What is cloud-based dental software?
The “cloud” is a large collection of servers, storage arrays, and networking equipment that are located in a data center—one of the most well-known being Amazon Web Service (AWS). These data centers utilize the internet to accept and securely store data from clients globally. If you use Facebook, Amazon, Google, online banking, smartphone apps, and the like, you already have been using the cloud. Why not use it to enhance your dental practice?
In traditional dental businesses, items such as electronic dental records (EDR) and the practice management (PM) system typically are housed on client-owned servers located in one or more offices. This means the provider pays for hardware (computers, servers, and backup), software licensing configuration and installation, and staff training. Additionally, software needs to be maintained, upgraded, and backed up regularly—adding more cost to the equation—not to mention lost time. There’s also the constant possibility of data loss due to system failure, hacking or human error.
Today, there is a new option transforming dental health organizations—cloud-based dental software via data migration—which is known as software-as-a-service (SaaS). With cloud-based dental software, all mentioned above are maintained off-site, with convenient web-based tools to access the information across multiple locations and on various devices.
What is data migration?
Data is the basis of successful application deployments, analytics workflows, and machine learning innovations. When transferring data to a cloud environment, cloud providers such as AWS offer a variety of services and partner tools to help migrate many types of data sets, including files, databases, machine images, block volumes, or tape backups.
What are the benefits of AWS cloud-based dentistry?
The benefits that cloud-based dental practices can reap are plenty, including:
- Fast and convenient data management, reliability, and scalability
- Substantial cost savings
- Competitive advantage
- Improved security and compliance
Fast and convenient data management
Cloud-based services such as AWS continuously monitor the operational environment, while applications and services are monitored by providers such as QSIDental, which offers the convenience of 24/7 access to multiple locations on multiple devices. Practice management—charting, billing, scheduling, X-rays, prescriptions, patient data, and more—can be accessed from anywhere internet service is available.
Cost savings
From a cost perspective, initial return on investment (ROI) from cloud-based EDR and integrated PM systems result from decreased technology expenses, as no servers or backup hardware are needed on-site. Ongoing ROI from a cloud-based system includes reduced costs for software upgrades and maintenance. Cloud-based dental practices also experience improved communication with patients and with clinical partners, i.e., dental labs and pharmacies, as communication becomes faster and easier, as does doing business with payers and vendors. Lastly, cloud-based services are compatible with most devices.
Competitive advantage
Engaging in cloud-based dentistry comes with a practice-marketing advantage, in that cloud-based EDR and PM can be utilized as a marketing tool. The convenience and time savings achieved by using cloud-based systems are appealing to patients, as they typically appreciate dental providers whose practices are on the cutting-edge of technology. By using cloud-based solutions, dental practitioners can provide patients with the “latest and greatest” technology, an enhanced patient experience, and potentially a cost-savings that can often be passed along to the patient.
Improved security
Cloud-based services such as AWS provide security monitoring to detect unauthorized access attempts. In addition, providers such as QSIDental leverage tools within these environments to ensure mandatory compliance requirements such as HIPAA are met. They also provide physical security via secure data centers, which include redundancies for power, HVAC, and all components that comprise the operational infrastructure.
Traditionally, healthcare and dental IT move more slowly than other industries, so developing architecture within AWS enables providers such as QSIDental the ability to focus on developing better products—while Amazon stays deeply-rooted in backend application and tooling. Through this valuable partnership, QSIDental’s plan is to continue to migrate all product offerings into the AWS cloud.
With QSIDental Web®, dental organizations can conveniently and securely share single patient records with any location or provider. This flexible solution allows easy addition of new offices and providers to any type of organizational structure. Multiple provider fee schedules and payments can be sent across locations and multiple insurance plans quickly and easily.
Another plus is support for a CBO (Central Billing Office) model for payment posting. Users can control the management of all dental specialties. This includes processing multiple patient payments and finance schedules simultaneously and consolidating them into a single ledger.
All in all, QSIDental’s cloud-based dental solutions can help streamline operations, optimize workflows, augment compliance and safety, and enhance cost-savings to help dental practices grow and flourish.
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