Are you planning to purchase a dental practice management software to oversee the day-to-day operations of your practice? With the high number of vendors available out there, it can be a difficult decision to choose the best software that ensures the success of your practice.

Therefore, you need to do sufficient background checks and select the right dental management software for your use.

Here are four key questions you should ask the dental management software vendors and avoid making mistakes during your purchase.

1. Which features do the software come with?

The extent of features in a dental practice management software will determine the efficiency and productivity of your dental practice. Therefore, you need to know the features that the software offers and how to integrate them into your practice effortlessly.

Some of the features include appointment scheduling, treatment plans, patients’ records storage and reporting, and contact databases. Furthermore, the dental management software should be flexible and easy to use. If you go for a software that comes with unnecessary complexities, it may impair the productivity of your practice.

2. Does the software offer security and data protection?

The dental industry is rapidly adopting new technologies to optimize operations, increase efficiencies, and enhance outputs. Notably, with the emergence of computers, most dentists have abandoned the traditional methods, such as storing records on paper,  and adopted practice management software to run their businesses.

Data breaches are costly to dental practices. According to a study sponsored by IBM Security and conducted by Ponemon Institute, data breaches cost the healthcare industry $380 per compromised record.

From hardware failures to Trojan viruses to natural disasters, there are countless ways your confidential patient data can be put at risk. With cyber crime and identity theft on the rise, it has never been more important to ensure your practice’s data is safe and secure.

Have you seen a fake iPhone? Imitation iPhones look real until you use it and find its function is nowhere near a real iPhone. 

Why bring this up? Over the years, many legacy dental practice management vendors have started hosting their existing antiquated software using legacy products like Citrix, and tricking customers that they are receiving a "cloud solution". Like the fake iPhone, these antiquated cloud-hosted practice management systems fall short in user experience and accessibility compared to true cloud based systems.

If you're just starting out with your practice, you're probably not even considering paper charts. But are you thinking about the reality and impact of having a paperless office? When you have the right software, you eliminate the need for paper anywhere in your office. No more forms, mailed bills, or insurance claims. Let's take a closer look:

When it comes to HIPAA compliance and your new dental practice, you don't really have a choice. Legally, you're obligated to follow HIPAA guidelines with your patients' identifying health information. This is important not only for legal reasons but because you could also be the victim of a data breach that puts you and your patients at risk.

It's hard enough to manage multiple dental practice sites. There are a lot of moving pieces to keep organized and running smoothly. Great software can make it all easier, while bad or not-quite-right software can make it miserable. The best solution you can look for is a cloud-based dental software that allows you to access the same account from anywhere there's internet.

Do you know the level of security of your cloud-based dental software? Are their servers internal or do they use a vendor with additional security measures? Are they audited regularly by outside agencies to ensure the highest level of security? Are they SOC 2 certified? Do you even know? 

The bottom line is that you're trusting them with your sensitive, HIPAA-protected data and you need to know. And it's okay to ask and be picky about the answers you get. At tab32, your security is paramount and we're happy to answer any questions you have about your data's security.

For many dentists (and other healthcare providers) ensuring your patient data is HIPAA compliant can cause worry and concern. This isn't a new issue: historically, healthcare providers (dentists included) have shied away from using cloud-based software due to security and HIPAA compliance concerns. The good news is that newer software providers are creating HIPAA compliant solutions for patient data. When it's time for you to select a software for your new dental practice, there's no reason to not give cloud-based practice software a thorough look. Here are a few reasons why.