October 2020

The October release is ready

DQB 1.64 has been posted on our website in Support/Quarterly Releases along with a guide for easy downloading.  Those who have a service agreement should call just before downloading to get the latest authorization codes. 

This release turned out to be substantial and is based primarily on requests from a number of dental labs.   On behalf of everyone in our user group, we thank them for their very helpful ideas.   Highlights of this release can be found in the topic below.   The full list is posted next to the download on our website.

Sometimes you need to take the lead

Over the years we have noted that many new concepts, products and services have met substantial resistance before ultimately becoming accepted and valued.   Sometimes we simply do not realize the value before being shown and experiencing it.   This has been true for smart phones, video streaming, bank ATM machines, debit cards, online shipment tracking, telehealth visits, standby power generators, vehicle backup cameras, government programs such as Social Security and Medicare ...and many more.

This month one of the labs in our user group sent us an example of a prescription where the doctor's scrawling was close to impossible to understand.  This meant that someone in the lab had to take the time to scan and email a copy of the script to the doctor and then call to work with him to decipher it. 

The labs that have implemented DentalRx to encourage computer entry for more complete and accurate prescriptions and digital files to come directly into the DQB case record tell us that this has resulted in major time savings, less misunderstandings and then less adjustments and remakes, and all round better communications and service for their customers.  

They also have told us that while some doctors are enthusiastic about their DentalRx service, others have been very resistant.   For those resistant to change, you can take the lead by offering to show them in a personal webinar or a seminar the ease and convenience and many other benefits of submitting their prescriptions and looking up case status and history this way. 

The standard DentalRx Direct service is included in your service agreement.  There is just a small initial charge for the security setups that are required by HIPAA regulations.  You can also choose to license DentalRx Custom to design a customized version to coordinate with your website and your own goals and preferences. 

For transmission of digital files, you will also need to license the Images supplement.    For automatic alerts for transmissions from the digital dental providers such as 3Shape and Itero, you will need to be registered with the provider(s).

Looking ahead to November and then winter weather

The next major holiday here in the USA will be Thanksgiving on November 26.  Our offices will be closed on Thursday and Friday November 25 and 26.   We have been extraordinarily lucky here in Pennsylvania with plenty of great autumn days, still lush green with plenty of rainfall and now the start of the most colorful season of the year.

We know, however, that snow and ice can start in November and want to remind you that if our offices are closed due to road conditions, we are set up to work from our homes.  Should you not reach us at the office or via our Verizon Digital Voice service, it is a good idea to send both a detailed email and a phone message to let us know if you need tech support. If you encounter an error that includes the Send to Mainstreet button at the bottom, click this to send the detailed technical message to our weblog.

We also want to remind you to start setting up the holidays and non-workdays in DQB for the 2021 calendar year.  As these can vary from year to year, these are not automatically transferred from one year to the next.

To answer your questions...

Q: It is much faster to enter cases using the New Outsource Case.  Can we use  it for our in-lab cases as well?

A: Yes, both the standard and outsource case entry options update the same case record.   The outsource option provides for less details and all case items are marked with the same schedule date.  You can add case items one by one or use the new Outsource Item Lists to add multiple items at a time.  This screen provides for a choice of the standard work ticket or the outsource work ticket.  

You will need to designate in Basic Lists-Work Center that your in-lab work centers are Outsource locations to have them available for selection in the New Outsource Case option.  Should you want to review the case, add more details or edit it, you can access it via the Case List and then the standard Case Entry/Edit screens.

Q: We have one doctor who seems to do things differently then most.  Can we establish a set of standard procedures for just him?

A: Yes, we would recommend that you establish a naming convention for these procedures that easily associates them with the doctor.   It would also be a good idea to enter a customer alert so that your case entry personnel choose his/her unique procedures.  Other features that might be appropriate are these:  

• Enter preferences for the doctor. These can be general, by work center and/or by item and will be shown in case entry, the work ticket, the tablet workflow app.   
• If special pricing is involved, setup a Price Level either by item or by percentage and assign it to the doctor. 
• If local, you can indicate whether the doctor has requested pickups every work day.
• Tune in to other fields that may be applicable such as contact preference, case communications and alerts.
  
