Pediatric dentistry clinic goes paperless
by Marina Moore

 

(Standing l-r) Dr. Bonnie Nelson, chair; Penny Coppess, GSD representative; Lillian Andrade, supervisor; Marina Moore, clinical systems manager; and Dr. Wesley Okumura, clinical director.

Pediatric dentistry is the first clinic in the School to go paperless with their PVFs.

An integrated action plan was formed and the first department to go online with the paperless system is the pediatric dentistry clinic. Because dental records are contained in the pediatric dentistry clinic, it was the ideal location to test the software.

As logistics are worked out on future implementation, clinic administration will inform additional areas in the School.

On Wednesday, September 24, 2003, Marina Moore, clinical information systems manager, and Penny Coppess, a representative from General Systems Designs, implemented a new software module, Chairside Data Entry, in the pediatric dentistry clinic (Dr. Bonnie Nelson, chair, has asked that in the pediatric clinic, PVFs be called “Encounters”).

Penny Coppess, representative, General Systems Designs (right), demonstrates the new paperless system for Dr. Nelson.

A committee was formed to outline the criteria for Chairside Data Entry. The committee agreed it should be introduced in a discipline where patient dental records were contained. Computers that would work best in the operatories were selected. The group researched where data lines would be pulled; developed a training schedule; and created a timeline for implementing the new system. The committee chose to focus on one patient care area and when the new system was running smoothly, would bring the rest of the clinics on line with the new technology.

The pediatric dentistry clinic was selected as the first department to experience this innovative technology because patient charts do not leave their clinic. In addition, a thorough analysis of the new process could easily be maintained.

Ruben Hernandez, network administrator, dental computer services, made sure the hardware infrastructure was in place to support Chairside Data Entry, and Reuben Quijano, PC support coordinator, dental computer services, was responsible for setting up the computers and installing Chairside Data Entry software in each operatory.

The pediatric clinic was closed on Tuesday, September 23, so that faculty, residents, and staff could be trained. The next day the pediatric clinic went live with Chairside Data Entry.

Drs. Nelson (left) and Okamura practice using the new Chairside Data Entry software in the pediatric dentistry clinic.

How Chairside Data Entry works
First, the front office staff generates an Encounter for either a resident or predoctoral student. The residents and predoctoral students wait in the back for their next patient’s name to appear on the computer screen.

Next, the assistant calls the patient into the operatory. The student then verifies their health history (which soon will be electronic as well), and reviews the treatment plan on the screen. If the treatment plan needs to be modified, the student can change it without leaving the operatory.

Meanwhile, the instructor is called to review and approve the modified treatment plan. The faculty member keys in his or her user profile and password, and the instructor authorizes the treatment plan and gives the student permission to proceed via the computer.

After treatment has been completed the instructor again types in his/her user profile and password, and answers a couple of questions. Procedures are marked as completed or in-progress, and charges are entered. The front office staff is informed what fees to collect based on the services rendered, via the computer screen.

The PVC data entry box for pediatric dentistry clinic is empty, due to the new paperless Chairside Data Entry system.

Advantages to going paperless
Some of the advantages for going paperless are: the School saves money because we eliminate the cost of PVF paper, and department production is recorded the very next day. Predoctoral students’ procedures are recorded and their reports updated in a timely manner.

The number of support calls made to dental computer services is also reduced, including when paper is off line, new printer ribbons needed, or new dot-matrix printer ordered.

Because of the decrease in the amount of paper that is generated, data entry benefits as well because they will not have to enter PVFs for the entire School.

Chairside Data Entry implementation has gone smoothly thanks to everyone who played a roll in the process. “The new system is quick and efficient, and the computer program was easy to learn.,” says John Ayon, dental assistant.

Special thanks to Dr. Paul L. Richardson, dean, clinic administration, for having the vision to go paperless; Dr. Charles Goodacre, dean, for listening, believing, and supporting the idea; and Drs. Bonnie Nelson, chair, and Wesley Okumura, clinic director; and the pediatric dentistry clinic team for taking a risk and stepping into uncharted waters.