Become a Dentrix Front Office Specialist - Dentrix Magazine
←
→
Page content transcription
If your browser does not render page correctly, please read the page content below
Become a Dentrix G7 is Coming Dentrix Front page 6 Office Specialist See All Your Payment Agreements in Master the skills of the front One Place office and earn the recognition page 20 you deserve. page 14 Social Media Marketing: It Starts with Facebook page 26 www.Dentrix.com/Magazine Dentrix Magazine Volume 30 Issue 1 — Spring 2018
LET DENTRIX G7 EXPAND HOW YOU GET WORK DONE, SERVE YOUR PATIENTS AND GROW YOUR PROFITABILITY For Clinical Staff: Clinical workflow automation to keep you productive For Office Staff: Three Key Take- Office workflow improvements to reduce staff workloads Aways about Dentrix G7 For the Whole Office: Integrated services to help your patients and your team
DENTRIX G7 is Coming GET A SNEAK PEEK OF THE UPCOMING FEATURES AND REQUEST YOUR UPGRADE AT: www.Dentrix.com/G7/DTXmag
“It’s fun to come to work in a new facility. The patients love it, the team loves it. We are constantly looking for ways to improve patient care.” — Scott Neil, DDS Henry Schein Dental has everything you need to operate a successful practice. Rely on Us for the equipment and technology solutions that meet the unique needs of your practice. An office designed with integrated equipment and technology can provide your team with an energized environment that helps drive quality and efficiency for your practice, and an enhanced patient experience. Rely on us to empower your practice for success, so you can focus on the care of your patients. Contact your Henry Schein Sales Consultant or call 855.801.1129 Scott Neil, DDS, Summit Dental | Layton, Utah Supplies | Equipment | Practice Management Systems | Digital Technology | Technical Service | Business Solutions henryscheindental.com/hsempowered | #HSEMPOWERED © 2018 Henry Schein, Inc. No copying without permission. Not responsible for typographical errors. 18BS9102B.
CONTENTS Editor: Matt Singerman Senior Editors: Erin Brisk, Roger Gagon Contributing Editors: 03 DENTRIX MASTERY TRACKS SPOTLIGHT Sean Eyring, Gary Frazier, Bruce Herbert, Rodney Merrill, Brad Royer, Mark Steele, Loren Sucher 04 DENTRIX NEWS Advertising Director: Thomas Grover Advertising Editors: Todd Anderson, Shar Chavira, Allen Crow, 06 PRODUCT MANAGEMENT Jeff Farnsworth, Michael Fillmore, Dentrix G7 is Coming Ken Woodbury Learn what the Dentrix Development team is working on for the next major version of your dental practice management software. Production Designers: Amber Ahlberg, Andy Barlow, Ashley Tarr, RaeAnn Turner, Mark Vermeulen 09 TIPS & TRICKS ADVISORY BOARD Kevin Bunker President 14 COVER STORY Michael Allsop VP of Marketing Become a Dentrix Front Office Specialist Rhett Burnham VP of Product Management Master the skills of the front office and earn the recognition you deserve. Steve Roberts VP of Technology Sales Genny Tap VP of Customer Service 20 FEATURE STORY See All Your Patient Payment Agreements in One Place Simplify and manage payment agreements with the Dentrix Payment Dentrix Magazine is published four times a Agreement Manager. year for the benefit of Dentrix customers. Copyright ©2018 by Henry Schein Inc. All rights reserved. Dentrix, Henry Schein and 24 THE DENTRIX OFFICE MANAGER the ‘S’ logo are registered trademarks of Making Changes to Clinical Notes Henry Schein, Inc. All other trademarks are Learn how to make changes to clinical notes and when it’s appropriate property of their respective owners. to do so. To contact Dentrix Magazine, send correspondence to Dentrix Magazine, 1220 South 630 East, Suite 100, American Fork, UT 84003; call 801-763-9300; or send email to 26 BUSINESS OF DENTISTRY Social Media Marketing: It Starts with Facebook DentrixMagazine@HenrySchein.com. When prospective new patients check out your practice online, what they Although published material is intended to find—especially on Facebook—has an enormous influence on whether or not be accurate and free from error, typographic they consider you. Take these first steps and be present where it really counts! or otherwise, Henry Schein will not assume liability for loss or damage as a result of reliance on this material. 28 TECHNOTES Is Your Hardware Ready for a Dentrix Upgrade? Recognize the common signs of hardware failure and how outdated hardware can affect software performance. 30 CONNECTED SOLUTION SPOTLIGHT databot and Dentrix: Real Intelligence for Your Practice Discover how databot helps you visualize your Dentrix data and simplify your reporting to improve your patient care, office efficiency, and production. Dentrix Magazine Volume 30 Issue 1 — Spring 2018 www.Dentrix.com/Magazine
Get Dentrix News, Tips and Information Sent Right to Your Inbox. The Dentrix eNewsletter will help you stay up to date on the latest Dentrix product information, education opportunities, industry news, tips and tricks, promotional offers and more! Once a month you’ll receive an eNewsletter featuring the following content: Product Training The Dental Partner Tips Information & Support Business Products & Tricks Sign Up Today at Dentrix.com/eNewsletter and don’t miss out on the most up-to-date Dentrix information! ©2018 Henry Schein, Inc. A-DTXENEW-Q315
Dentrix Mastery Tracks SPOTLIGHT Dentrix Mastery Tracks™ helps dental professionals improve, measure, and demonstrate their Dentrix skills. Read on to find out about Erin Silva, a hygienist who has completed four Mastery Tracks tests and earned two specialist certificates. ERIN SILVA | HYGIENIST Where do you work? I work at Lakepoint Dental in Elk Grove, California How has participating in Mastery Tracks helped you use Dentrix? What is your title? Mastery Tracks has not only helped me improve my own I’m a Registered Dental Hygienist (RDH, BS). efficiency, but also the efficiency of our entire staff. If someone has a question, they know they can ask me instead of contacting What are some of the duties you’re responsible for Dentrix Customer Support for how-to questions. within your practice? I am in charge of the hygiene department in our office. In How has becoming a Dentrix specialist improved addition to the normal prophy, periodontal maintenance, your career? scaling and root planning, laser, etc., I keep an eye on hygiene Dentrix Mastery Tracks has given me a more comprehensive production and schedule and help to train new staff. I also numb view of both the software and of our office as a whole. I am now the doctor’s patients, take records and pictures for insurance able to be more efficient and thorough with detailed tasks such claims, do patient whitening, schedule appointments, treatment as charting and setting up comprehensive treatment plans, but I plan, assist with fillings/extractions/crowns, help in sterilization, also know how to look at big picture things like evaluating office answer the phone, respond to emails, send referrals, you name it! collections, referrals, and goals. I am a more valuable asset in this Our office is small and we are all cross-trained! It’s wonderful! way as I know more about every aspect of the business. How long have you worked with Dentrix? What is your favorite Dentrix tip or trick? I have been working with Dentrix for about 5 years. My favorite Dentrix tips are using the Ins Today’s Procedures button to automatically batch the claim for the day’s Which certificates have you earned? procedures and the Treatment Planner view in the Patient I have earned the Dentrix Clinical Specialist and Dentrix Financial Chart—it helps to visualize the treatment needed while planning Specialist certificates. it out. You can create separate cases for complex treatment plans, linking them together, prioritizing different phases of What got you interested in Dentrix Mastery Tracks? treatment, planning out appointments, and explaining it all to In the course of day-to-day tasks, I found myself contacting the patient all from one area. Dentrix Customer Support. When I discovered Mastery Tracks, it was a no-brainer. I was excited to have found this great resource and to be able to answer my own questions before they even came up! Take a course. Take a test. Earn a certificate. Visit Dentrix.com/Mastery and start using Dentrix Mastery Tracks to help your team improve, measure, and demonstrate their Dentrix skills. DENTRIX MAGAZINE | 3
