The Relationship Between Dental Support Organizations (DSOs) and the Evolving Healthcare Delivery Model

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The significant role of oral health and its contribution to an individual’s well-being has come under scrutiny as of late. In 2014, it was estimated that more than 181 million Americans would not visit a dentist because of several barriers to care, or a self-diagnosis of “my mouth is healthy – I do not need to visit the dentist.” Other reasons noted by individuals not seeing their dentist on a consistent basis were: cost or no insurance, limited dental access in their area or lack of transportation, or they simply did not have the time.

With this data in tow, a more efficient and readily available business model has become increasingly popular within dentistry: Dental Support Organizations.

What is a DSO?

According to the Association of Dental Support Organizations (ADSO), Dental Support Organizations (DSOs) contract with dental practices to provide critical business management and support, including non-clinical operations, and range from small to large size organizations serving dental practices throughout the country.

The business models of DSOs do differ and while the neighborhood family dentist typically treats the general patient population, dental practices supported by DSOs often focus on specific populations. For example, some DSOs are entirely focused on meeting the needs of pediatric patients, while others are focused on more rural populations. This is not to say that DSOs do not serve the general population, as many still do.

The Patient Experience

The true patient benefit of a DSO model lies in the integrated technologies and streamlined processes. DSOs offer patients many time saving benefits including:

• Online appointment booking systems
• Online bill pay
• Flat rate appointments
• Flexibility to visit dentists between multiple offices
• Electronic prescription routing

Dental Infographic by Dental Care Alliance

The Role of Technology Within DSOs

DSOs are at the forefront of technology, both from a clinical and administrative standpoint. They pride themselves on remaining innovative, not only to better treat their patients, but to also have a competitive advantage and to attract and maintain new dentists. From billing software to detailed patient charting to specific treatment mechanisms, technology is embedded in nearly every workflow.

While many DSOs have thrown out their dentists’ paper prescription pads and have adopted electronic prescribing (e-Prescribing) software, there is still plenty of room to grow. e-Prescribing software provides dentists with the ability to send non-controlled and controlled prescriptions electronically directly to the patient’s pharmacy which adds convenience to the patient’s experience.

In addition to the prescription writing feature, e-Prescribing includes high value functionality for the dentist, patient and management teams such as:

• Insight into a patient’s current medication regimen.
• Ability to check for drug-to-drug and drug-to-allergy interactions at the point of care to help improve treatment decisions.
• Reporting capabilities that share what is prescribed and in what quantities to assess for in regards to compliance. This is especially crucial with the current opioid epidemic and having the ability to track prescriptions for controlled substances.
• Documentation for both the dentist and the patient including dental specific dosing information, as well as medication monographs.

What’s Ahead for DSOs

DSOs are continuing to shake up the dental industry. New DSOs continue to emerge, while existing ones are frequently acquiring new dental practices, therefore expanding and continuing to growing throughout the country. As previously discussed, cost and limited access to care were the most popular barriers, but DSOs offer streamlined solutions for both barriers as they are committed to the improvement of oral health in the United States through the accessibility of high-quality dental care. It is only a matter of time before more and more dentists hop on board.

Sources: American Dental Association; Association of Dental Support Organizations (ADSO); ADSO Whitepaper; National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research; Centers for Disease Control and Prevention; Dental Care Alliance

About DoseSpot

DoseSpot is a Surescripts certified e-Prescribing platform specifically designed to integrate with electronic health record, electronic dental record, practice management and telehealth software. DoseSpot is certified to e-Prescribe controlled substances and has provided simple, affordable and integratable e-Prescribing solutions to healthcare IT companies since 2009. For more information, please visit www.DoseSpot.com.

The Opioid Epidemic—Are Dentists the Black Sheep?

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Once again, the dental industry is in the hot seat regarding their perceived contribution to the opioid epidemic that the United States is currently facing. As part of their “Hooked” series, NBC News recently reported on this deadly triangle: the relationship between dentists, drugs, and dependence and how dentists are at the forefront of this crisis, even citing that they’re taking the easy way out when treating patients.

