Orthotown June 2017 - 18

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are properly organized. Our offices are only open to treat patients 12 days/month. Therefore, my
three F/T staff have plenty of time during non-patient days to get the charts ready for me. We
don't pull the chart on the day that the patients come in for treatment-one day before, my staff
pulls out the charts, calls patients to confirm their appointments, then files the charts according
to appointment time. If there is a quad helix or retainers that need to be delivered, my staff
throws these appliances inside the charts. In addition to pulling out charts, my staff also makes
sure that all the supplies are fully stocked-we don't want to look for things when we are busy.
There are a lot of preparations that my staff has to perform a day before the clinic is opened to
treat patients. That's how I keep my full-time staff busy when I am not at the office (either on
vacation or working part-time for the chain offices).
When the charts are put up by my front desk, my back-floor staff then grabs the chart and calls
the patients to the back for treatment. When the patient is in the chair, the chart is instantly right
next to the patient for me to review. To avoid mistakes, I am (and not the staff) the only person
who documents the chart. My chairside staff then reads my note and performs the procedure
that I wrote on the chart. It's an incredibly fast and efficient system. ■
4/26/2016

maloccl
Member Since: 5/7/08
Post: 12 of 34

I've recently switched from chairside computers to a doctor iPad only-no chairside computers.
When I visit the chair I place the iPad Pro on a stand. The assistant or I can make the notes. It's
working very well. I like it-there are about six fewer computers to break and maintain.
It saves a lot of money for paperless offices, too- I just carry the iPad to each location. I've
been paperless for about 12 years. ■
4/27/2016

benzwire

Maloccl, what software/practice mgmt are you using?
Tablets seem like a much better option because they are so portable and smaller. ■

Member since: 4/25/12
Post: 13 of 34

4/27/2016

bentwire
Member since: 5/29/08
Posts: 14 and 15 of 34

UCLA, I can't argue with your setup. Simplicity and efficiency are definitely high on my list
of desirable virtues when it comes to orthodontic practice.
We constantly transport charts from one location to another. If we didn't have patients who
visit multiple offices (maybe our locations are too close together?) then I think sticking with paper
would be the way to go. However, our charts flow around from office to office, and keeping track
of them on a daily basis has been a challenge. I like the idea of having all of the patient info in
one place and having it all backed up automatically as well.
Maloccl, I like the iPad idea but our software is Windows-based. I'm not sure if the new iPads
can run a virtual machine efficiently if at all, but perhaps a similar Windows-based tablet could work.
So the iPad moves along with you throughout the day from pt to pt? Interesting concept. It
definitely addresses the problems associated with having computers at each chair. ■
4/27/2016

splint123
Member since: 03/03/06
Post 16 of 34

I have Edge as well and using it on WiFi can be a real problem with both uploading and
downloading at times. Even with high-speed internet we have difficulty some days with our chairside
computers lagging, and they are hardwired. Testing it could clear that up. They have an app for
your iPhone so iPads may work as an interface though. Edge on my phone loads very slowly. ■
4/27/2016

maloccl
Member Since: 5/7/08
Posts: 17-19 of 34

Here is the setup in Office 1. We use a black metal book support from Walmart to put the
iPad on. The plastic is removable so we can touch the screen with gloves. For some chairs I just use

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