Boosting Communication Capabilities: A Central Reason to Make the Switch to Cloud
CASE STUDY
What prompted oral and maxillofacial specialist Dr. Chad Petersen to look for new practice management software? The need to improve communication between his two
offices––and with referrals.
“Even though we spent a lot of money on fiber optic connections for our offices to communicate properly, there was often a lag between the two,” Dr. Petersen said. “Since we frequently have patients who go for consultations at one office and then for surgery at the other, it’s very important to access patient data efficiently at both locations.”
Dr. Petersen believed cloud-based software would resolve the issue, plus a lot more. For one thing, he hoped to see improvement in the organization of patient data. The
oral surgery dentistry office he took over was using outdated, server-based practice management software with claims, billing, treatment plans—everything—on paper.
Dr. Petersen chose Sensei Cloud for Oral Surgery as his solution, and he considers the move to the cloud to be an advantageous one.
“Sensei Cloud is very user friendly and fast to learn. It feels a lot like navigating a web page. None of the staff struggled in becoming proficient with the software. And no one today is pleading to go back to what we had before,” he said
Convenient and Secure Referral Communication
Dr. Petersen values how easy it is to keep referrals up to date, thanks to the software’s built-in communication options. His referrals, in turn, like how often they receive those updates.
He said: “It’s important for you and your referring doctor to be on the same page. Sensei Cloud facilitates that process. I don’t have to pull up my personal email or a HIPAA form that we’ve created to share treatment information. I just click on ‘correspondence’ in the patient’s chart and securely share X-rays, cone beam scans and treatment plans.”
No More Phone Tag at the Front Office
With Patient Manager, a Sensei product’s text messaging capabilities, Dr. Petersen’s front office staff spends a lot less time on the phone contacting patients. Instead, they use text messaging to remind them about upcoming appointments. Patients can then respond at their convenience.
“I thought we might see a difference with patients showing up—and on time— but it’s only gotten better with Sensei Cloud,” Dr. Petersen said. “We have fewer cancellations and missed appointments—and fewer open time slots. Plus, the messaging capability is automated. So, we don’t even have to think about it.”
Easy Treatment Planning at the Back Office
The impact to the back office has also been significant. Staff members can easily click through a treatment plan template and finalize it with all the information patients need. Sensei Cloud generates a highly professional-looking digital statement with the sequence of procedures, amount of insurance coverage and out-of-pocket costs, so that patients know exactly what to expect
Savings of Time and Cost
Before the implementation of Sensei Cloud, the office was printing every claim. The reduction in cost for paper and postage the office now experiences is significant. So is the time savings.
Dr. Petersen said: “No more scanning documents into patient charts, and now imaging is all in one place.”
An Eye on the Future
With system updates happening regularly, Dr. Petersen feels confident he’ll be using Sensei Cloud long term—until retirement. As his practice grows, Sensei Cloud will keep up with the changes.
“It’s great to see that they continue to improve the software.”
The Focus is on Surgery, Not the Software
When your software is a good fit for your practice, Dr. Petersen says you don’t think about it—because you don’t have to.
“Over the last year that we’ve been using Sensei Cloud, I’ve thought about it less and less because it works so seamlessly within our practice. The software just takes care of itself and does what it’s supposed to do.”
For Dr. Petersen and his team, that means better communication across the practice, plus a whole lot more.
Ready to learn more about Sensei Cloud for Oral Surgery? Request a demo here.