“We see it across medical and dental practices that physicians and dentists are giving patients extra medication just in case to avoid seeing the patient again or writing for refills. This is an obvious problem that leaves a lot of left over medication and patients hold on to it.” -Dr. Brian Bateman, Division of Pharmacoepidemiology and Pharmacoenocomics at Brigham and Women’s Hospital.

The article highlights a young woman’s journey from substance abuse to recovery, stating that her addiction to opioids started at her dentist’s office. She was having her wisdom teeth removed, a very common procedure among adolescents that typically warrants pain medication, but she was prescribed a 30-day supply and was not properly educated on the effects an opioid can produce. Having only experienced pain for a few days, she continued to take the medication because it made her feel invincible, powerful even, and the extra pills were just laying around. Unfortunately, this is how opioid addiction usually starts: with a prescription. Patients these days are also going to extreme lengths to obtain these substances such as doctor shopping to receive more medication, buying or selling on the black market, and sharing prescriptions with friends and family.

Click here to learn more about e-Prescribing and start saving time and money today!

Of course this isn’t the first time dentists are being victimized as the gatekeepers for these controlled substances. There has been a dramatic rate of response from organizations across the country in regards to this increasing epidemic. Senator Dick Durbin of IL recently wrote a letter to the American Dental Association (ADA), among other associations, which ultimately bashed the industry and claimed that dentists fail to take responsibility for its role contributing to the crisis and that they’re taking advantage of perceived financial incentives to over-treat pain. Likewise, articles published by JAMA and Harvard have made notion that the dental industry is a crucial piece of this epidemic puzzle.

Let’s play devil’s advocate and take a step back to evaluate what is most likely going on in dental offices. What are the pain points, exactly?

Paper prescriptions are not their friend.

Prescription pads or print-out prescriptions leave an immense amount of risk. Who’s to say a patient won’t alter the pill quantity, claim they lost their prescription, or worse, steal a prescription pad? It’s very easy to swipe a small piece of paper without anyone noticing.

They don’t know the unknown.

If a dentist doesn’t know a patient’s medication history, current medications, allergies, or any history of substance abuse, they cannot make an educated decision when it comes to what they prescribe.

They’re simply trying to do their job.

When a patient goes in for a procedure, a dentist naturally wants to make them as comfortable as possible—before, during, and post-surgery. However, prescribing opioids and at high amounts have become the norm nowadays and other alternatives, such as higher doses of acetaminophen or ibuprofen, aren’t even considered.

Luckily, e-Prescribing can mend all of these pain points, while also creating greater clinical efficiency and relieving a dentist’s anxiety for potential risk. It’s completely acceptable to not know all the answers or available resources that are out there as we combat this opioid crisis, but it’s not okay to turn a blind eye. Bottom line is: education is crucial during a time like this. Don’t remain a victim; take action and spearhead the change.

Sources: NBC News; JAMA; Harvard; Boston Globe

About DoseSpot

DoseSpot is a Surescripts certified e-Prescribing platform specifically designed to integrate with electronic health record, electronic dental record, practice management and telehealth software. DoseSpot is certified to e-Prescribe controlled substances and has provided simple, affordable and integratable e-Prescribing solutions to healthcare IT companies since 2009. For more information, please visit http://www.DoseSpot.com.

National Safety Month; The Danger of a Prescription

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The National Safety Council, in an effort to create awareness and reduce the leading causes of injury and death, has established June as National Safety Month. When one thinks of safety, perhaps the following comes to mind: wearing a seatbelt, keeping a close watch on little ones, or having emergency numbers on hand at all times. However, many fail to remember the importance of safety for prescribed medications—specifically prescriptions of controlled substances.

In 2012 alone, 259 million prescriptions were written for opioids, which is more than enough to give every American adult their own bottle of pills. In comparison to ten, even five years ago, this number is dramatically increasing as time goes on and more and more opioid overdoses are being reported on a daily basis. Prince? Elvis? Sigmund Freud? Bueller…? While their stories may have been reported nationwide, people from all over the country and from all different backgrounds are unfortunately experiencing this crisis right in their backyard.

Click here to learn more about e-Prescribing and start saving time and money today!

