First Steps of EMR Integration From WDF

Clinic digitalization involving electronic health record technologies requires a few preparational steps to guarantee its impact on the clinic's workflow. A recent guide – Consensus Statement – from the World Dental Federation contains a list of such points you should consider once you decide to start the integration process.

In this short review, we'll explore the key points of this guide.

1. Staff engagement

Before starting the integration process, you have to evaluate which set of specialists you need to provide the digitalization. Except for the dentists, nurses, and administrators that persist in any clinic, you also need to include in your team some IT professionals who may build an infrastructure for the EMR system and perform the data transition from paper to electronic records.

2. Training and education

Despite the user-friendly interface and feasible functionality, users should pass some tutorials to learn how to use the software properly. There is plenty of training about basic digital education for medical professionals, but you also need to consider specific courses or guidelines from the provider of the EMR system you chose.

For instance, in Remedico, we provide consultative calls for our new clients regarding properly using our web-based EMR. Create a free account, schedule a demo, and we'll write you back to guide you through the digitalization process.

3. Pilot program

Before you fully integrate some software into your facility, you may create a pilot program to assess potential issues and challenges in the integration process.

Also, while implementing the software for electronic health records, you should fully control every step of this process to ensure that it will work how you planned. Thus, there are two crucial points from the World Dental Federation guideline.

1. Monitoring and evaluation

You should rationally assess the effectiveness of the implemented system using economic and management factors. Remember that the primary purpose of the integration is to improve business and treatment processes. The Remedico team integrated an analytical tool directly into the EMR software to track these achievements: we have various charts that will help you to evaluate your income, dentists' productivity, number of visits, and many other important indicators.

2. Continuous improvement

The feedback between the clinic and the EMR provider is crucial for effective integration. Your facility may have some specific requirements that still are not present in particular software. Thus, it's better for both parties to immediately report your proposal or issue to resolve it and expand the EMR's functionality.

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