4 benefits of an all-in-one compliance management system
4 benefits of an all-in-one compliance management system
In the competitive field of dentistry, providers are consistently looking for new methods to improve margins while continuing to offer high-quality care to patients. Though compliance is often looked upon as a burden on staff or treated as an afterthought, an effective compliance management system can streamline processes, create operational efficiency and maximize revenue for dental practices.
However, with an inefficient compliance process, innumerable problems can arise. This is why it is so surprising that many dentists still rely on manual methods to track compliance. Most offices use stacks of manuals that are rarely updated and stored in hard-to-find places. This method is time consuming, difficult to maintain and prone to errors.
Cabinets and binders filled with vital documentation become unreliable as industry regulations frequently change. This means that key staff members must dedicate significant effort to organizing, updating and tracking files — time that would be better spent focusing on business goals.
Further, these generic manuals are usually purchased from a third-party dental supplier and provide limited value to a specific office. Oftentimes, they aren’t even purchased until a dentist is concerned that he or she may be audited. If and when that happens, the office could be in compliance, but the staff has really only put in minimal effort to meet the requirements.
Failure to follow federal, state and local regulations can have disastrous effects on any practice. Offices that do not prioritize compliance leave themselves vulnerable to hefty fines and lawsuits, while missing a great opportunity for success.
But not all systems will provide the same efficiencies. Some practices have implemented new technology to manage compliance, using dozens of separate systems that are expensive and require dedicated staff to manage and maintain. In addition to performing administrative tasks, employees must spend time using each individual system to track data, file documents and update information.
Consolidating employee training, provider credentialing, policies and procedures, safety plans and data sheets, incident reporting, and more into a single system will offer the greatest value to a dental office. When assessing your dental practice for areas of improvement, consider the following benefits of an all-in-one, cloud-based compliance management suite for maximum efficiency and greater outcomes: