Convert to OD and Paperless, or one at a time?

[spolevoy]

I am considering converting from Dentrix v11 to OD.
I would also like to go paperless.
Which is the less stressful conversion - both or one at a time?

[Jorgebon]

I would go one at a time. The only exception might be a new office that is starting up. It may take some time for your staff to master OD and for you to enter all your documents (like Hipaa form, medical Hx forms, referral forms, prescription forms, lab prescription forms, etc.) as sheets in OD. I do think you should scan and throw away every piece of paper that comes into your office, but you may have to generate some paper forms initially.
Jorge Bonilla, DMD

[teethdood]

Proverbial: if you ask 4 dentists a question, you get 5 different answers...

Just a different opinion, but I would do both at the same time. It's like doing 3rd molar extractions, would you rather have pain one at a time or just go through pain once and be done with it.

As the dentist/owner and the driving force for change in the office, I would play around with the trial version for a solid month, learn and ins and outs of the software, paperless and all.

Then install the trial version for the front desk. Make her spend a couple of days learning the frontdesk duties in OD. Have her scan everything in. Once she gets the hang of it, call Jordan's team up and have them convert the Dentrix database over. The following day, go LIVE, but be sure to schedule light. One day of fumbling around is all it should take.

Dr. Bonilla is right in saying that it will take time before you become proficient with OD (forms, sheets, etc.) but as long as you know how to scan things in, you're going to be just fine. The OD team is just a phone call away.

If you don't do paperless as soon as when you convert over to OD, you're much less likely to do it. Or if you're really determined to do it, will drag it on paper for months or years until you bite the bullet and go through another round of pain. Again, think of the 3rd molar analogies...