Elsevier

Dental Abstracts

Volume 59, Issue 4, July–August 2014, Page 187
Dental Abstracts

The Front Office
Technological solutions

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.denabs.2014.03.015Get rights and content

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Background

Often, providing exemplary service involves using the right tools at the right time. An example is the modification of existing technology to meet the needs of dental offices with respect to contacting patients, achieving remote access to the office, implementing encryption to protect privacy, and tracking what is being said about your practice online. Several simple, effective technologies are available free or nearly free that can serve a dental office well.

Patient Contacts

It is possible to use smsmail.com to send texts to patients' phones. This low-cost, easy-to-use service does not require the user to have a web interface, but allows a brief text message to be sent. Registration is free and five samples can be sent without charge; thereafter the charge averages about 0.06 cent per message. During registration, the service collects information about the practice's e-mail address and phone, which you can have appear on the recipient's cell phone. To send a text,

Remote Connections

A free logmein.com account can allow you to have a reasonably secure connection to the office virtually. With the account, your home computer becomes a workstation where you can check the schedule, view radiographs, or finish treatment notes without having to go into the office. A caveat for this approach: it is important to limit who can use this feature. To maintain security, you can install software that prevents staff from installing new software that could compromise patient or practice

Encryption

The security of patient and practice data is best protected using encryption methods. If a mobile device is allowed access to such data, there is a legal requirement for encryption, although this is often ignored. Truecrypt.org can help identify software that will create encrypted vaults to store data. The service is free, easy to use, and provides security against unfortunate data-related events.

Online Posts

Social media sites, rating sites, and blogs have posts that may mention you, your dental practice, or persons who work for you. Google.com/alerts is a free service that creates custom alerts and sends you e-mail when new items containing specific search criteria are found. You can sign up for a Google.com account or add the alert feature to your existing account. You just enter a search query and your e-mail address, then click “create alert.” Suggested searches include your name, the

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Wilson C: Technology tools for peak performers. Oral Health Office, Oct 2013, pp 38-40

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