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The Paperless Schedule

How the computerized system benefits time management
by Jana Berghoff, RDH

50

uring my time as a practicing hygienist, I was fortunate to

experience the many rewards offered by the hygiene field.
However, I also experienced many of the challenges that
come with the profession, and this helped me gain insight into the
needs of todays hygienists. One of the main challenges I experienced
in practice was working with a paper schedule, and this remains a frustration for many hygienists. Paper schedules can lead to inefficient
communication in the office and lead to a number of bigger problems.
While there are many advantages to adopting a computerized system
in the dental office, improved scheduling is one of the main benefits of
making the switch. Additionally, because scheduling is the platform for
so much of the office workflow, a smooth running scheduling system
can positively impact many other areas of the practice.

Communication with the front desk

With paper scheduling, there are many opportunities for miscommunication or inefficiency in the office. If the front desk person adds
a new patient to the hygienists schedule but forgets to add it to the
hygienists paper schedule, the hygienist has no way of knowing that
the patient is there. In another scenario, if a patient calls to inform the

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office that he or she is running late, it

is often difficult for the front desk to
efficiently alert the hygienist. In many
instances, a hygienist appreciates and
can make good use of extra time with
his or her patients, but if the hygienist
doesnt know theres extra time in the
schedule, these valuable opportunities
may be wasted.
In terms of time management, the
ability to see scheduling changes live
from the treatment room, such as with
the OnSchedule feature from Patterson EagleSoft Practice Management Software, is vital for the hygienist. Computerized scheduling makes
it easy to maintain a short call list of
patients who would like to be treated
sooner than their scheduled appointments. For hygienists who are paid

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Software is used to e-mail patients about recall appointments.

based on their production or held to a certain level of production, efficiently running a short call list can make an appreciable difference. Without a computer, normally only the
front desk person can manage this list, but computerized
scheduling also allows hygienists to access this information.
Also, a computerized schedule can automatically remove a
patient from the list once he or she gets a new appointment,
and there is often confusion regarding rescheduled appointments with paper scheduling.
The changing hygiene treatment options can also cause
communication issues when scheduling is left to the front
desk. There are now insurance codes based not on a whole
quadrant of teeth but on more specific numbers and areas
of teeth, and the reception team may not schedule correctly
for these time consuming treatments. Allowing hygienists
to quickly view their schedules and make their own appointments helps ensure these treatments are accurately planned,
or that any miscalculation by the front desk is quickly corrected.

their patients well can properly adjust their schedules to accommodate them better and allow for breaks between challenging patients. I have also noticed that hygienists who can
schedule their own time are more apt to schedule additional
services, such as nutritional counseling and patient education, that the front desk may not be aware of.
With practice management software, hygienists feel empowered to take more control of their own schedules and
production. An easy-to-use reporting feature, such as the
Reports feature from EagleSoft, lets staff members create reports about their patients, and allows hygienists to
search for patients and follow up or contact them as necessary. For instance, if a patient has completed only one step
in a multistep treatment, the hygienist can contact the patient to check on his or her progress. Also, the records of
family members can be easily linked together. This allows
the hygienist to note, for example, when a mothers children
are due for appointments, during the mothers appointment.
She can then ask the mother if she would like to schedule
any appointments for her children.
The ability to easily view a patients record can help hygienists concentrate their practice-building efforts where
they are most useful. Many hygienists like to suggest optional services such as whitening, but may do this without
realizing a patient has outstanding bills with the practice.
Practice management software enables the hygienist to see
factors such as these and suggest only appropriate services.
In addition to proactively contacting patients, hygienists

Building your personal production

The ability to schedule their own appointments gives hygienists much needed control and flexibility. For example,
hygienists who know that certain patients appointments often run long can allow extra time in the schedule, or avoid
booking one of these patients right next to the other. As we
know, time can vary in even the most basic services, because
not all prophies are created equal. Hygienists who know

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Software can be used to find patients on short notice.

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can work on building their personal patient base at the end

of every appointment. With the ability to schedule a patients
next appointment from the treatment room, a hygienist can
personally make sure that the patient is scheduled to see
him or her again. Furthermore, many hygienists find that
patients are more likely to book a future appointment when
they are asked by the dental team in the treatment room
rather than by the receptionist at the front desk.