The dental industry is often victimized as the gate keeper of such prescriptions, but luckily there are efforts in place to monitor how, when, and to whom these controlled substances are prescribed. That is, so long as the dental community, both prescribers and Dental Support Organizations (DSOs), are ready to step up and take action. Fortunately, electronic prescribing (e-Prescribing) has the power to assist in alleviating the opioid epidemic that is upon us, but how exactly?

• e-Prescribing diminishes the possibilities of duplicate or lost prescriptions since the prescription is sent directly to the patient’s pharmacy
• A patient will no longer have a paper prescription where the dispense quantity can be altered
• Prescribers will have access to a patient’s medication history, therefore they can determine if a patient is “doctor shopping” or has a history of substance abuse

Be an innovator and stay ahead of the curve, all while enhancing patient safety and quality of care. A patient’s wellbeing and the ever increasing amount of lost lives depends on it.

Sources: World Health Organization (WHO); American Society of Addiction Medicine (ASAM)

About DoseSpot

DoseSpot is a Surescripts certified e-Prescribing platform specifically designed to integrate with electronic dental record, practice management and telehealth software. DoseSpot is certified to e-Prescribe controlled substances and has provided simple, affordable and integratable e-Prescribing solutions since 2009. For more information, please visit http://www.DoseSpot.com.

3 Reasons to Brush up on Men’s Oral Health

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Maintaining proper oral hygiene is an integral part of one’s overall health and well-being, but there’s a lot more to it than simply having white teeth and a nice smile. Infrequent dental visits and not having two X chromosomes unfortunately contribute to the lack of oral hygiene across the country. However, as we celebrate the men in our lives this June in recognition of Men’s Health Month, it’s imperative to create awareness of preventable health issues and encourage early detection and treatment.

While visiting the dentist may not exactly be an appealing way to spend one’s free time, here are three reasons why men should focus on their oral health:

Prevent vs. Treat

Did you know that lack of proper oral hygiene could lead to tooth loss, cancer, heart disease, and in some cases, death? Numbers show that men are more likely than women to develop oral and throat cancer and gum disease. Men typically shy away from visiting their dentists and only schedule an appointment when a problem arises, but catching any complications early on can relieve a lot of stress and associated high costs in the long run. This is especially important if they’re tobacco users as well.

Men Will Be Men

Men who participate in sports, specifically high contact sports such as football and hockey, have greater potential for trauma to their mouths and teeth, but wearing a mouth guard can prevent a lot of potential damage. Likewise for men who ride bicycles or motorcycles—a helmet should always be worn. They don’t need to limit their level of activity, but it helps to be smart about it.

Getting Noticed for the Right Reasons

In a dog-eat-dog world, first impressions are everything and getting noticed in a positive way can make or break opportunities. Men in the business world, family world, dating world—well, any kind of world, really— should make their oral health a top priority. Although a great first impression is important, leading by example for their families and children is equally, if not more, important.

Make men’s oral health a priority this month and encourage them to schedule an appointment with their dentist at least once per year. In the meantime—brush, floss, rinse, and repeat!

Sources: Colgate; Delta Dental

About DoseSpot

DoseSpot is a Surescripts certified e-Prescribing platform specifically designed to integrate with electronic dental record, practice management and telehealth software. DoseSpot is certified to e-Prescribe controlled substances and has provided simple, affordable and integratable e-Prescribing solutions since 2009. For more information, please visit http://www.DoseSpot.com.

The Maine Mandate—Confronting Controlled Substances Head-On

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The annual Maine Dental Association (MDA) Convention commenced in Rockport, ME on Friday, June 10^th and it’s safe to say the event was a tremendous success. The DoseSpot team was fortunate to not only attend, but also announce the keynote speaker, Dr. Harold L. Crossley, whom is well known for his expertise regarding street drugs and the chemical dependency associated with such drugs. In his two-part session, “Street Drugs Exposed”, Dr. Crossley provided intriguing insight to the controlled substance epidemic that the United States is currently facing. He explained that chemical dependency is a primary, chronic, progressive, and relapsing disease with genetic, psychosocial, and environmental factors influencing its development and manifestations. Dr. Crossley also further defined the term “chemical dependency” as a primary illness or disease that is characterized by addiction to a mood-altering chemical. It is progressive and chronic, and if left untreated, it can be fatal.

