A data problem could be growing exponentially in your practice

The goal of AI in dentistry is to create a program that will be able to use our patient data to aid the decision making process and better connect with our patients. I recently spoke with Dental Products Report at “AI Applications in Dentistry”, which if you didn’t catch you can see it on my website here. There are incredible opportunities ahead to use AI to help our businesses grow. 

You create patient data every time you interact with your patients. That data is then transferred into computers through case notes, forms, images, and any number of inputs we put into each patient's record or file. That file is rich with data about a patient's medical information, your analysis and about them as a person. It might include who they are, their lives, spending preferences, acceptance rates-all important to the business of dentistry. Many times these pieces of data have been entered into a practice management system. In addition, your practice management software may have added its own tags based on how the patient moved through the processes it has created, and this is where things can get messy.

Say you created a treatment plan for Patient A that included a filling and Invisalign. Patient A accepted the filling, but instead of clearing just one part of the plan, you accepted the whole plan and deleted the Invisalign. In this scenario, you decide to run an Invisalign special, and Patient A would be a perfect match. So when you run your new marketing program that will filter all patients with Invisalign in their treatment plan, it may catch some, but unless all data points have been entered correctly, it will miss what could be your next Invisalign patient.

Or say you have a capture PC, that sits on a PC, and it transfers all of your x-rays, but at some point in the past you upgraded your capture PC. Now your database points at two databases, and you have “lost touch” with some of the older images. When you integrate your new AI program to go back and look at older images, you may miss an opportunity to have a second opinion. 

Although these might seem like exaggerated examples of lost or mislabeled data, a small problem repeated over 10 years can really add up. When we talk about getting your data cleaned before adding any new AI programs, we’re making sure you are using your practice management software correctly, that the data in each patient's chart is complete and that you have all of the information your system needs to make good decisions.

AI programs right now take a simple input to make a fairly simple decision or suggestion. But as AI continues to evolve, the decisions will become more complex. Decisions will be made based on other decisions, and small errors will be compounded. A decision made based on partial information or incorrect data, will not be helping your business.

Your data is a valuable asset to your business. It can help your business soar or it can just become a hindrance and a liability. Spend the time now to ensure your data has been cleaned up. Regular training and clear processes you use in your practice help to create a rich set of data that will help your business grow for years to come. For more information on how we can help, give us a call!