Dr. Lorne Lavine Dental Technology Consultants Printer Friendly Version

Image is…EVERYTHING

Many dentists have embraced the digital dental practice. Paper-based systems have been replaced by practice management software, intraoral cameras, and digital radiography systems. One of the biggest benefits of these systems is the ability to share data with our patients and our colleagues. Unfortunately, many dentists fail to realize how easily this system can breakdown. I was recently speaking to a client of mine. He was lamenting the fact that a patient had recently shown up at his office with a digital x-ray printout from another practice. The printout was at less-than-best resolution on regular copy paper making the images non-diagnostic. Retaking x-rays can be time-consuming and affects our relationships with our patients. So, it’s important to review the different methods to get our images to other dentists and patients.

The “killer application” that has driven the Internet in the first 10 years has been e-mail. E-mail is fast, easy, and practically everyone has an email address. Many image management programs have the ability to send emails directly from the program, and even if they don’t have this feature, it’s relatively easy to cut and paste into most email programs. While this system is quite easy, there are a few caveats. First off, image files can be quite large, with images as large as many megabytes each. It’s important to understand that while many people have access to high-speed connections, there are still a lot of dentists who use slower connections or email providers that limit the amount of data that can be sent.

Before sending files to a colleague, make sure they can easily download these images. You can also compress images or use a format to export images such as JPEG, although this typically results in loss of image quality. It’s also important to realize that a few image programs will save their images in a non-standardized format. In these cases, you can’t send the images in their native format unless the recipient is using the same image program, so it’s better to convert them to a standardized format before sending them. Secondly, email is inherently insecure. There is no native encryption in files that are sent through popular programs like Outlook and Outlook Express. The HIPAA standard that went into effect recently addressed the need for data security. The part most relevant to email is the rule requiring "securing patient records containing individually identifiable health information so that they are not readily available to those who do not need them." The rules do not specify which technologies should be used to preserve confidentiality of patient records. The regulations under HIPAA do not state that email encryption is mandatory, but do specify that encryption is an "addressable specification" for controlling access to patient records. How this plays out is anyone’s guess, but dentists should realize that standard e-mail may not meet these requirements.

Another option is to use a secure online site to store and access images. Ones that are popular for dental applications include PatientsCount and ddsWeblink. There are many non-dental sites such as Adrive for storage and sharing of images. These sites allow users that you designate to be able to view images, and some allow for an online exchange of comments between multiple individuals.

Images can be burned to media like CDROMs or DVDs. Most modern computers come with a CD burner and many now come with a DVD burner as well. While this is a relatively inexpensive and easy way to share images, keep in mind that that it still requires use of the mail system or the patient to deliver the images, and won’t be any faster than the older paper records.  

Speaking of paper, the final way to share images is by printing them out. The office should be sure to use a good quality inkjet printer although color lasers have dropped recently in price and might be a good option. Most importantly, use a high quality photo paper to print these images for patients and referring offices.

The digital era has ushered in a new way for dentists to share information. However, a lack of standardization in this relatively new field still requires dentists to take the time to properly plan out how they will share this digital information with their patients and other practitioners.

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 provides dentists a full range of services relating to the implementation of technology.

Interested in having Dr. Lavine speak to your dental society or study club? Click here. Dr. Lavine can be reached at drlavine@thedentistsnetwork.net.

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