Training Underway on Salud Electronic Dental Record

Since November 2008, Dublin based Two-ten Health (TTH) has been working on the transition to Electronic Dental Records (EDR) at the Boston University Henry M. Goldman School of Dental Medicine (GSDM). This past February representatives from TTH conducted interviews with all of the GSDM stakeholders and documented business flows. TTH then prepared a formal business analysis report which detailed all of the clinical business practices and flows at GSDM. In consultation with Dean Jeffrey W. Hutter and project leads Dr. Ronni Schnell and Mr. Tim McDonough and using that business analysis as a guide, TTH configured the Salud system to best meet the business and clinical needs at GSDM. This configuration included constant communication between GSDM and TTH and truly represents the input of countless members of the GSDM community.

Electronic records were created and tested and training to use the new system has begun! A three week training schedule was developed which began with training the designated GSDM "Super Users." These individuals will assist IT and the project management team in training the BU community. They are faculty and staff from all clinics and departments of the School willing and able to learn quickly, assist others, and help support and trouble shoot during implementation and "Go Live".

Once the Super Users were trained, training began for all clinical faculty and students currently providing patient treatment at GSDM. Once GSDM implements "Go Live" with Electronic Dental Records, paper records will no longer be used. Current patient record legacy data will be saved by means of comprehensive chart notes. Current radiographs on film necessary for continuing treatment will be selectively scanned as needed. The existing paper records will be kept on the premises and available for review for at least 6 months and after that will be archived in the usual manner.

Dean Hutter recently announced that "…the date for implementation of the EDR in the predoctoral patient treatment centers, AEGD, and Oral Surgery has been set for September 7. The postdoctoral treatment center and the Dental Health Center at 930 Commonwealth Avenue will "Go Live" by the end of September. We have come a great distance and the finish line is definitely now in sight. Having an EDR such as the one that you have been involved in designing will bring us to a new level and separate us from our peers. We owe this to our students, our patients, our faculty & staff, our alumni, and our School."

Photos from the training sessions are available on GSDM’s flickr account and also on the Facebook page.