Dental Videos Information System And Practice Marketing Software
For Dentists - Fast explanation, Fast treatment acceptance, Greater profits For Students - Fast explanation, Fast learning
Why choose CAMeROM Software?Fast explanation | Fast treatment planning | Fast increase in case acceptance | Avoid repeat explanations | Saves you and your staff time | Better informed consent | Remove the fear of the unknown | Present a modern hight tech image | Overcome language barriers in our multilingual society | | CAMeROM CD Software in actionGet the Flash Player to see this player.
What does the software Contain?* Please note: CD Software contains the online demo content in full: - Video Gallery 1,2 and 3 - Photo Gallery 1 and 2 - X-Ray Gallery - Childrens Health Education Puzzles - Dental Dictionary - Dental office website enhancement content  |
Multimedia Patient Education Systems
For dentists wishing to further enhance their treatment discussion and explanation ability, investing in a quality patient information system, may be a good step forward, reaping more benefits than may be first realised.
The changing patient profile
In the rapidly changing times in which we live, multimedia treatment information systems are an increasingly useful solution to have in the surgery. Patients are more demanding, ask more questions, with a greater desire for a detailed understanding of treatment options. The fact that we’ve all turned on the television to find ourselves watching a medical documentary, showing, in close detail, procedures being performed, clearly highlights how patients are becoming increasingly medically aware. Recently, the popular Extreme Makeover series, broadcast to an audience of millions, featured some of the UK’s top dentists at work. Patients can now, and often do, access a huge amount of dental information including videos with a click of a button on the internet.
Waiting room or in-surgery?
Some dentists favour a waiting room information solution, while others have moved away from these, in favour of more effective in-surgery solutions. This transition is due to a number of reasons. One of the most common is practices receiving a negative response from some patients, particularly from that small but important group, the ‘dental phobics’. Many individuals feel that a waiting room solution may be seen as an unsavoury hard sell, again presenting a negative practice image. A common expectation of waiting room solutions is that these educate and inform patients of the choice of treatments, and this in turn results in an increased demand for certain treatments, for example cosmetic dentistry procedures. Some practices have found that this does not prove to be the case. A waiting room solution may equate with a hit and miss, mail shot approach to patient education and treatment marketing. Amongst marketing experts, the often quoted percentage return on a mail shot is 1% or less. This is further compounded by the simple fact that any surgery that strives towards good appointment time keeping, patients may not be in the waiting room long enough for a long looping information system, should they be paying attention in the first place. Some practitioners prefer to concentrate on making the waiting room the most pleasant, ambient and relaxing environment possible. This may possibly translate to the patient being more receptive during the subsequent in-surgery consultation and discussion.
In-surgery systems allow for an individual one to one demonstration and discussion according to the exact individual interests and needs of each patient. These fall into one of two main categories.
Dental imaging software takes a ‘before treatment’ picture of the patient and produces a computer generated ‘after treatment’ picture to show the patient how they may look. While this is a powerful tool, dentists should be aware of one of the potential pitfalls. Care should be taken with regards to patient expectations, if ‘after treatment’ results shown, cannot be, or fail to be replicated. As patient information systems, these do not provide an understanding of what the treatment involves. The second type of patient education solutions show video examples of treatments. An indication of ‘after treatment’ results as well simultaneously explaining ‘how’ is achieved. Dentists should be discerning in the use of any such systems and be aware of each patients’ sensitivities, perhaps avoiding their use altogether for the most nervous of patients.
In the past when patients asked detailed questions, the dentist was limited to verbal explanations, using models of the teeth, or even having to resort to drawing diagrams. The dentist now has the option of offering to demonstrate a treatment video. If a picture speaks a thousand words then how many a video?
Video or animation?
The very latest systems, in accordance with the changing times, and particularly with the growing interest and demand for cosmetic dentistry, utilise actual real life videos over animation simulations, with the aesthetic results clearly demonstrable. This is not possible with, and has been a limitation of animation systems. Lengthy explanations are often avoided and time saved, with a system that shows not only real life end results, but simultaneously explains how, and does so in about sixty seconds. An extra important benefit is the higher level of informed consent.
Increased case acceptance
By looking at a very common situation that nearly all dentists have experienced, we are able to see how multimedia information systems can be a great asset. Many is the time when during a dental check upon a child, a mother will enquire about fissure sealants by asking the question “Is there something that dentists can paint on children’s teeth to stop them decaying?” Failure to fully explain may leave the parent uncertain and apprehensive. No parent wishes to be responsible for electively consenting to a treatment which may be painful and upsetting to their child. A 30 second video is a very fast and highly informative tool to explain and reassure the parent that it’s a non invasive, painless and quick treatment. This is a good example of such tools helping to overcome the “fear of the unknown” as being a barrier to treatment consent.
A quality treatment information system can facilitate increased case acceptance, as the following example demonstrates. Patients will pay for the best quality dentistry they can afford, providing the quality is made evident. Following a verbal explanation of the choice between composite or porcelain for a ‘white filling’, patients often choose the composite, as in their minds both are ‘white fillings’, and this is the cheaper option. However, after watching a video, more may opt for porcelain as the higher quality is made clearly evident. For a few hundred pounds a good information system is not just cost effective but, a highly profitable investment.
Patient information systems can also assist to overcome language barriers in the diverse multicultural and multilingual society in which we now live. They may enhance a practice by presenting a fresh modern high tech image.
For practices looking to move forward, a quality patient information system would be a good addition, working on multiple levels to deliver many benefits in a variety of situations.