Dentrix News Important Payor Notifications Blue Cross Blue Shield of Alabama (Payor ID CBAL1) Effective April 2, 2018. Alabama dentists will be required to submit claims electronically to Blue Cross Blue Shield of Alabama. In addition, Blue Cross Blue Shield of Alabama will discontinue mailing paper remittances for Alabama dentists starting on the April 5, 2018 payroll date. Online remittances are available each Monday prior to the Thursday payroll date. If you have any questions about these policies, contact Provider eSolutions at 205 220-6899 or Ask-EDI@bcbsal.org. Principal Financial Group (Payor ID 61271) – Member IDs To ensure the protection of member’s personal information, do not submit claims using their Social Security numbers. Use the member ID located on the member’s dental insurance card which typically begins with a “9” and is nine digits long located on the dental insurance card. Claims submitted with a Social Security number or incorrect member ID will be rejected by the payor. Notice of Fradulent Calls to Dentrix Practices Henry Schein Practice Solutions (HSPS) has received reports 3. Call 1-800-DENTRIX and provide the information you of someone calling dental practices posing as an HSPS gathered to the operator who can verify the validity of the employee and asking for remote access to the office servers. representative and reconnect you if it was a valid call. HSPS will not make unexpected calls to our customers to Our technical support teams may make outbound calls to access their server or systems for an unknown reason. customers who they have been working with to resolve These fraudulent callers reportedly provide multiple reasons specific problems, but these calls are planned with the office for their call, including suggesting you have problems with during a prior contact. your backups, viruses, hardware failures or similar issues. They On occasion, HSPS Technical Support representatives do make then ask for remote access to your system. unexpected outbound calls to customers to provide them with We recommend that all our customers employ common information, such as when an important software update is practices for responding to unexpected and unknown callers, available. such as not providing sensitive information and verifying the If you are asked for remote access to your system identity of the caller. If HSPS representatives ask to remotely access your system What to do if you suspect a fraudulent call they will always do so through our secure remote web If you receive a call claiming to be from Henry Schein, but you application at remote.dentrix.com. If anyone asks to remote believe may be fraudulent, we recommend you: into your system through any other website we recommend that you do not allow them to do so unless they are a trusted 1. Gather information such as the person’s name, company business partner with your office. and/or employee ID#. Notice the phone number they are calling from, write it down and provide it to HSPS with that Of course, if you have any questions about data security or information. [HSPS team members are instructed to provide practice management software, please do not hesitate to their first name and last initial and telephone extension to contact us at 1-800-DENTRIX. customers for verification.] 2. Hang up with the person calling and do not allow them access to your data. 4 | www.Dentrix.com/Magazine
Announcing New Insurance Payor Connections eClaims Attachments Dentrix has eClaims connections with several new payors. The following payors now accept electronic claim For patients using the following insurance carriers, you attachments. With electronic attachments, you can add can reduce paper claims by submitting electronic claims digital X-rays, EOBs, photos and perio charts to the through Dentrix instead. electronic claims you send. Payor ID Payor Name Payor ID Payor Name 12268 Total Senior Care CX061 Lincoln Financial Group 128WV Aetna Better Health of West Virginia SKYGN SKYGEN USA 99010 Delta Dental of Hawaii/HDS For more information about electronic insurance claim attachments, visit www.dentrix.com/products/eservices/ HDSMH Medicaid of Hawaii eclaims/attachments. TLZ04 Cypress Ancillary Benefits View the entire list of electronic payor connections using For more information about Dentrix eClaims, visit the Payer Search Tool at www.dentrix.com/products/ www.dentrix.com/products/eservices/eclaims. eservices/eclaims/payor-search. You can search for specific payors or download the complete payor list. Call 800-734-5561 for help setting up any of these services. DIGITAL DENTAL EXCHANGE REDUCE YOUR CASE TURNAROUND BY 50% OR MORE! Increase the efficiency of your digital scanner with DDX ® “DDX makes my scanner even better! My case turnaround time has been cut in half and I can now store my cases in the cloud freeing up valuable · Fully integrates with Dentrix ® office storage space. With the full integration of my lab case work into the Dentrix patient record I see everything · Streamline your in-office lab work in one place. Thank you DDX and Dentrix”. · Save time and eliminate costly scheduling errors - Dr. Bill Busch, DMD MAGD Kansas City, MO · DDX is FREE to dentists and only takes a few minutes to set up Schedule your demo today! www.ddxdental.com or call 877-244-9345
Management Product Dentrix G7 is Coming Learn what we’re working on for the next required to use passwords in Dentrix, and those passwords will employ today’s standards for complexity and expiration. major version of Dentrix. In anticipation of that release, please start today by D ensuring your passwords are enabled and that all users have entrix G7 is coming soon. With Dentrix G7, you will appropriate access to the various areas of Dentrix. You can see additional features and enhancements that also start using the appropriate complexity requirements reflect your feedback through MyVoice (myvoice. for that upcoming release now, which are a minimum of dentrix.com). We will also be introducing new innovations in eight characters with at least one upper and lowercase imaging and other aspects of delivering great patient care. alpha character, at least one numeric character, and at Here’s a quick run-down of some of the new features that least 1 special character (e.g. #@$*); or passwords with a are coming in G7. 