• You can also use the Custom Fields for any other unique requirements for this doctor.

Q: How is the outsource work ticket different than the standard one?

A: The generic outsource work ticket that comes with DQB is printed in landscape mode on 11.5 x 8 inch paper.  The left half is comparable to the standard work ticket with full details and is typically kept in-house.  The right half has less details and is typically sent with the case to the outsource lab. Instead of the doctor's name and address, it has your lab name and address.  Details such as the patient name and shipping method are omitted. You can request customization of this ticket.

There are six generic standard work tickets that come with DQB covering three standard paper sizes and with or without barcodes.   These have been the most customized components of the system.

Highlights of DQB 1.64

NOTE:  The following option is available in only the standard version of DQB:

DQB Case Entry:  Prior Search/QC Edit/Start New Case

A new option Prior Search/QC Edit has been added to the Cases menu in the standard DQB version. Access is limited to manager and case entry levels but may be expanded in Custom security setups.

We have been asked to provide ways to search for cases for the doctor plus patient with these added capabilities: 

• Easier ways to search for possibilities for the patient should there be questions on spelling. 
• When the prior case is found, provide for editing the technician and quality control fields.  
• Option to create a new case with information transferred from the prior case, with options to add information to the new case, mark as remake when appropriate.  
• Recording the prior case number in the new case record to show continuity in reports and case history.
• 
  

NOTE:  The following options are available in both the starter and standard versions of DQB:

DQB Case Entry – Expansion of Case Notes

In the Case Notes field of Case Entry,  you can now enter up to 32768 characters.  The number of characters you have aleady entered will be shown beneath the field.  This change has been applied to the regular case entry, outsourced case entry and pre-booked case entry.

The full set of case notes you have entered will also be shown in Case History and the standard work tickets.  If you have a custom work ticket and would like to have it include the expansion, please contact us.  

If you need more than 32768 characters, we recommend that you go to the Case Plans tab in Case Entry.  This field has been designated as a memo field, which means it has no limit.  Case Plans can be output to a printer or one of the industry standard formats such as PDF.

DQB Case Entry and Schedule Pickup – Expansion of Customer Information Window

This new feature was added to provide a way to show the open hours for the dental offices as many have adopted new schedules in response to the pandemic.  To expedite this, we are making use of the Custom Fields for the customers that already exist.  You have 10 of these that can be used for any purpose, each one can contain up to 50 characters.  Some examples: 

Office Hours         Mon,Tue  8:00 – 4:00  Thur 8:00 – 7:00 Fri 8:00 – Noon

Weekend Hours     8:00 – 2:00 Second Sat of Month

The Doctor Information button at the top of Case Entry screen will display the window of information that has now been expanded to include the Custom Fields.

The Schedule Pickups screen also now has a button near the bottom right to show Doctor Information. 

For both, the show option will change to Hide to close the doctor information window.

DQB Outsource Item Lists in Basic Lists and New Outsource Case 

We have had several requests to provide for selection of multiple items when entering an outsource case, similar to the way this can be done with standard procedures in the case entry.  To provide for this, we have added to Basic Lists an option for Outsource Item Lists.  Here you name the list and then select the items to be included.

Then in New Outsource Case, you can select from the lists as well as enter items one by one.  You will be able to edit the item list.

Heightened concerns for privacy

We have been noticing in the plans announced by the major vendors such as Apple, Intuit and Microsoft, that there has been an increasing concern for maintaining privacy in their products and services.    We have noted this as well in the phone calls that come to us from both our customers and prospective customers. 

It is important that you take the time to research, to ask specific questions that concern the ongoing safety, security and privacy of your information.   Whenever there is significant opportunity in the marketplace for a particular product or service, there will be a number of folks jumping on the bandwagon.  Some will have the expertise and commitment needed for long term success, others will be looking for short cuts to fast financial gain.  

The short cut approach has been happening with a number of offerings for software-as-a-service.  Some have no plans for implementing and maintaining security measures for the programs and the information of their customers.  Some share your information or make use of it for other purposes.

You will need to be mindful of privacy and security measures not only for your own business information but also for your customers that are bound by HIPAA regulations for transmission of patient information and by PCI for payment processing by credit/debit cards and other methods for online payments.

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