Dental practices across Canada have faced significant challenges due to the COVID-19 pandemic. While protective guidelines have been implemented across all provinces to safeguard patients and staff, the process of adapting to these recommendations has been a learning curve for most practices. The introduction of the patient portal enhances efficiency, helping practices manage these challenges more effectively.
Initially, reevaluating best practices was essential for reopening, but it has now become crucial for eliminating inefficiencies as the pandemic continues. Many solutions and strategies have focused on how to integrate screening procedures with the existing office layout. To assist with this, ClearDent introduced a new feature, Patient Portal, a secure cloud-based access point that allows patients to access and update their records through ClearConnect.
Traditionally, dental offices have relied on longstanding practices, such as handing over a clipboard for quick paper reviews. However, the pandemic has forced a reevaluation of these methods. Even as technology began to reshape the waiting room experience, it took a global pandemic to question whether these approaches were ever truly effective.
In the post-pandemic world, handling paperwork for health history updates or adding a family member to dental care is seen as a logistical challenge. Routine checkups and first-time visits now pose obstacles for many businesses striving to maintain excellent health outcomes. Care providers, administrative staff, and office managers have found ways to keep their offices open, but often at increased costs to protect their teams and patients from COVID-19 risks.
By eliminating the need for records to be updated only in the waiting room or during appointments, Patient Portal simplifies record management for patients. This innovation reduces the reliance on paperwork, tablets, and concerns about the accuracy of file updates, streamlining the process and improving efficiency in the post-pandemic dental practice.
