So you've decided to use dental electronic forms at your practice, or maybe you're still on the fence because you fear you'll create undue stress for your elderly patients.
This is a common problem for many dental practices. From bad tech to HIPAA compliance issues, there are many barriers to making the switch to dental electronic forms. Luckily, you're not alone, and there are tools available to make this transition as easy and effective as possible.
Knowing the reasons some practices are hesitant to use electronic forms and how to make the transition seamless and easy is crucial to modernize your practice and improve patient care.
Four Common Pitfalls of Switching to Dental Electronic Forms and How to Solve Them
While transitioning from paper dental forms to electronic forms, practices run into a few common pitfalls, but these challenges are avoidable.
Lack of Support for Elderly Patients
Older patients may find it hard to switch to digital forms. Many have difficulty operating computers or don't have access to a smartphone. Your practice can mitigate these concerns by setting up Kiosks with your digital forms on hand. Train your staff to be able to support your elderly patients and troubleshoot for them as they learn the new system.
Poor Patient Intake and Form Completion Technology
Let's face it: Not all digital forms were created equal. Many are difficult to read for people with perfect eyesight or are so buggy that they're barely operational. If you're going to collect digital forms, you need the right tools. To set your practice and patients up for success, Dental Intelligences provides a Patient Portal that is as user-friendly as possible. Test it out yourself to see how accessing and filling in forms can be easy for even the least tech-savvy patients.
Patients Worry About Security
Post signage near or on your tablets assuring patients that their records are secure and your practice is HIPAA compliant. Today, the US government requires dental electronic health records for patient data to use the same level of security as the banking industry. Inform your elderly patients of this to reassure them that sharing their personal information on your dental portal from their home or the tablets in your office is safe.
Patients Don't Realize the Benefits of Electronic Health Records
Everyone loves convenience. Dental electronic forms are far more efficient and secure than paper forms, but convincing your elderly patients of that can be challenging. Emphasize the convenience of being able to skip the wait at the dentist's office by filling out their forms from the comfort of their home.
Tell them about the exciting treatment improvements and how dental electronic health records improve patient care1. Focusing on measurable, practical benefits can help assuage elderly patients' worries and get them excited to jump on board with electronic health records.
Tips to Encourage Elderly Patients to Use Dental Electronic Forms
While the tips above cover a lot of what you need to make your transition to dental electronic forms a smooth one, there are other helpful things you can mix and match into the process as you see fit:
- For your patients with smartphones, have QR codes leading to your app or forms. This is a great way to do patient intake and can help increase your front office efficiency by eliminating informational bottlenecks.
- Post step-by-step instructional signage with easy-to-read instructions on how to use your platform.
- Make a video demonstrating how to use your platform and play it on a loop somewhere easy to see at eye level.
- Designate someone to help fill out forms and troubleshoot tech issues in the patient intake area.
Use your imagination! If there is something you think will make your transition to dental electronic forms more user-friendly, try it out. Only you know your patients' needs, and your insight could be the difference maker in making this a smooth transition for all.
Take Control of Your Dental Electronic Form-Gathering Today
Now that you have some ideas of how to make switching to dental electronic health records easier for your elderly patients, you can take control of the dental electronic form-gathering process. There are great tools out there to make your patient intake, digital form completion, and HIPAA compliance a breeze.
If you want to know more about how Dental Intelligence can help your practice thrive, schedule a demo today. On top of Digital Forms, we also provide convenient Payments, and 2-Way Communication.
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