan Dental Students
• Lots and Lots of Assistants! ?

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MFCs Records

• Medical went to EMR in 2003
• Medical had worked with Hackley Community Care
  Center on the EMR
• Dental had Dentrix system at opening in 2000
• Dental wanted to get to the same point as Medical

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Why use an Electronic Dental Record?

• Makes charting simple
• Easy to audit normally
• Makes checking for prescriptions and treatment
  completed easy
• Easier to monitor Student progress
• Cuts out on filing space for records

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Scary transition?

• It doesnt have to be!
• Make a plan
• Follow the plan
• Go in steps
• You will get buy in from providers!

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K.I.S.S. Method

• Keep
• It
• Simple
• Stupid!

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Preliminary

• Talk with your IT staff
• Plan budget for transition
• Bring in vendors to decide which programs and
  systems you want to use
• Decide which programs and equipment you are going
  to use

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MFCs Plan

• Decided to stick with Dentrix
• Upgraded to Enterprise
• Decided on Scan-x phosphorus plates
• Decided to update server for the additional memory

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Implementation

• DO NOT GO COLD TURKEY!!!!
• Make your plan of attack
• Plan implementation in steps
• Share your plan with all staff to get buy in
• Educate, Educate, Educate

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The MFC Plan of Action

• Update Hardware
• Implement new software
• Begin using digital x-rays
• Start charting in the system
• Scanning of old charts into the system

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MFCs First step

• Updated hardware
• Got all new computers for ops, front desk,
  billers, and offices
• Started customization of software
• Had specific team members learning how to use the
  system

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Step Two

• Started using Enterprise
• Planned a go live date of May 5th 2006
• Planned schedules to give additional time to get
  used to the new system
• Made sure that all staff played with the system
  before the go live date

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Step Three

• Started using Digital X-rays
• Had Hygiene start using the system
• At meeting date May 25th we had them split the
  staff in half and instruct the dentists and
  dental assistants on use of the system
• Kept both systems in place for 6 months

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Bite Wings
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Panoramic
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Other fun x-rays
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Step Four Going Live!

• Gave staff 1 year to get used to the system and
  x-rays then went live
• Chose June 6, 2007
• Still had charts as a back up and for information
• Had providers chart in both places for first 2
  weeks

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Sample Chart
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How we chart

• Clinical Notes
• Procedure Notes
• Customized for our practice
• Come up when procedure is completed,
• Edited by provider

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Step Five Scanning

• Started scanning into the EDR a month after going
  live
• Had all pts fill out new Medical Hx,
  Information, and Consents
• Finally started scanning old charts into the
  system

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Successes and Failures

• Staff great with X-rays
• Charting is available at both sites
• Can view x-rays from both sites immediately
• Difficult to get all providers to buy into the
  new system
• Some charting is not done, or templates are not
  edited

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Other issues

• Audits are easier sometimes
• Scanned documents are at times slow to load
• Other providers in practice
• When the system goes down have a plan!
• Education
• Dentrix rep was in in May 2006, and again in 2007
• Modules were created for staff meetings

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Conclusions

• Making a plan makes it easier
• Transitions can be made simple with adequate
  education
• Have a point person in the transition
• Dont sweat it!

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Thanks!