12 character minimum. Again, this should not be the only Health History line of defense. We highly recommend that you work with Have you ever dreamed of a single module to manage both computer and security policy experts to implement allergies, conditions, and medications that didn’t limit you safeguards based on industry standards and best practices. to 64 discrete definition types and could pop-up in different Upcoming Changes that You Can Prepare For Now areas of the application depending on severity? How about Operating System Requirements having it tightly integrated with patient questionnaires so that responses on the questionnaire would flow into this In the Spring 2017 Dentrix Magazine, I discussed changes module without manual entry? Even more, what about to Microsoft operating system requirements with Dentrix, a place to capture the patient’s emergency contact and including the use of our eServices. I stated that we will no primary care physician’s information? longer be able to process transactions that come from any unsupported Microsoft operating systems. The reason is that Great news! All of this will be coming in phases in 2018 as these operating systems cannot send data using the latest part of our new Health History Module. In addition to these transport layer security (TLS) version of 1.2 or higher but amazing updates, you will have the ability to show the date instead submit using older, outdated methods. items were reported to the office, when they first surfaced for the patient and, if applicable, when they are no longer Many of our eServices have officially been moved over active. Each patient’s medication information will show to use the latest transport layer security (TLS) version of those prescribed by your office, as well as give a place to 1.2. What is important to note is that as of Dentrix G6.5 list medications that have been prescribed to your patients (released Q4 2017), only the following operating systems by others. are supported with Dentrix: Dentrix Smart Image Servers We have greatly enjoyed our partnership and integration • Windows Server 2016 capabilities with DEXIS. However, the market has evolved with respect to distribution agreements for the various • Windows Server 2012 Standard/Datacenter (R1/R2) imaging vendors. With that in mind, we will soon be • Windows Server 2008 Standard/Enterprise/Datacenter expanding Dentrix imaging integration with other vendors (R2 SP1) and tools into the Dentrix Patient Chart. In addition, we will Workstations offer enhanced integration capabilities that go beyond what is available today. Stay tuned for more on these exciting • Windows 10 imaging enhancements. • Windows 8.1 Professional/Enterprise Additional Capabilities for Dentrix Pay • Windows 7 Professional/Enterprise/Ultimate (SP1) You may already know about the new payment system, Dentrix Pay, which was released with Dentrix G6.6. In Dentrix I am very excited about the future as we continue to partner G7, we have added the ability to link a saved credit card to a together to continuously improve upon the great foundation payment agreement. You can then charge saved credit cards of Dentrix. If you have any questions or would like to suggest directly from Payment Agreement Manager. areas of improvement in the product, please don’t hesitate to reach out to me at brad.royer@henryschein.com. Dentrix Passwords In the Winter 2014 Dentrix Magazine, I discussed multi- layered security practices. As part of that article, I discussed one important first line of defense that should be coupled with all other industry standard and best practice security BRAD ROYER requirements—passwords. In Dentrix G7, it will now be Dentrix Product Manager 6 | www.Dentrix.com/Magazine
STEP UP E YOUR CLAIM & STAK Why take so much of your valuable time to manually create, submit and track claims when you can do it all within Dentrix? With Dentrix eClaims, you can conveniently accelerate the insurance claims process by quickly creating, validating and sending electronic claims to one of the largest payor lists in the industry. It pays to use the only electronic claim service that is actually part of your Dentrix software. You deserve more. Step up today and stake your claim to accelerated, convenient claims processing. Bundle eClaims and Save You can claim deep discounts on eClaims when you buy it as part of a Dentrix Service Bundle — powerful eServices that connect directly to Dentrix, helping you boost your productivity and streamline your workflow. Call 1-800-734-5561, option 2 and use promo code #1-320934276 to get eClaims and determine the best bundle for your practice. You deserve more. Service Bundles Dentrix.com/ServiceBundles
DATA CAN TELL YOU WHAT’S RIGHT AND WRONG IN YOUR PRACTICE IMPROVE YOUR PROFITABILITY Meet with a Dentrix Profitability Coach for a free 30-minute assessment. See what your data says about your practice’s strengths and weaknesses, and key areas to improve to immediately boost profits. Act now. Consulting slots are limited. SCHEDULE YOUR FREE PRACTICE ASSESSMENT NOW AT DENTRIX.COM/FREEASSESSMENT/INSIGHT
Tips & Tricks The tips in this section describe valuable but easily Front Office overlooked Dentrix features that simplify workflow and Saving a Screen Capture in the Document Center Some insurance companies provide coverage details on increase efficiency. Find the tips that correspond to your their website, and you like to check for detailed coverage role in the practice and try them out today. Start making breakdowns when a new patient comes to your office. If you need to refer to the coverage breakdown again your job easier and your practice more profitable. you could go back to the insurance company’s website and find it, but it’s a lot easier to just capture the image using the Screen Capture tool and save a copy of it in the Document Center. How To 1. Open the website with the coverage table you want to save, and leave it open on your screen. 2. Open the Document Center and select the patient Clinical to whom you want to attach the screen capture. Creating a New Perio Exam Using Previous Then click Acquire > Screen Capture. Measurements 3. Go back to the screen you want to capture, and When you open the Dentrix Perio module, the last saved click Start Capture. exam for the selected patient is shown. Did you know that 4. Position your mouse pointer where you want to you can use this saved exam as a starting point for a new start the capture and drag to capture the image. exam? That way, you only have to make changes to the When you release the mouse button, the Document measurements and other data that is different from the last Center opens and the image you captured appears visit and not have to enter all new measurements for each in it. tooth from scratch. Talk about a time saver! Additional Information With a patient selected in the Perio module, select File > New • If you don’t want to be prompted to enter the Exam. Select the date and provider for the new exam and document type, description, and orientation each click OK. As you perform the exam, only enter measurements time you take a screen capture, in the Document and other data that has changed since the last exam. When Center click Acquire > Screen Capture and click the finished, click Save Exam and select All Entries. Setup Defaults button. Check the Acquire without Additional Information displaying Document Information option and • When saving the exam, you have two options: specify the default information, and the Document - Select All Entries to save the exam with both the Center will automatically assign that info to every new measurements you changed today and the old screen capture. measurements you didn’t change. • For additional information, read the “Acquiring - Select New Entries to only save the measurements Screen Captures” topic in the Dentrix Help. you changed today. For example, if all the measurements were the same except for those on tooth 3, which you changed, selecting New Entries will save the exam with only tooth 3’s measurements and all other teeth will be blank. DENTRIX MAGAZINE | 9