Helping the practice run smoothly

The improved interoffice communication that comes with
scheduling software can help the office run better in many
ways. For instance, EagleSoft has a feature that allows users
to view only the doctors schedule and their own, which can
greatly simplify the scheduling screen. Users can then quickly
revert back to a view that shows the entire offices schedules,
which is useful for further coordination. For instance, if a parent visits the office with a number of children and wants them
all to be seen at the same time, a hygienist can quickly view
the entire staffs availability. Or, if one hygienist is running
late with a patient, he or she she can easily send an instant

message via the computer to ask another staff member to begin the next appointment by taking X-rays.
An additional feature available with this software is the
ideal day template, which allows a hygienist to communicate preferences and scheduling needs with the front desk.
Some hygienists prefer to perform scaling and root planing early in the day, or want to make sure that time is set
aside each day for a certain type of appointment. Scheduling
software enables each staff member to create a customized
schedule unique to each team member.
Practice management software allows the schedule to
serve as the starting point for access to any other necessary information. Hygienists can easily click into patients
records to locate their history and notes, rather than taking more time to consult a paper chart. The computerized
schedule can also display the date of a patients last X-rays
directly in the appointment box, putting this important information where it can be easily seen. Additionally, scheduling software can help hygienists mask patient information
from the screen, allowing them to display their schedules in

continued on page 75

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in your community by organize a community health project.

I hope you will join us in this day of learning and giving.

Kelsch

continued from page 15

difference in the health and future of our nation.
In its final step, the Dental Impact program will then hit
the street and go into the community in Orlando to spread
the message to the community. You will go home with a detailed workbook and materials necessary to make an impact

Intl Dental Hygiene

continued from page 16

The rationale for creating SIGs is
varied. SIGs will provide networks of
IFDH members who share common
interests a vehicle and a venue to
share professional issues or concerns. If
members belong to a SIG whose topic
is exciting and relevant to them (such
as hospital dental hygiene, education,

Periodontal Therapy

continued from page 22

parents reported their childrens lack
of motivation to brush was their biggest problem.
Parents reported trying numerous

research, or starting a dental hygiene

program in a third-world country),
they may be more active within the
profession.
The ECs intent is that past and current HOD members will be eligible to
become SIG members. In addition, we
would like to open up membership to
individual members who have a special
interest in a given topic. This needs to
be approved by the HOD, as well as the
entire Guidelines document. SIGs
could potentially increase the num-

ber of individual members of IFDH,

and allow dental hygienists across the
globe an opportunity to play an active
role in the IFDH. (To become an individual member, go to: www.ifdh.org/
dt/ifdhapplication1.pdf.)
_________________
On behalf of the entire EC, I welcome comments, questions, and suggestions, and invite you to join us in
Glasgow. The world is becoming
smaller. Before too long, we will have a
world without borders!

fear, punishment, and reward tactics,

but said these attempts to improve behavior were ineffective. New electric
toothbrushes, colored rinses, and various other gimmicks motivated children
initially but only for short periods of
time.
Evaluation of the new interactive
game includes an extensive research

program, including a randomized,

controlled study by the Department
of Dental Public Health Sciences
(DPHS) at the University of Washington. The effectiveness of the final
exhibit will be evaluated to determine
if childrens attitudes, knowledge,
and motivation will change their oral
health behaviors.

I Berghoff

continued from page 54

the treatment room while maintaining confidentiality.
Dental hygienists are an important influence in the dental
office regarding technology and efficiency. While switching
to a computerized schedule or a paperless office may seem
daunting for some offices, the benefits in efficiency, production, and communication are too great to ignore. Even offices that are currently using scheduling software may find
there are features they are not taking full advantage of, so
April 2010

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Noel Brandon Kelsch, RDHAP, is a syndicated columnist, writer, speaker,

and cartoonist. She is a member of the Organization for Safety and Asepsis
Procedures and has received many national awardsand owns her dental
hygiene practice that focuses on access to care for all. She has devoted much
of her 35 years in dentistry to educating people about the devastating effects
of methamphetamine and druguse. She is immediate past president of the
California Dental Hygienists Association, on the board of directors for the Simi
Valley Free Clinic.

it is worth exploring all the capabilities of any existing system. Being proactive about scheduling can be a big help for
hygienists in improving patient relationships and advancing
their careers.
Jana Berghoff, RDH, is a Patterson Technology representative with more than
30 years of experience in the dental profession. Initially trained as a dental
hygienist at Northwestern University School of Dentistry in Chicago, she
spent time in the clinical setting learning the ropes of patient care. She soon
found herself moving into office/staff management positions. As an office
administrator, she worked with and was trained on several different dental
software programs and found she liked working with computers. She refocused her career and started working with Patterson Dental.

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