title: Electronic health record conversion in a private dental school.
abstract: The three-year-plus transition from a partial to a full electronic set of clinics in a dental school is described. The processes of requirement determination, vendor selection, and implementation are described, as well as challenges and benefits. A number of recommendations are offered, including the wisdom of involving, early in the process, all who are affected by the conversion, recognition that different users interact with the clinic differently and therefore have different requirements and expectations, and that some individuals adapt easily to change and others find it more challenging. It is easy to underestimate the resources of time, money, and energy necessary for a conversion to an electronic health record, especially in a multi-clinic organization; but such changes are inevitable.
authors.affiliation: University of the Pacific, Arthur A. Dugoni School of Dentistry, USA. rfredekind@pacific.edu
authors.forename: Richard
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Fredekind
mesh_terms: D001292:Attitude to Computers; D003199:Computer Systems; D003740:Dental Clinics; D057286:Electronic Health Records; D006284:Health Plan Implementation; D006801:Humans; D017149:Private Sector; D040841:Resource Allocation; D012575:Schools, Dental; D012984:Software