One of my favorite lines in the movie World War Z is “movement is life.” Our hero, UN special investigator Gerry Lane, suggests to a frightened family that if they do nothing, they would probably succumb to the zombie plague. Unfortunately, the family disregards Mr. Lane’s advice and, except for the older son, is overrun by zombies.
Mr. Lane’s advice is applicable to the technology in your practice. Too often, a practice may choose the status quo rather than moving to the current technology standard, which is the cloud. Sticking to the status quo is understandable. Change requires effort; it can be uncomfortable for a season, whereas sticking to what you know avoids these unpleasantries.
Of course, the classic rebuttal to the status quo is quite applicable in this instance: no pain, no gain. Moving your practice to the cloud requires effort. There’s no doubt about that. But remember, movement is life. Here are five reasons why moving to the cloud will keep your practice vibrant and exciting.
Always the latest and greatest
Unlike management software that requires a server, you never hassle with upgrades. Keeping the software current and the database healthy is not your task; it’s the vendor’s responsibility. Your role is to practice dentistry, not hassle with IT. As a result, whenever you or your team uses the software, the latest features and tools are always at your disposal.
Better protection of your patient information
If your patient information resides on a server in your practice, you have to worry about its security. And chances are you’re not an expert on data backup and security. With your data on the cloud, your information is secured by the best digital and physical security. You data is stored in professionally managed data centers (as in plural) and on more than one server. Hardware will fail, and we’ve designed our systems around that fact, making them highly redundant. The key point is this: on the cloud, you’ll never worry about a server that crashes and a backup that won’t restore.
Affordability and savings
The cloud is easier on your budget. As a service, it doesn’t require a large, upfront investment in a license agreement. Rather, a monthly subscription provides your practice with more than just software: upgrades, data security, and technical support are also included. Additionally, the hardware requirements are less demanding than what is required for client-server software. You’ll save money on hardware, and of course you won’t invest in outdated technology, such as a server.
Better data accessibility
Data accessibility is the hallmark of the cloud. Whether you’re at home, on vacation, or at grandma’s house on Thanksgiving Day, all you need is a computer and the
Internet to review notes, charts, balances, and even x-rays. And regardless of where you access the data, the user
experience is the same as if you were at the office. You’ll avoid investments in more outdated communications software and a slow, clunky user experience.
Lifestyle and work-style compatibility
The cloud works hand in hand with stops at the coffee shop to review the day’s schedule before you get to work. The cloud makes it possible to get home and spend time with the family first, and then finish up charts after the kids are down. When you’re away from the office and a patient calls, the cloud helps you review medical and prescription histories before making another call to the pharmacy.
When you move your practice to the cloud, you’ll be able to take advantage of these benefits, which can breathe life into your practice. Yes, it takes a bit of effort to get there, but it’s much, much better than the status quo. Change is always better than the status quo. Change represents progress. Like Mr. Lane said, movement is life.
Andy Jensen has been in the dental software business for 23 years. He is vice president and chief marketing officer at Curve Dental, a software development house that delivers 100% cloud-based management software for dentists. Andy recently completed a book, How to Build the Killer Practice on the Cloud, which can be downloaded at curvedental.com/killer-practice-de.
