E52: How the Right Software Helps Me Keep Track of My House-Call Practice

In this episode, I want to delve into a burning question I got from a recent graduate of the Dental House Call Practice Academy (DHCPA). The topic revolved around the challenge of managing the multitude of tasks inherent in running a Dental House-Call Practice. The grad, clearly aware of the intricacies involved, sought advice on staying organized and avoiding overwhelm. Building a Dental House-Call Practice is no small feat, and I acknowledge that the sheer volume of responsibilities can be daunting.

The first key takeaway that I pointed out to my student is the importance of delegation, emphasizing that managing tasks doesn't necessarily equate to doing them all. My recommendation was to enlist the help of a virtual assistant to handle administrative tasks like answering calls, scheduling patients, and submitting claims. While I always emphasize the perks of not having a large in-person team, the value of my virtual assistant in streamlining efficiency and enhancing patient communication is invaluable!

Secondly, I pointed out the many hands-on, and in-person tasks that a Dentist in a House Call Practice must handle personally. This includes activities like sterilizing instruments, setting up for the day, sorting through mail, and cleaning the office. The delicate balance between virtual and physical tasks is a crucial aspect of successful practice management.

To address the challenge of keeping track of these tasks, I also pointed out some of my personal strategies. A detailed to-do list with a focus on maintaining accessibility is a must for me. “Time-Blocking” or scheduling dedicated time for specific tasks, is also a practical way to manage your daily workload. I think of time blocking as making an appointment with myself that cannot be rescheduled. 

However, despite all these recommendations, my main suggestion to this student was to invest in a great Electronic Health Record (EHR). Regular listeners to the show know that my EHR of choice is Curve. Curve is a cloud-based Electronic Health Record incorporating credit card integrations, patient contact automation, imaging, invoicing, reporting, and ePrescribe. However, I don’t believe I’ve ever pointed out the incredible task management tools in Curve.

Curve has a safe HIPAA-compliant to-do list where I can track my tasks and where my assistant can track hers.  This helps for virtual tasks, like reminders to call patients, but this helps me with my in-person tasks, too.  I can make notes to myself regarding particular patient cases I need to take to the lab in the to-do list. Curve also allows me to make time blocks on my schedule, so I can schedule my to-dos like packing in the morning and stuff like that. There aren’t many eHRs with organizational tools built right in, so I have to give Curve major credit for keeping me and my assistant on task.  

Utilizing Curve as a task-management software is so much better than a random notebook, or post-it notes that easily go missing. It’s also much better than having to invest in additional task-management software, like Asana or Monday. If you haven't yet I recommend you check out this incredible time-saving tool! Listeners can schedule a demo with them plus save on data conversion. As always thanks for listening, I really appreciate you!

 

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Produced by: Social Chameleon