Practice Analysis Catch Unsubmitted Claims with the Insurance B. Status—The claim status. Because this report Claims to Process Report includes only claims that have been posted but You can use the Insurance Claims to Process Report not processed, each claim displays “Created.” to quickly identify all insurance claims created in the C. Amount—The claim amount. Ledger but that were not sent to the Batch Processor, D. Expires—The deadline by which the insurance printed, or sent electronically through eClaims. The carrier must receive the claim. report includes total amounts for primary and Note: The Expires column pulls the claim secondary claims to let you know just how important expiration date from the Claim Deadline field it is that you don’t miss submitting these insurance in the Insurance Coverage dialog box for the claims! insurance plan. If you have not customized this deadline, the expiration date will be the same as To generate the report, from the Office Manager select the claim creation date. This date is coming from Reports > Ledger > Insurance Claims to Process. The Dentrix and is not necessarily an indication that report includes the following key elements: the insurance company will not pay on the claim. A. Claim Date—The date on which the claim was E. Totals—The total value of primary and secondary posted to the Ledger. claims. Clinical Making Multi-Codes More Manageable Additional Information When you have been using Dentrix for several years, you can • When a multi-code is disabled it no longer appears in the build up lots of customizations that were useful to you at one Procedure Code List in the Procedure Codes dialog box time, but may not be any more. Often, this means you have a in the Appointment Book, or in the Multi-Codes List in the long list of items that you are no longer using, such as custom Enter Procedure(s) dialog box in the Ledger. multi-codes that you do not use or no longer want your staff • When you disable a multi-code, you do not lose it. to use. Disabled multi-codes are still listed in the Multi-Code You can inactivate the old codes to clear them from the Setup dialog box, but they are marked with an asterisk. procedure code list, which means you won’t have to look • You can enable a disabled multi-code at any time by through as many codes to find the ones you need, and you’ll following the steps above and unchecking the Disable prevent staff members from using the wrong multi-code. this Multi-Code box. From the Office Manager, select Maintenance > Practice • For more information see the “Multi-Code Setup” topic in Setup > Multi-Code Setup. Select the multi-code you want the Dentrix Help. to disable, and click Edit. Then check the Disable this Multi-Code box and click OK. 10 | www.Dentrix.com/Magazine
Front Office Assigning Insurance to a Patient when the Subscriber is a Non-Patient Because the family situations of your patients are varied, there will be times when a patient in your practice is covered through an insurance subscriber Financial who is not a patient. This can happen in cases of divorce or when an adult child is still covered by their parent’s insurance. In situations like this, even Analyzing Referrals though the subscriber isn’t a patient you need to add them to Dentrix so If you are looking for a quick way to analyze your that you can assign their insurance coverage to your patient. patient referrals without having to generate a report How To in the Office Manager, look no further! Let’s say 1. In the Family File, select the patient who will have insurance coverage your office offers a discount on teeth whitening through the non-patient subscriber, and click File > Add New Family when a patient refers five people to your practice Member. and those patients are seen for appointments. You 2. Enter the subscriber’s name, set the status to Non-Patient, enter know that patient Brent Crosby is close to meeting the birthdate and other information (including address and phone the five referrals, and you want to see details about number if they are different from the other members of the family) the referrals he has made. You can access that and click OK. information easily from the Family File. 3. Double-click the non-patient’s name in the family list to select them, How To and then double-click the Insurance block. 1. In the Family File, select a patient who has 4. Select the insurance carrier, enter the subscriber ID and other made referrals to your practice. insurance information, and then click OK. 2. From the File menu, select Referral Analysis. 5. From the family list, double-click the name of the patient to be 3. The number of referrals a patient has made covered by the non-patient’s insurance, and then double-click the to your office appears in the Total Referrals Insurance block. Made field, and a list of individual patients, the 6. Assign the non-patient’s insurance coverage as either primary or date they were referred, and production totals secondary insurance and click OK. resulting from that referral appear in the list. 7. Repeat as needed for other family members. 4. Use the drop-down lists for Referral Date Span and Production Date Span to see referrals and Additional Tips production for a specific time period. • The insurance subscriber must be a member of the same family in Dentrix as the covered patient. • The non-patient subscriber can have a different address from the rest of the family in Dentrix, as may be the case with divorced or unmarried parents who are insurance subscribers for their children that do not live with them full time. • Non-patients don’t show up on reports and will only receive corre- spondence if they’ve been designated as the head of household. DENTRIX MAGAZINE | 11
Clinical Viewing Rejected Treatment Plans In the Treatment Planner, when you assign a case status of Accepted to a case that is linked to another case, the other Follow us on Facebook and receive case is automatically assigned the status of Rejected. That Dentrix tips in your News Feed. way you still have a record of all the treatment options you proposed to the patient should you ever need them again in www.Facebook.com/Dentrix the future. To view rejected cases in the Treatment Planner, check the Include Rejected Cases option in the Treatment Plan Case Setup panel. Additional Information • Only treatment cases that are set as the recommended Clinical case or cases with a case status of Accepted display on the graphic chart. Refilling Prescriptions in Dentrix You’ve probably had this happen in your office recently: a • See the “Updating Case Status” topic in the Dentrix patient calls wanting a refill on their pain medication, and you Help for a complete list of case status options that can can’t remember what you prescribed for them or when. There’s be assigned to treatment plans. no need to try and remember which drug was prescribed, or dosage amounts, or if they’ve already gotten a refill from you recently. The Prescriptions module in Dentrix keeps track of all this information for you. And when you refill a prescription, you have the option to change the dosage or dispensing instructions or keep the same settings as when it was last prescribed. How To 1. From any patient-specific Dentrix module, select a patient and click the Prescriptions button on the toolbar. 2. From the Patient Prescriptions list, review the patient’s list of prescriptions, prescribing doctor, and last prescription date. 3. If it’s appropriate to refill the prescription, select the prescription to be refilled, and click Refill. 4. If necessary, change the information in the Sig, Disp, Refills, and/or Notes fields. 5. Click Print to print the prescription and to save the refill to the Patient Prescriptions list. Additional Tips • The Medical Alert button is available within the Patient Prescriptions dialog box, allowing you to check for drug allergies or other medical conditions before you create a prescription for a patient. If the Medical Alert cross is red, click the button to check for medical alerts. • To learn more, read “Refilling Patient Prescriptions” in the Dentrix Help. 12 | www.Dentrix.com/Magazine
Dentrix does All THAT? ONLY $ 79 30 Things You Didn’t Know Dentrix Could Do The 2018 Insight Seminar is coming to a city near you! For a schedule and course outline, visit www.Dentrix.com/InsightSeminar or call 866.367.2711. Seating is limited. REGISTER TODAY!