Headlines regarding overdoses seem to appear on a daily basis and one thing is certain—these drugs do not discriminate. The American Society of Addiction Medicine states that four out of five new heroin users are first addicted to prescription opioids because when the pill supply runs out, heroin is typically the next option. To be fair, the origins of this epidemic aren’t necessarily because of a prescriber’s bad behavior. The majority are well-intentioned prescribers that are simply trying to do their job the best way they know how. This disease and the increasing rate of fatalities, however, are devastating local communities across the country and have caused some states to take aggressive action.

Click here to learn more about e-Prescribing and start saving time and money today!

In an effort to better monitor the prescribing of such drugs, Maine has become the second state behind New York to mandate electronic prescribing for controlled substances and the third state to set a limit on the duration and daily strength of opioid prescriptions. Prescribers will also be required to partake in addiction training every two years. This may ignite some eye-rolls and perhaps a tinge of anxiety, but let’s look at the bigger picture. Dentists are often criticized for “irresponsibly” prescribing controlled substances and “taking advantage” of perceived financial incentives to over-treat pain. On the other hand, the majority of dentists believe they have been victims of prescription fraud or theft. The good news is, e-Prescribing can alleviate many pain points that dentists and society are collectively experiencing.

Here at DoseSpot, we understand that making any type of change can be difficult, but e-Prescribing doesn’t need to be one of them. Contact us today to learn how seamless the e-Prescribing transition can be with DoseSpot on your side.

Sources: Portland Press Herald; Boston Globe

About DoseSpot

DoseSpot, partnered with Lexicomp, is a Surescripts certified e-Prescribing platform specifically designed to integrate with electronic dental record, practice management and telehealth software. DoseSpot is certified to e-Prescribe controlled substances and has provided simple, affordable and integratable e-Prescribing solutions since 2009. For more information, please visit http://www.DoseSpot.com.

Dentaweb Integrates DoseSpot Dental e-Prescribing Platform

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NEEDHAM HEIGHTS, MA (PRWEB) AUGUST 06, 2015

DoseSpot, an industry leader in e-Prescribing integration platforms for medical, dental and telehealth software, today announced that Dentaweb, a web based total Dental Practice Management solution, has successfully integrated DoseSpot. Through the partnership, Dentaweb successfully completed Surescripts certification and their dentists can now e-Prescribe controlled and non-controlled prescriptions to more than 65,000 pharmacies nationwide.

Dentaweb is a flagship brand of American Management Group, LLC, an IT driven company providing innovative, efficient and reliable solutions in the field of Dental Practice Management to more than 150 dental practices. The DoseSpot Dental platform has been a top choice for dental software companies due to DoseSpot’s quick e-Prescribing integration plans and excellent customer support. The DoseSpot Dental platform not only meets the needs of dental software companies, but it also provides general dentists and specialists with a simple and intuitive user interface for e-Prescribing controlled and non-controlled prescriptions.

“The 2014 Surescripts National Progress Report highlighted that while 73 percent of pharmacies nationwide are equipped for e-Prescribing of Controlled Substance (EPCS), only 1.4 percent of prescribers are equipped to send them”, said Greg Waldstreicher, CEO, DoseSpot.1 “We are excited to see DoseSpot fully integrated with Dentaweb so their dentists can take part in safely and securely sending controlled substances electronically.”

Last year, DoseSpot completed a third-party EPCS audit with Drummond Group Inc., a global software test and certification body that was approved by the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) to audit EPCS software applications. Through DoseSpot, Dentaweb also successfully completed an EPCS integration review by Drummond Group Inc. and dentists located at all Dentaweb clinics can now e-Prescribe controlled substances.

“DoseSpot was easy to integrate and their client engagement team provided excellent technical support throughout the e-Prescribing integration process”, said Vinay Pandya of Dentaweb. “In addition, Dentaweb is proud to be associated with DoseSpot and we are excited to offer e-Prescribing to our dental providers.”

For more information on DoseSpot’s EPCS software, please visit http://www.DoseSpot.com or contact Lindsay Walsh, Lindsay(at)dosespot(dot)com.

