Don’t get lost in the shuffle while looking for computer support companies for dentists – make every patient experience a great one with SymTec!
Last week, I took my son to his dentist for his six-month dental cleaning, and it was not a great experience. The practice has amazing providers that specialize in pediatric dentistry, which is the reason I chose their practice for my son. The practice is close to his school in St. George, which is super convenient for us. Every visit from the moment we enter the waiting room to check in, the staff knows my son’s name and the hygienists always remember little tidbits, like what his favorite video game was and how he loves science. Granted, six months pass between visits, so I’m sure they jot these details down. How they remember these details isn’t important to me, but he lights up whenever he’s asked about his science fair project or Minecraft!
This visit was different.
When we walked through the office door that day, the environment was very different – you could almost feel the tension. My son went over to the first chair he saw, plopped down his backpack, and went to the table with the books and magazines to pick one out. I walked up to the front desk to check in.
“Hi, what’s the last name?”
I’ll be honest; it took me a couple of seconds to respond. Not because I couldn’t remember our last name, but because I was a bit stunned! I don’t expect the staff to remember everyone – that’s impractical. It’s just that I’ve never had that experience at this practice. I was pretty sure my reaction was telling from the look on my face because when I did give our last name, the response I had from the receptionist pretty much explained everything.
“Our computers are down.”
The dreaded words no staff member at a medical practice wants to say, and words no patient wants to hear.
The entire practice management system was unavailable. In a modern dental practice, patient charts are now digitized in the form of electronic health records (EHR), and nearly everything else involves some form of technology. From appointment schedules to insurance information, dental practices revolve around technology. Technology exists to make our lives easier by simplifying regular tasks, like managing a dental practice’s schedule.
So, what happens when technology fails?
I asked the administrator at the front desk what they do when their computers are down. Her response?
“We’re trying to find someone that can help us – we’re calling around.”
I experienced a myriad of internal reactions:
- This is going to take forever.
- Should I reschedule?
- Without access to records, how will the hygienist and dentist know what we discussed last time and talk about any updates this time?
Six months ago, the dentist mentioned I should schedule a consultation with an orthodontist to determine if intervention – like orthodontic braces – might be in the future for my son. Without access to EHR, I was fascinated to know if the dentist knew I’d not only scheduled the visit, but took my son for his consultation, and then I had the notes from that visit sent over to his dentist to discuss at our scheduled visit.
My next thought was to wonder why “finding someone” was just now becoming a priority – other than the obvious fact that the practice had waited until it became an emergency!
As a dentist, your computer is your lifeline to your world. Your job is teeth, and you leave the technology up to the experts. There are countless companies that offer tech support, but specialized computer support companies for dentists are rare. Dentists need computer support from a company that knows the industry and the intricacies of running a dental practice.
SymTec can do wonders for my son’s dentist! SymTec offers an extensive suite of services that includes computer support for dentists. Dentists focus on teeth, and SymTec focuses on technology.
From EHR to patient billing, from dental imaging software to practice management systems, SymTec takes the worry out of a dental practice so you can focus on your patients. From cloud data storage to managed IT services, SymTec is the ideal outsourced IT department to support your practice in Utah and Idaho.
What makes SymTec different is the dedicated team of experts who do far more than just fix computers and set up networks, then charge to come fix things when computers are down. SymTec takes ownership of office technology and provides worry-free support, and also has a network of relationships with companies that provide equipment and solutions for the dental industry to make sure dentists have the best technology and it’s always up to date.
SymTec works to provide remote monitoring and support, data back-up and recovery, antivirus protection, and compliance and regulations consulting. The cyber security team focuses on securing networks and enforcing an impenetrable barrier against cybercriminals looking to hack into electronic personal health information (ePHI).
Hiring SymTec would have prevented the entire situation at my son’s dentist and would have guaranteed an entirely different experience for my son that day. The staff was clearly frustrated and unsure of how to handle basic situations, and my son picked up on their tension, making him rather anxious.
So, all you dentists and dental specialists in Utah and Idaho – avoid letting your patients share my kind of experience and call SymTec today!