O M E A D ENT E C I C E R IX B NT OFF SPEC IA R O LI F ST ER I N B R I SK , SENIO R EDITO R 14 | www.Dentrix.com/Magazine
Master the skills of the front office and earn the recognition you deserve. A nswering phone calls. Scheduling and rescheduling appointments. Keeping the schedule full and managing the doctor’s time. Checking patients in. Updating health history and patient information. Creating new patient records. Customizing patient recare intervals. Tracking patient recare and making sure nobody falls through the cracks. There’s a lot going on in the front office every day! Henry Schein is here to support you. That’s why we created the Front Office track in Dentrix Mastery Tracks.™ The Front Office track will help you master the Dentrix knowledge and skills to manage the practice schedule and keep it full, coordinate a productive recare program for your practice, and maintain accurate patient information and medical history. Best of all, when you complete all of the courses and tests in the Front Office track, you’ll receive a Dentrix Front Office Specialist certificate and earn the respect and recognition you deserve from your dentist and your peers. What is Dentrix Mastery Tracks? Dentrix Mastery Tracks includes courses and tests that help you improve your Dentrix skills and master the tasks you do every day. There are four tracks: Front Office, Financial, Clinical, and Practice Analysis. The Front Office track is ideal for office managers, scheduling coordinators, and other front office team members who routinely manage patient information, appointments, and continuing care. The courses are online and on-demand, so you can study wherever and whenever it’s convenient for you, and you can learn at your own pace. All you need to get started is a Dentrix Customer Service Plan and your Dentrix customer ID number. Take a course. Take a test. Earn a certificate. The process is simple. You take a course and then take the test that goes along with the course. When you pass the test, you earn a certificate (Figure 1). DENTRIX SKILLS CERTIFICATE CHERYL SMITH has passed the SCHEDULING TEST demonstrating the knowledge and skills necessary to manage patient information Test time: 75 minutes. Dated: Authorized by: Matt Singerman, Practice Education Manager Figure 1 When you pass a test, you’ll receive a certificate. DENTRIX MAGAZINE | 15
There are three courses in the Front Office track: Patient When you complete a course, you can take a test to check Information Mastery, Scheduling Mastery, and Continuing your understanding. If you pass the test, you’ll earn a Care Mastery. You can take all three courses from start to certificate to show your achievement. finish, focus your study on new skills you want to learn, or Become a Dentrix Front Office Specialist. study processes you want to improve to make routine daily When you pass all three tests in the Front Office track, tasks easier. you’ll earn the Front Office Specialist certificate (Figure 2). Each course contains five to eight lessons, and each Earning the Front Office Specialist certificate shows that lesson is made up of several topics. Each topic includes an you have mastered the Dentrix skills to support effective introduction that describes a Dentrix task and when to use scheduling, productive continuing care, and comprehensive it, a short video that shows how to perform the task, three to patient information. five additional tips that give extra insights about the task, and You have a wide range of experience and expertise, and you a practice exercise that helps reinforce learning. deserve to be recognized for everything you can do! How has becoming a Dentrix Specialist improved your career? Becoming a Dentrix specialist has helped I view myself and I present myself with increased me to become more assertive in the confidence as an advanced Dentrix user. I am workplace, and I have been given more very proud to hold in my name all the Dentrix opportunities to showcase my skills. Mastery Tracks certificates available. Knowing that I have earned the specialist title (and the certificates to prove it) has Camy Gherghescu given me that extra bit of confidence that Operations Manager is necessary to advance in my career. Ana Ebanks Office Coordinator Earning the specialist certificates has made me more valuable to the company and it keeps me excited about my career choice. Being a Dentrix specialist is a way to prove my knowledge with the Dentrix LaVerne McNeil software as well as my knowledge in Regional Director the dental field. It shows that I have taken the time and effort to educate myself to learn and hone my skills as a dental office manager. Being more Achieving any certificate gives me a great sense of knowledgeable in Dentrix has helped pride. Earning certificates in such a critical system increase office efficiency and allows us that is a cornerstone of our practice gave me the to run more smoothly on a daily basis. confidence to transition a newly purchased practice to Dentrix and provide training to the team. Leslie Garabedian Office Manager Casey Wright Practice Administrator To read about other specialists, check out the Dentrix Mastery Tracks specialist spotlights at www.Dentrix.com/Mastery/Spotlights. 16 | www.Dentrix.com/Magazine
DENTRIX SPECIALIST CERTIFICATE CHERYL SMITH has passed the scheduling, patient information and continuing care tests, demonstrating the knowledge and skills required to be a FRONT OFFICE SPECIALIST Dated: Authorized by: Matt Singerman, Practice Education Manager Figure 2 If you earn all three Front Office certificates, you’ll become a Front Office Specialist. As a Front Office Specialist, you’ll be able to save what you have done, and then come back to the demonstrate your value as a skilled member of the test at a more convenient time. dental team and earn greater respect, trust, and Get the whole office involved. responsibility. You’ll enjoy greater confidence in your You know all too well that the front office team own skills and find more opportunities to grow in is always busy. Wouldn’t it be nice if some of the your career. chairside assistants could help cover at the front Read the sidebar on page 18 to hear from several desk during lunch breaks or busy times? And just Front Office Specialists and find out how becoming a think of how full you’d be able to keep your hygiene specialist increased their confidence and made them schedule if the hygienists were able to run continuing a more valuable member of their dental team. care reports, find patients who need to come in, and schedule recare appointments. Learn on your own schedule. We know your office is busy. We designed Mastery Use the Front Office track to help other team Tracks online learning and testing with flexibility in members expand their skills and learn to use Dentrix mind so you can easily fit it into your day. in new ways. Hygienists can take the Continuing Care course to learn how to manage their patients’ You don’t have to go through an entire course or recare. Chairside assistants who want to start working lesson at once. Each lesson has 10-15 topics, and each in the front office can take Scheduling and Patient topic is short and will only take three to five minutes Information courses to learn how to manage the to complete. Plus, the courses are set up in a system schedule and create patient records. that allows you to mark what you have completed as you study. That means you can study a few topics When you help other team members learn how to at a time when you can fit in a little learning with the help in the front office, you’ll improve teamwork and other things you’re doing in the office. Then, when increase the level of service you provide to your you return to the course, you’ll know exactly where patients. When dental team members are cross- you left off. trained, they understand the challenges and tasks associated with each other’s jobs, and that fosters Each Front Office mastery test includes 35-50 understanding and camaraderie among dental questions and may take up to 75 minutes to team members. complete.* The good news is that you don’t have to take a whole test at once. You can pause a test and * Mastery tests cost $19.95 per test and include two attempts to pass each test. DENTRIX MAGAZINE | 17