About Dentaweb 
Dentaweb headed by CEO Arun Savani is a web based total Dental Practice management solution offering software as a service in the areas including Dental Practice Management, Revenue Cycle Management, Financial Reporting and Practice Performance Management.

About DoseSpot 
DoseSpot is a Surescripts certified e-Prescribing platform specifically designed to integrate with electronic health record, electronic dental record, practice management and telehealth software. DoseSpot is certified to e-Prescribe controlled substances and has provided simple, affordable and integratable e-Prescribing solutions to healthcare IT companies since 2009. For more information, please visit http://www.DoseSpot.com.

References 
1. Surescripts “2014 National Progress Report.” 2015. Available at http://surescripts.com/docs/default-source/national-progress-reports/surescripts-2014-national-progress-report.pdf.

Read the full press release here: http://www.prweb.com/releases/2015/08/prweb12890940.htm 

XLDent Prescribes with DoseSpot

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Case Study:

XLDent™ began researching integration of an e-Prescribing solution when it was mandated in Minnesota. However, this was not the only reason they considered adding e-Prescribing.  XLDent™ had already developed a written prescription module within their software that could be fed to the Doctor Portal, but it did not contain the patient’s entire prescription history. The company was looking for a solution that could offer dentists a comprehensive view of a patient’s medication history from a mobile device, such as their smartphone when away from the office. Their interest was also to include a clinical decision support tool that would help clinicians improve patient outcomes.

Solution:

XLDentâ„¢ chose DoseSpot because of the ease of integration, its easy-to-use user interface, and the fact that it met all of their feature criteria. “The development team at DoseSpot was and continues to be great to work with!” said Dawn Christodoulou, President of XLDent. “They are very engaged and responsive to our needs.”

Most Common e-Prescribing Questions Asked by Dentists

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We talked to a lot of dentists over the course of the three-day ADA Annual Session.  Between handing out our awesome #dosespotted t-shirts and providing demos, we fielded questions on all things e-Prescribing.  Below is a compilation of the questions most frequently asked and our attempt to answer them as enthusiastically as we do in person!

What exactly is e-Prescribing? e-Prescribing stands for electronic prescribing.  With e-Prescribing, dentists can route prescriptions electronically to the patient’s preferred pharmacy in addition to reviewing the patient’s medication history and insurance information.

What are the advantages of e-Prescribing? Where do we start?  In short, e-Prescribing saves time, increases efficiency and improves safety and security.  Dentists that e-Prescribe with DoseSpot can instantaneously route prescriptions, check for dangerous drug-drug and drug-allergy interactions and access dental specific medication information with the click of a button, to name a few.

What does ‘dental specific’ e-Prescribing mean? DoseSpot has an exclusive partnership with Lexicomp to provide dental specific medication information within the e-Prescribing workflow. This means dentists can access crucial medication information such as a medication’s effect on dental use & dental treatment, dental usual dosages, and many more! 

Can my office staff use it? Yes! With DoseSpot specifically, proxy accounts can be created that allow staff members to enter patient information and utilize a subset of features.

What are the next steps to getting e-Prescribing at my practice? We are glad you asked this one.  Just give us a call at (888)-847-6814 or visit DoseSpot.com/lexi

I’m not a dentist but am interested in learning more about e-Prescribing, what do I do? We have good news, we also integrate with both medical and telehealth software companies.  Call us, we’d love to talk to you.

Have we left any of your questions unanswered?  Feel free to tweet us any questions @DoseSpot or give us a ring (888)-847-6814.

ADA 2013 Photo Recap

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It was Halloween and the Rex Sox just won the World Series (go Sox!) as we arrived at ADA 2013, joining a crowd of more than 23,000 dental enthusiasts.  The three day Annual Session was nothing short of outstanding and we are pleased to say we accomplished each item on our bucket list while in New Orleans.  Between the wonderful dentists we met and the awesome food we ate, it was a meeting to be remembered.

Check out a compilation of pictures taken at ADA 2013 below of booth attendees writing their first mock e-Prescription and getting #DoseSpotted!

ADA 2013 Photo Recap

We’re working to compile answers to the most commonly asked questions about e-Prescribing at ADA for our next blog post.  Tweet any questions you have for us @DoseSpot and your question may be featured!