Technology has allowed dental practices to improve communication with patients, optimize their workflows, and provide better patient care. For example, 1 in 3 dental laboratories now use a CAD/CAM device or service, a technology that has majorly enhanced dental restoration using 3D models.
But as beneficial as technology can be, it comes with its own set of challenges. For instance, managing compliance and security needs is precarious if not done by an expert—data breaches can cause catastrophic damage to any dental practice.
Fortunately, outsourced IT has become a great resource for dental professionals. Through outsourced or managed IT, teams of professionals can use their advanced tools and industry knowledge to effectively and securely manage your systems.
Here are 5 specific ways outsourced IT professionals can optimize your dental technology for the benefit of your practice:
1. Improve Customer Interaction and Service
While many appointments are still made over the phone, outsourced IT support can help you improve customer interaction with automated technology.
An online or automated appointment system can quicken the process and make it easier for patients to schedule appointments. Online chat support can also be used to answer questions and provide assistance.
Dental IT support can also make receiving updates on treatment progress and new services more accessible for patients, giving them a more convenient way to stay informed about their dental health. A Managed Service Provider can oversee your automated systems to ensure all alerts, appointment reminders, and billing is handled correctly and securely.
2. Access to the Latest Technologies
Without the longstanding vendor relationships that professional IT providers have access to, it can be difficult to leverage the latest technologies at an affordable price.
Much like a partner in the retail industry can connect you with wholesalers, outsourced Managed Service Providers (MSPs) can serve in acquisition to get you the latest hardware and software at a much lower cost than market rate. MSPs also understand the best ways to implement new technologies so they won’t negatively impact your existing infrastructure.
Outsourced IT support also includes software patching and hardware maintenance, so you can be confident that your dental technology is always up-to-date and secure. These technologies help you to stay ahead of the competition and offer your patients the best possible care.
3. Simplify Business Management
Dental IT support providers simplify business management by tracking and managing patient records, billing, and inventory for you. They can also provide reports on office productivity and performance to help your office towards better efficiency and greater profitability.
With the help of dental IT specialists, you can streamline many of the processes in your practice, from patient scheduling to insurance claims processing. This improved efficiency will free up time for you and your staff to focus on providing quality patient care. And by automating some of these processes, you can reduce the chances of human error.
4. Ensure Compliance and Security
HIPAA and other regulatory compliance standards need to be strictly adhered to in dental practices to avoid non-compliance penalties. Data leaks, even accidental, are in violation of HIPAA and result in hefty fines of $100 per violation or up to $25,000 for multiple violations of the same type.
Dental IT support providers also provide regular training for your staff on proper data handling procedures. In the event of a data breach, they can assist with mitigating the damage and help you to avoid potential penalties.
5. Improve System Uptime
Not only is downtime frustrating for both staff and patients alike, it’s costly. According to 98% of businesses, just an hour of downtime costs over $100,000.
An outsourced IT professional monitors your systems 24/7 to eliminate any potential causes of downtime. This proactive style of IT management prevents downtime from happening rather than fixing it when it happens, which keeps your systems up and your business more productive.
Optimize Your Dental Technology with Tech Rockstars
Outsourcing your IT support can have many benefits for your dental practice. From increased security to improved system performance, there are many ways in which an outsourced IT support team can optimize your technology.
If you’re looking for a reliable and experienced IT support team to help optimize your dental technology, Tech Rockstars is here to help. We are a leading provider of outsourced IT support for dental practices of all sizes, and are ready to serve your dental practice.
Our team of certified dental IT specialists has the knowledge and experience to help you make the most of your technology and improve your practice. Schedule a consultation today to learn more about how we can help you take your dental practice to the next level with dental technology.