How do I access Dentrix Mastery Tracks courses What about team members who are new and tests? to Dentrix? The Front Office track is ideal for team members with more than a year of experience using Dentrix who are ready to advance their It’s easy to get started! Dentrix skills. If you’re new to Dentrix, there’s a Mastery Tracks option for you too. You can get 1. Log in to the Dentrix Resource Center at up to speed and learn basic Dentrix skills by www.Dentrix.com/Resource-Center. completing Dentrix Essentials courses and tests. 2. In the Get Your Training section, click Enter. The Essentials learning level is the foundation 3. Click Register to create your learner account, or for Dentrix Mastery Tracks. It includes brief log in if you already have one. You will be required courses and short tests of fundamental skills to create a personal username and password so that are perfect for team members with less you can track your learning progress. than a year of Dentrix experience. 4. Under Study for Mastery, click Courses, The Scheduling Essentials and Patient click the course you want to take, and Information Essentials courses will help you build the foundation of your front office skills. Then, then click a lesson to begin learning. once you’ve completed the Dentrix Essentials courses and tests and you’re ready to expand your skills, you can move on to the Mastery level courses and tests and become a Dentrix Front Office Specialist. Get started today! Today is the day to master front office skills and become a Dentrix Front Office Specialist. Visit www.Dentrix.com/Mastery/Front-Office to learn more about Dentrix Mastery Tracks and get started. 18 | www.Dentrix.com/Magazine
Same great content… …now available ONLINE! Introducing Dentrix Magazine Online Now, instead of waiting for the one printed copy to make the rounds in your office, everyone can read Dentrix Magazine whenever they want on their smartphone, tablet, or laptop! SUBSCRIBE TODAY for Dentrix Magazine online at: magazine.dentrix.com Scan this code to subscribe!
See All Your Patient Payment Agreements in One Place Simplify and manage payment agreements with the Dentrix Payment Agreement Manager. R O GER G AGO N SENI OR EDI TOR Y our practice needs to get paid for the work it performs. However, according to Dental Products Report, the percentage of revenue from dentistry that remains uncollected has grown from 11 percent in 2008 to 16 percent in 2015. For years, many dental practices have been using Dentrix payment agreements to help collect those payment balances from patients. With Dentrix G6.4 and higher, managing those payment agreements in your dental software just got easier. This article offers a quick review of Dentrix payment agreements and then explores the new Payment Agreement Manager available in Dentrix G6.4 and later. 20 | www.Dentrix.com/Magazine
Once a payment agreement is created for a patient, you can review the payment agreement and make a payment by double- clicking the guardian’s name in either the Dentrix Collections Manager or in the new Payment Agreement Manager window. To learn more about payment agreements, see the “Setting up payment agreements” topic in the Dentrix Help. Using the Payment Agreement Manager Figure 1 The Billing/Payment Agreement Information dialog box. The Payment Agreement Manager shows you every payment agreement your office Setting Up and Using Payment Agreements has entered into with patients. Dentrix allows you to create and track payment From the Payment Agreement Manager, you agreements you enter into with patients. Working can enter payments without going through the together with the patient, you set the terms of the Ledger, and you can sort and filter payment payment agreement, including finance charges, agreements. interest rates, late charges, and grace periods. You With a patient selected in the Ledger, in the can determine how flexible the terms should be File menu, click Payment Agreement Manager on a patient-by-patient basis. to display the Payment Agreement Manager To set up a payment agreement, in the (Figure 2). By default, the Payment Agreement Collections Manager list, double-click the name Manager displays ten columns of information of the guarantor you want to create a payment about the payment agreement: Guarantor, Next agreement for. If you have not created a payment Payment Date, Balance Remaining, Payment agreement, a message appears asking you Amount, Amount Past Due, Payment Due, Missed to create one. After you click Yes, the Billing/ Payments, Agreement Note, Guarantor Notes, Payment Agreement Information dialog box and Mobile Phone. But this list is customizable. appears (Figure 1). Specify the terms of the To add or remove information that appears in agreement, and then click OK when finished. this list, right-click any of the column headers, Figure 2 The Payment Agreement Manager window. DENTRIX MAGAZINE | 21
and then select any item you want to appear in the window, or clear the checkmark next to any item you want to remove from the list. You can change the order of the columns by clicking a column heading and dragging it to the location where you want it to appear in the window. You can also sort the list of payment agreements according to any of the column headings. For example, to sort the list by guarantor in reverse alphabetical order, click the Guarantor column heading. Or, to sort the list by Next Payment Date, click that column heading. It may also be useful to sort by Missed Payments so you can easily follow up with guarantors who have missed one Figure 3 The Enter Payment window. or more payments. (These appear in red to bring them to your attention.) Each time you open the Payment Agreement Manager, it will automatically sort Entering a Payment according to the way it was last sorted. Click Enter Payment on the menu bar or the Enter Payment toolbar button to display the Enter You can filter the list to display only specific Payment dialog box (Figure 3). Specify a payment accounts or accounts with non-zero balances. Amount, and any other payment options. You To hide specific accounts from view, select those can click the Details button to view additional accounts in the list. (To select multiple accounts, details about the payment agreement. You can hold the Ctrl key while selecting, or hold the also use the Payment Settings button to change Shift key to select a range of accounts.) Then the default payment assignment settings. When from the File menu, click Hide Accounts. To hide finished, click OK. agreements with zero balances, from the File menu, click Hide Agreements with Zero Balances. Using the new Dentrix Payment Agreement To view the complete list again, simply close and Manager is that simple. This new feature in Dentrix then re-open the Payment Agreement Manager. G6.4 makes it easy to view and manage your payment agreements and enter payments. If you want to print the list, first make sure it’s sorted the way you want. Then click Print on the menu bar and click the Print icon on the toolbar. LEARN MORE If you want to export the information to use in To learn more about the Payment Agreement another program such as Microsoft Excel, from Manager, see the “Entering payment agreement the File menu, click Copy to Clipboard. Next, payments with Payment Agreement Manager” open the software program where you want to topic in the Dentrix Help. use the payment agreement data (such as Excel) and press Ctrl+V to paste the information. (Tip: This can be very useful for record keeping or performing advanced analysis on your payment agreement data.) 22 | www.Dentrix.com/Magazine
