We hear much about digital transformation and how it is changing various industries. Our life has become more digital as the internet developed while mobile devices have opened access to digital resources, applications, social media, and many technological innovations. Dentistry and orthodontics have seen a sharp growth in digital changes as imaging and radiographs have shifted into the digital format. Practice management, scheduling, and charting are mostly digital in today’s practices. With appliance design and fabrication, the digital world has expanded for us greatly in the past few years.
At its core, digital transformation in orthodontics is about leveraging technology to improve patient care and outcomes. We can include anything from using advanced imaging techniques to diagnose and treat patients more accurately to implementing digital tools that streamline the workflow and reduce administrative burden.
Digital Transformation Challenges
Many companies need help with digital changes. Digital resources are expanding, but the transformation and shift into a more digital orthodontic practice come with challenges. Traditional methods and the status quo will challenge change. Many doctors seek to find the advantages of digital tools and make them relevant for clinical results, efficiency, and affordability. For most doctors, the digital transformation must make sense for improved patient care and financial sense.
According to McKinsey and Company, “Companies may be postponing further evolution of their technology organizations, a survey finds. Yet they should take heart: investing in these changes will likely pay off—and maybe nothing short of essential to their competitiveness in the future.”
Five Levels of Digital Transformation
The five levels of digital transformation in orthodontics are: predigital, pilot programs, digital silos, digitally integrated, and fully digital. Predigital refers to traditional operating models for delivering technology solutions. Pilot programs involve traditional operating models with digital pilot programs. Digital silos involve traditional operational models with a separate digital process. Digitally integrated refers to technology delivered at scale by both digital and traditional teams. Fully digital means all technology delivery teams operate digitally using modern software, infrastructure, and tools.
Do you know where you lie in the five levels? Once we determine our level of digital integration, we can set a strategy to gain more digital traction. Investments in continuing digital education, team training, and acquiring digital tools can help gain momentum toward a fully digital model that will help your practice.
Overall, digital transformation in orthodontics is vital to staying competitive in today’s rapidly changing healthcare landscape. Investing in these changes will likely pay off in the long run by improving patient care and outcomes while reducing costs associated with administrative tasks and labor costs. The key to success is training and implementing digital tools and best practices. With greater investment in learning about digital resources, orthodontic practices can break through the challenges and improve the journey into a more digital world.
