Dr. Lorne Lavine Dental Technology Consultants Printer Friendly Version

Upgrading, Part #1

Over the past few years, there have been a number of changes throughout the dental industry. Nowhere has the change been more pronounced than in the area of practice management software (PMS). Recent consolidations and alliances have created the need for new and updated products. Many dentists have found that the software they purchased just a few years ago is now either outdated or was bought out by another company and is no longer supported.

In both of these cases, dentists need to consider changing or, at the very least, upgrading their current software. Although it might seem like an easy process, there are many potential pitfalls. This article will explore a number of considerations that should make the process a bit less painful. This is a two-part article, so look for the second part in the next issue.

1. Should You Make the Change?
Often this first decision is the most difficult. If you are using a program that is not being supported, my advice is that you switch now. You will have difficulty getting technical assistance if a problem develops, and your software will not have updates, such as new CPT codes. The tough choice comes when your current software has released an update. In many cases, dentists pay for yearly support that includes any updates that are released. Dentists need to know exactly what an update provides and evaluate for themselves if the change is worthwhile. Keep in mind that PMS programs are complex and new versions will almost always have bugs or other issues that need to be worked out. Sometimes keeping with your current, stable version will make more sense.

2. The Importance of Backing Up
If you go ahead with an update or new software, there is nothing more important than backing up your data. Many practices back up either too infrequently or their back-ups are corrupted and would not restore the data in the event of a catastrophic loss. The best way to test this is to install the program on a separate computer and import the back-up data to test for integrity. Even when not considering a software upgrade or installation, offices need to develop systems of consistent, reliable back-ups that store the data at another location. A back-up won’t do you any good if it is in the office and the office is vandalized or affected by some disaster like flood or fire.

3. Back-Up Options
Dentists have many established and easy methods for backing up data. The most popular for years, tape drives, has fallen out of favor recently. The tapes are easily damaged and the drives are very costly. Newer options include re-writable DVD drives. It’s difficult to buy a computer today that doesn’t have a DVD-RW already installed. You can also consider using a portable hard drive to back up data; these come in all shapes and sizes and many of them are larger than the hard drives you currently have. A newer option, for offices that have broadband connections, is online back-up. Data is sent over the Internet to secure, off-site servers. Back-ups can be scheduled during lunch or after hours so that they don’t interfere with the practice schedule. (Don’t even consider this option if you only have a dial-up Internet connection, because the data back-up would take days to complete.)

4. What to Back Up
The basic rule of thumb is to back up anything that you could not easily replace. In many cases, it’s not necessary to back up the PMS program files, since all that you need to do is re-install the program with the original discs (you did keep the discs, didn’t you?). To conserve space, you can archive and remove images for patients that are rarely used, such as for patients no longer in the practice.

5. Avoiding a “Gotcha”
One problem that can often happen is when a program changes its main file name. In a networked office, the typical set-up is to have a main server and the workstations “map,” or point to, the folder or filename on the server. In some cases, updating or installing new software changes the name of the file or folder. In this case, all the network mappings would be lost. Dentists should check with the software company before upgrading and work with a networking specialist if necessary to minimize their down time.

Lorne Lavine, DMD is the Founder and President of Dental Technology Consultants. Dr. Lavine holds two prestigious certifications, the A+ Certified Technician designation and the Network+ Certified Professional. These designations demonstrate proficiency in computer repair, operating systems, network design and installation. Dental Technology Consultants provide dentists a full range of services relating to the implementation of technology.

Dr. Lavine can be reached at drlavine@thedentistsnetwork.net.

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