N MO RE. LEAR USE MORE. N TR I X DE O MORE! LET U ELP YO H D Register TODAY for a hands-on workshop in a city near you! Insurance: Billing and Collections Accounts Receivable Management Do it right to get paid faster Take control of your patient A/R Gain an in-depth understanding of how to correctly bill Learn to simplify the billing statement process, enhance the insurance in order to increase claim acceptance and effectiveness of collections efforts, and properly track and collect more quickly and easily. Includes G6 Ledger! manage important A/R routines. Includes G6 Ledger! per n per n 299 $ 6 CE persIToS CRE D 1-day class for experienced Dentrix users 9 am – 5 pm | AGD subject code: 550 $ 299 6 CE persIToS CRE D 1-day class for experienced Dentrix users 9 am – 5 pm | AGD subject code: 550 Treatment Planning and Case Presentation Clinical Charting Create and present treatment options effectively Move beyond just posting procedures Learn in-depth how to create, customize, present and Discover features that make charting easier and more manage patient treatment plans for improved patient efficient. Learn to create thorough, accurate clinical records per n per n education, case acceptance and documentation. in the Dentrix Patient Chart and Perio module. 299 $ 6 CE persIToS CRE D 1-day class for experienced Dentrix users 9 am – 5 pm | AGD subject code: 550 $ 299 6 CE persIToS CRE D 1-day class for experienced Dentrix users 9 am – 5 pm | AGD subject code: 550 Essentials Workshop EARLY REGISTRATION SAVINGS! $ 40 OFF Master the basics when you Become familiar with the essential Dentrix features that register at least will help you work more effectively in your practice, and make your daily routines easier and more efficient. PER SEAT 3 weeks early! per n 449 $ 12 C E persIToS CRE D 2-day class for newer Dentrix users 9 am – 5 pm | AGD subject code: 550 View course descriptions and register online at www.Dentrix.com/Workshops or call 866.367.2711 Mastery Tracks professional skills assessment included with these workshops. All workshops offer 6 lecture-style CE credits per day. ©2018 Henry Schein Inc. A-DTXTRN-DTXMAG-Q118 Cancellations & Refunds: Full refunds are given for cancellations received 17 or more days before the workshop. A cancellation fee equal to the full tuition for the course will apply if you cancel with less than 17 days’ notice, but you will receive a certificate good for another workshop within a year. No refunds or certificates for no-shows. Send cancellations and refund requests to: cancel@henryschein.com. We reserve the right to cancel a class due to low registration. We recommend purchasing refundable travel tickets if you wish to obtain them before the workshop is confirmed, 17 days before the event. Henry Schein Practice Solutions does not reimburse for purchased travel tickets and other incurred expenses. HSPS complies with the Americans with Disabilities Act. If someone in your party requires special accommodations, please notify us at least two weeks in advance. DENTRIX MAGAZINE | 23
Office Manager The Dentrix Making Changes to Clinical Notes Learn how to make changes to clinical notes to do this is with an addendum. The addendum is attached directly to the original note with the date the addendum and when it’s appropriate to do so. was added. After you have saved the addendum, it is also U locked into History and cannot be altered or deleted. If you sing the Dentrix clinical notes feature, you can add ever need to print your patient’s clinical notes, you will see free-form notes about the patient exam to your the date of entry of the original note and the date of the patient records. Your clinical notes are an important addendum. part of the patient record and should not be deleted or altered without a feature to track the changes you make. To add an addendum to a clinical note, with a patient After your clinical notes have been locked, the Dentrix selected in the Patient Chart, from the View menu, point to addenda feature lets you easily track any changes you make to your clinical notes and when you make them. If you sign the note or run the month end update or month end wizard for the month in which the clinical notes were entered, the clinical note will be locked into History. If you need to alter the clinical note after it has been locked into Figure 1 The New Addendum toolbar button. History, the only way 24 | www.Dentrix.com/Magazine
Your clinical notes are an important part of the patient record and should not be deleted or altered without a feature to track the changes you make. To change the date on a clinical note, with a patient selected in the Patient Chart, from the View menu, point to Panels, and then click Clinical Notes. Select the clinical note whose date you want to change, and then click the Change Date for Selected Clinical Note toolbar button (Figure 3). In the Figure 2 The New Addendum dialog box. Change Date and Time box, specify a new date and time for the clinical note, and then click OK. Panels, and then click Clinical Notes. Select the clinical note Knowing how your clinical note documentation will present that you want to add an addendum to. In the Clinical Notes when printed is important if and when you need to show your toolbar, click New Addendum (Figure 1). clinical documentation. The Dentrix software does a great job In the New Addendum dialog box (Figure 2), type the note showing the dates and times of your clinical notes so you can that you want to append. Select the provider you want to feel confident in the integrity of your clinical documentation. attach to the addendum from the list. Click OK, and then click Yes to append the note. LEARN MORE To learn more about charting conditions, see the “The Clinical Notes panel” topic in the Dentrix Help. Dayna Johnson, founder and principal consultant of Rae Dental Management, helps dental offices improve patient care, Figure 3 The Change Date for Selected Clinical Note toolbar button. increase collec- tions, and reduce staff headaches by There may be times when you will need to specify a different implementing efficient management systems. With 23 years of date on a clinical note, other than the current date. For experience in the business and technical side of dental offices, example, if the doctor comes into the office on the weekend Dayna’s passion for efficient systems is grounded in both to see a patient and does not write up the clinical note on personal understanding and professional expertise. Dayna can that day, the doctor will need to specify the date the actual be reached at dayna@raedentalmanagement.com or visit her work was performed. website at www.raedentalmanagement.com. If you are adding a clinical note into a month that has already been closed out, your note will automatically be secured into History. Also, if you date a note anything other than the date on which the clinical note was created, it will show both the date the note was actually created as well as the date to which it was changed (the date the work was DAYNA JOHNSON actually performed). Certified Dentrix Trainer
