Safety Net Solutions: Dental Information Technical Assistance

The Problem
Electronic dental information systems are changing the way safety net dental providers schedule appointments, manage patient records, plan treatments, and coordinate medical and dental services. With the enhanced efficiency, productivity and practicality of fully integrated systems, safety net clinics are better able to track quality indicators, improve clinical and operational workflows, and educate their patients for improved oral health.

Clinics fear adding new technology because they’ve heard the process is difficult, costly and time consuming. “With good planning, that doesn’t have to be the case,” says Manny Molina, Director of IT for the Safety Net Solutions team. “In fact, the growing availability of public and private financial support for Health Information Technology (HIT) systems makes this a good time for safety net dental clinics to consider one for their practice.”

What We’re Doing
Safety Net Solutions (SNS) Informatics Technology Team is preparing community safety net practices for the decisions and challenges of IT selection and implementation. SNS guides the dental program through this process with:

  • A needs assessment and inventory of the current IT infrastructure
  • Evaluation of information sharing between dental and medical facilities
  • Education on the right questions to ask vendors
  • Guidance through the product and vendor selection process to find the best fit for the dental program
  • Planning for product integration into the dental practice
  • Designing a data collection process that delivers the right reporting for the practice
  • Alignment and integration of technology into practice workflow processes

What We’re Finding
“Dental practices investigating health information technology must first understand themselves – from internal work processes and systems to how providers and patients use information,” said Molina. “This is where we start. That self-knowledge prepares the clinic to ask the ‘right’ questions of vendors all through the process – from selection, to implementation, and finally during testing.”

What’s Next
Safety Net Solutions is advising safety net dental programs across the country assess, select, prepare for and implement dental information technology that supports the unique mission to provide access to affordable high quality care for all.

For more information, contact Manny Molina, Manager of Dental Informatics, manny.molina@dentaquestinstitute.org.