Early this morning, SoftShore Solutions, Inc. in cooperation with Southwestern University - College of Dentistry, organized a 2-hour seminar workshop on the use of a Digital Patient Management Software called the Smart DentalBox™. Through the efforts of College Dean Dr. Rodivick Docor and Chief of Clinics Dr. Ma. Paciencia Belarmino, some 60+ Junior students in their Practice Management class were the participants of a rigid training course. After the seminar, you could see the anticipation and fervor of the students, thinking that a modern charting scheme is within their grasp. They will be the pioneering batch to shift from using paper-based patient charts to computer-based patient charting and management in their clinical requirements.
This state-of-the-art, software-hardware contraption helps the dentist manage the patient database, simplifies the financial records, aids in digital patient charting, and more with minimal clicks using a tablet or desktop or a laptop. This will help the dentist expedite the transition from a paper-based routine to a paperless practice.
There are a lot of features and advantages to the proposed change in the way the student clinicians work in the dental infirmary.
FASTER CHARTING PROCESS
Because the system enables charting through minimal clicks on a table or desktop (a kiosk is in development), the chair-side time for patient charting will be minimized. The GUI (graphic user interface) is user-friendly and simulates that of the standard dental patient chart. Furthermore, the software enables the dentist to assign conditions, diagnostics, and proposed treatment at the tooth level and at a more specific surface level. The assigned conditions per specialization in dentistry are color-coded to enable faster identification and ease of distinguishing the different cases to be performed. This system is also capable of suggesting the most optimal treatment to a given condition, which will relatively shorten the process of diagnosis and treatment planning.
CLOUD TECHNOLOGY
Through the efforts of Dr. Allan Ebua, the whole dentistry building is already wi-fi equipped and networked from 1st floor to 4th floor. This is key for the developers of this system to enable the students to access their cases from the server in the university to their very homes. This will help them review their cases for case presentations or aid them in preparing a better treatment plan for their upcoming operations. It will also be easy for professors to retrieve from the archives the pertinent cases that can be used in their various lessons (e.g. problem-based learning or case studies), since the data can be synced. These real-life scenarios from the clinic can then be used in the classrooms as resources for learning and teaching.
MOBILITY
Since a touch-screen kiosk will be developed, the clinician can traverse easily from one patient in one clinic to another. Needless to say, the clinical instructor can comfortably stay at an area and check each cases from different clinicians remotely. Team - diagnosis and impromptu case studies will not be a thing of the past. A clinical instructor at the restorative area can give his/her opinion in a case at the surgical area when the need arises.
ARCHIVING SOLUTION
Imagine heaps of papers piling up at your table. Even worse, you may have acquired cabinets of charts through time. A digital database negates this disadvantage. Not only will insufficient space be addressed, but the ease of access would also be an advantage. Patient data can be available to the dentist on the go, on the mobile, or a remote desktop.
BUSINESS EFFICIENCY
The hardware itself is capable of sending SMS to patients, reminding them of appointments, unsettled accounts, or any type of correspondence. It creates a financial record and automates computations.
Considering the cost, the features, its importance to the dental professional, and the fact that this is revolutionary, Southwestern University - College of Dentistry is very fortunate to be chosen as exclusive recipients of two (2) units with a touch-screen monitor. Thus, the university will be the first and only dental school to be using the Smart DentalBox™ starting January of 2016. This will catapult and align the college in realizing the vision of PHINMA Education Network of creating graduates that are competitive in the global market and produce dentists that exude confidence in the midst of ASEAN integration.
SoftShore Solutions, through their philanthropic founder Mr. Gerald Wegner and marketing director Ms. Marife Batestil will be seeking an audience with SWU Chairman Dr. Chito B. Salazar and SWU Vice President for Academics Dr. Gatino Nacario to present their proposal and formalize their collaboration with the College of Dentistry.