Business of Dentistry Social Media Marketing: It Starts with Facebook When prospective new patients check a patient, then that practice only has two functions— innovation and marketing. Innovation produces great out your practice online, what they find— dentistry and marketing tells the stories that attract and especially on Facebook—has an enormous retain great patients.” influence on whether or not they consider Dental marketing has changed forever. In the old days you. Take these first steps and be present (just a few short years ago), consumers actually believed advertising. They even believed your claims on your where it really counts! website! Can you imagine that? Not today. People don’t pay attention to traditional advertising anymore. They I ’m a big Peter Drucker fan. Have you read any of his work? He was a brilliant business consultant and author who is considered one of the founders of modern business success. He once said: “A business has only one Regardless of how valid purpose: to create a customer. And if the purpose of a business is to create a customer, then that business only has someone first hears about two functions—innovation and marketing. Innovation and marketing produce results. All the rest are costs. Innovation your practice—even if produces the product and marketing tells the stories that sell the product.” it’s through old-school I like to modify Peter’s thinking specifically for dental traditional marketing—the practices. Here’s my version: “A dental practice has only one valid purpose: to create game immediately becomes a patient. And if the purpose of a practice is to create both digital and social. 26 | www.Dentrix.com/Magazine
An active, honest, immediately when a patient or fan says something on your Facebook page. When prospective new patients see that you transparent, engaging, take the time to follow up on everything your patients and fans say, it tells them how much you care about providing trustworthy Facebook a great experience. Even leaving quick replies such as “We appreciate your feedback!” or “Thanks for coming in today!” presence for your dental shows that you’re listening. practice is no longer 3. Inside your practice, invite patients to Like your Facebook page. just a nice accessory Effective social media marketing doesn’t start online. It starts inside your practice. Growing your Facebook presence in your marketing is supported by what you and your team do inside your office each day. Mention what your practice is doing on efforts—it’s essential. social media to every patient and encourage them to Like your page. Don’t assume that any of your patients won’t be interested; remember that over 80 percent of online adults don’t trust the “perfect snapshot in time” on your website. are Facebook users. They do their research. They glean social proof. They opt in 4. Become familiar with and harness Facebook’s to the marketing messages they want to receive. They seek “pay-to-play” model. out many reference points before deciding whether or not a Hands down, Facebook’s model for boosting great business deserves their business. This includes reading reviews, posts is dental marketing’s greatest value today. It’s not following businesses on social media, subscribing to selected complicated, but discussing it here is beyond the scope email lists, and asking for recommendations online from their of this article. To help you get started with this important friends, extended family members, neighbors and coworkers. Facebook strategy, we’ve written a helpful, free ebook that Regardless of how someone first hears about your practice— you can download from our website entitled, “The Dentist’s even if it’s through old-school traditional marketing—the game Guide to Paid Social.” immediately becomes both digital and social. When someone Yes, in this short article we’ve only talked about the very recommends your practice over lunch (or receives your direct beginnings of carrying out an effective social media marketing mail postcard in their metal mailbox… remember those?), strategy. It takes a little bit of time and some patience. Take it the smartphone comes out of the purse or pocket and your in baby steps. Designate a team member as your in-practice practice is instantly being investigated. social media “champion,” and help him or her learn and grow An active, honest, transparent, engaging, trustworthy Facebook into the role in just a few minutes a day. presence for your dental practice is no longer just a nice Don’t overthink it, and keep it fun. Be human, be transparent, accessory in your marketing efforts—it’s essential. and be consistent. You’ll find that patients and prospective The good news is that the first step of building your practice’s new patients are actually eager to connect with you on a more online presence is easy, fast, and free. Set up your practice’s personal level than what’s possible on your website which leads Facebook business page and start getting active on social to greater retention, more recommendations and referrals, media. Over 80 percent of adults online have a Facebook increased trust, and better case acceptance. Get started today. account, and most are spending significant amounts of time If you do it for the right reasons, and in the right way, I promise there every day—including 75 percent of family decision that you’ll look back a year from now and be glad you did. makers, who regularly use Facebook to get recommendations and to confirm their impressions about businesses. Jack Hadley teaches social media marketing to MBA students Hands down, building an inviting Facebook page will help you at Brigham Young University’s Marriott School of Management boost your practice’s online visibility, retain existing patients, in Provo, Utah. He is also a founding partner at My Social and attract new patients better than any other social media Practice, an agency providing social media marketing content, effort. Kick things off by following these four steps: strategy, and support to dental, orthodontic, and dental 1. Post daily on your practice’s Facebook page. specialty practices worldwide. Jack is an award-winning Your Facebook page needs fresh engaging content on a copywriter, epiphany catalyst, and former ad agency creative consistent basis to appear welcoming, relevant, and able director with a rich background in all aspects of the creative to give prospective new patients a sense of your practice process who is frequently asked to address dental groups culture. Daily posts don’t have to be elaborate. Posting a about digital marketing. Contact Jack at jack@mysocialpractice. quick team member photo or team member spotlight, a com and learn more at www.MySocialPractice.com. dental-care-tip video, or even talking about a local upcoming event is a great way to create top-of-mind awareness for your practice. 2. Respond to Facebook messages, visitor posts, and reviews. Responsiveness is key to building trust and relationships on JACK HADLEY social media. Properly set your notifications so you know Partner, My Social Practice DENTRIX MAGAZINE | 27
You can also read