Introduction
At the beginning of the 21st century, information systems and information technology penetrated all spheres of life. Information systems make routine work fast and simple, and support complex operations and performance deficiencies. In dentistry, information systems support daily operations and simplify routine work and data storage facilities (Eaton and Kennedy 2007). In dentistry, quality of work and customer satisfaction depend on the technology being used, so performance management techniques have to fit with the information systems requirements. The dentistry industry sees high technology as a helping hand that helps to improve daily management and control data inputs.
Information Systems
Information Systems Characteristics
The office uses a limited number of Information Systems because of the unique nature of work and a limited number of clients. The main type of information systems is Eaglesoft software and digital X-rays. In the office, the essence of Information Systems is knowledge, so high technology refers to knowledge with certain characteristics (Eaton and Kennedy, 2007). The advantage of Eaglesoft is that it helps to manage front-office, clinical, and imaging procedures. This software was developed for dental practice and meets all management and clinical demands of the practice. This software makes the visit personal and confidential. All digital images and files are attached to the personal record of the patient. The office posits that Information Systems is at the high end of several interrelated dimensions of knowledge: it is multifaceted rather than simple, new as opposed to established, at the boundaries of increase and incomplete rather than complete, quickly progressing not static or slowly developing, systemic not isolated, and contingent rather than linear. I work in a paperless office based on information processing and effective data storage systems (Carr, 2004).
Data Processing
In the office, all records are digital. Most of the personnel records are held centrally, but each manager keeps a small file on each of the clients in their department, the contents of which are entirely up to the manager. One week a staff member makes a Subject Access data request and gets the central record. Special attention is given to confidentiality and accuracy of record keeping. All managers are careful only to provide the information to the right person. This means that the manager should ask for information to verify the client’s identity. The manager may also ask for information to help the doctor locate their records. the doctor might, for instance, want to ask the number of clients he originally deals with, or the approximate date they are last in contact. A Subject Access request is not valid until the manager or the doctor has received any of this information they need, but he/she can only ask for ‘reasonable’ information (Laudon & Laudon, 2005).
Possible Problems
The uncertain, unpredictable nature of the direction of the information systems exacerbates the implications of the other dimensions. The office has spelled out these aspects of information systems in some detail because of their significant implications for the way performance is managed in information systems firms. The office has frequently to change their work in response to changing requirements, information, and priorities from others (Snyder, 2007).
Also, some employees consider arguing that the line file system is not a ‘relevant filing system’, but decide in the end that it would be better to analyze policy altogether. The doctors are given better guidance on what they may and may not keep in their personnel files, and these files are a part of the response to Subject Access requests.
Benefits of the Information systems
In the Office, many routine activities nowadays are outsourced. Where these involve the processing of personal data about the medical history of a client, the medical staff that carries out the work will usually be a Data Processor. For instance, a Data Controller might use external agencies to provide a payroll service, mailing facilities, etc, IT support, and many other services. All X-ray records are digitally kept, so it helps to save time and money on routine paperwork (Philip, 2007).
Fast development is an ironically constant aspect of information systems, and the development feeds on itself. Rapid progress in dentistry leaves more knowledge gaps. Profitable and competitive use of information systems depends on filling the gaps as quickly as possible, creating a base for further progress. The office and management must respond quickly to these continuing developments. The knowledge behind information systems is systemic. It cannot be isolated into neat packages and disciplines; previously split knowledge bases, for instance, join forces to form the knowledge base of new technologies. This is happening in dentistry, where the new composite materials are revolutionizing this field of medicine. Increasingly, information systems products and production processes are systems. They serve to link the Office and technological elements into mutually interdependent units. The personal effects of a person’s behavior are lost as they interact with the behaviors of others and contribute to the performance of the office as a whole (Snyder, 2007).
Components of the System
The main components of the information systems are software, hardware, the Internet, and digital X-Rays. These systems are in turn embedded in other information systems. Interdependent elements of the system are exemplified and exacerbated by networks of information technologies that infuse the office. As a result, in information systems settings, managers are highly interdependent with one another, and the contributions of individual efforts to the efficiency of the information systems as a whole are not always known. In conclusion, information systems knowledge is contingent on which aspects of the technology have most recently been introduced and which gaps in the developing knowledge domain managers choose to fill next (Snyder, 2007).
Conclusion
The information systems help the office to improve its daily operations and manage data effectively and efficiently. The paperless office allows managers and doctors to save time and provide quality service for all customers. The Eaglesoft software allows the dentist’s office to treat each patient professionally and respond to the diverse needs and requirements of each patient. The development of information systems content cannot be completely predicted, so the overriding need is to be able to act in response to developments as they occur and to strategically choose points where succeeding development should be aimed. Much of the information systems of the dentistry industry are fueled by strategic developments and information systems. Sophisticated X-rays on one side are countered by the development of technology, which leads to further medical improvements. Information systems developments happen quickly and can result in frequent changes in work design. These information systems changes are not isolated but typically have consequences for the design of the entire office system.
References
- Carr, N. G. (2004). Does IT Matter? Information Technology and the Corrosion of Competitive Advantage. Harvard Business School Press;.
- Eaton, M. L. Kennedy, D. (2007). Innovation in Medical Technology: Ethical Issues and Challenges. The Johns Hopkins University Press; 1 edition.
- Laudon, K. C. & Laudon, J. P. (2005). Management Information Systems: Managing the Digital Firm, 9th Edition.
- Philip, G. (2007). Information Systems Management. Prentice Hall; 7 edition.
- Snyder, L. (2007). Fluency with Information Technology: Skills, Concepts, and Capabilities (3rd Edition). Addison Wesley; 3 edition.