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Rules for technology and the dental team member
FEATURES
A BETTER PRACTICE
Rules for technology and the dental team member Roger P. Levin, DDS
Q
HOW DO I MANAGE CELL PHONE USAGE BY MY TEAM MEMBERS? I DO NOT WANT TO TOTALLY BAN CELL PHONES, BUT I ALSO WANT MY TEAM MEMBERS TO BE FOCUSED ON PATIENT CARE.
A
This is a difficult question that all practice owners must grapple with. The popularity of cell phones has exploded in the past 10 to 15 years. Most people have their cell phone with them at all times, including while at work. In dental practices, providing exceptional patient care is the number 1 priority. Anything that interferes with that objective must be eliminated or minimized. Dental health care professionals owe their patients the best care possible. That includes giving patients undivided attention, listening to their concerns, and answering their questions. We as a profession need staff members who are present for their patients. That said, I believe dentists also have an obligation to provide a positive work environment for their staff members. A BRAVE NEW WORLD
We are in a new era regarding employee usage of cell phones, the Internet, and social media during work. When staff members are on the clock, they should be focused on patients and the daily operations of the practice. However, we also live in a world in which technology has become a standard part of
our daily activities and behavior. The use of cell phones and other devices is only going to increase as the convenience, accessibility, and intelligence of technology improves. For a long time, I believed that all cell phone usage should be prohibited by team members at the practice except during lunch and breaks. However, over the years, as cell phones have become more ubiquitous, I have come to realize my original position is unreasonable given the connected world we live in. Many staff members depend on access to their cell phones for various reasons. For example, parents make quick calls to find out whether their children have arrived safely at home after leaving school. Spouses text about evening plans, picking up children, daily errands, and other concerns. Take away all access to technology and some team members no longer enjoy their work environment. On the other hand, the use of cell phones should be tightly managed by the dentist. Discretion must be exercised by staff members if they need to make a call or respond to a text. Practices should put policies in place that spell out specifically when employees may access their cell phones during the workday. COMMON-SENSE GUIDELINES
Having a written policy regarding cell phones and other communication devices will provide guidance and clarity for both staff members
and practice owners. The following rules apply to all practices: - no cell phone use in front of patients or in patient areas; - all cell phone conversations or texting should be brief; - no extended conversations; - no loud conversations; - cell phones should be placed on the mute, silent, or vibrate setting; - all cell phone conversations should take place in employee-only areas; - employees are encouraged to limit usage of cell phones and other devices to lunchtime and other authorized breaks. These rules are all self-evident. However, the gray area occurs when employees want to access their cell phones during nonbreaks. There are offices that set aside 5-minute periods throughout the day when staff members can engage in the use of technology. In addition, many practices end meetings early so that the last few minutes can be used by employees to check email, texts, and other communication channels. These options allow team members the opportunity to use technology on a limited basis without being a deterrent to daily operations or customer service. If technology privileges are being abused by employees, then the dentist should restrict the use of cell phones to lunchtime and other practice-approved breaks. The first priority must always be patient care. CONCLUSION
We live in a connected world. Communication technology,
JADA 148(7) http://jada.ada.org
July 2017 541
FEATURES
including cell phones, social media, and the Internet, is changing the way we live and work. Dental practices must be cognizant of these changes and how they affect employee behavior and expectations. The steps discussed in this column will help dentists draft technology policies that account for the needs of
542 JADA 148(7) http://jada.ada.org
patients, while being fair to staff members. n http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.adaj.2017.04.030 Copyright ª 2017 American Dental Association. All rights reserved.
Dr. Levin is the founder and chief executive officer, Levin Group, 10 New Plant Court,
July 2017
Owings Mills, MD 21117, e-mail rlevin@ levingroup.com. Address correspondence to Dr. Levin. Disclosure. Dr. Levin did not report any disclosures. The views expressed are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the opinions or official policies of the American Dental Association.
A BETTER PRACTICE
Rules for technology and the dental team member Roger P. Levin, DDS
Q
HOW DO I MANAGE CELL PHONE USAGE BY MY TEAM MEMBERS? I DO NOT WANT TO TOTALLY BAN CELL PHONES, BUT I ALSO WANT MY TEAM MEMBERS TO BE FOCUSED ON PATIENT CARE.
A
This is a difficult question that all practice owners must grapple with. The popularity of cell phones has exploded in the past 10 to 15 years. Most people have their cell phone with them at all times, including while at work. In dental practices, providing exceptional patient care is the number 1 priority. Anything that interferes with that objective must be eliminated or minimized. Dental health care professionals owe their patients the best care possible. That includes giving patients undivided attention, listening to their concerns, and answering their questions. We as a profession need staff members who are present for their patients. That said, I believe dentists also have an obligation to provide a positive work environment for their staff members. A BRAVE NEW WORLD
We are in a new era regarding employee usage of cell phones, the Internet, and social media during work. When staff members are on the clock, they should be focused on patients and the daily operations of the practice. However, we also live in a world in which technology has become a standard part of
our daily activities and behavior. The use of cell phones and other devices is only going to increase as the convenience, accessibility, and intelligence of technology improves. For a long time, I believed that all cell phone usage should be prohibited by team members at the practice except during lunch and breaks. However, over the years, as cell phones have become more ubiquitous, I have come to realize my original position is unreasonable given the connected world we live in. Many staff members depend on access to their cell phones for various reasons. For example, parents make quick calls to find out whether their children have arrived safely at home after leaving school. Spouses text about evening plans, picking up children, daily errands, and other concerns. Take away all access to technology and some team members no longer enjoy their work environment. On the other hand, the use of cell phones should be tightly managed by the dentist. Discretion must be exercised by staff members if they need to make a call or respond to a text. Practices should put policies in place that spell out specifically when employees may access their cell phones during the workday. COMMON-SENSE GUIDELINES
Having a written policy regarding cell phones and other communication devices will provide guidance and clarity for both staff members
and practice owners. The following rules apply to all practices: - no cell phone use in front of patients or in patient areas; - all cell phone conversations or texting should be brief; - no extended conversations; - no loud conversations; - cell phones should be placed on the mute, silent, or vibrate setting; - all cell phone conversations should take place in employee-only areas; - employees are encouraged to limit usage of cell phones and other devices to lunchtime and other authorized breaks. These rules are all self-evident. However, the gray area occurs when employees want to access their cell phones during nonbreaks. There are offices that set aside 5-minute periods throughout the day when staff members can engage in the use of technology. In addition, many practices end meetings early so that the last few minutes can be used by employees to check email, texts, and other communication channels. These options allow team members the opportunity to use technology on a limited basis without being a deterrent to daily operations or customer service. If technology privileges are being abused by employees, then the dentist should restrict the use of cell phones to lunchtime and other practice-approved breaks. The first priority must always be patient care. CONCLUSION
We live in a connected world. Communication technology,
JADA 148(7) http://jada.ada.org
July 2017 541
FEATURES
including cell phones, social media, and the Internet, is changing the way we live and work. Dental practices must be cognizant of these changes and how they affect employee behavior and expectations. The steps discussed in this column will help dentists draft technology policies that account for the needs of
542 JADA 148(7) http://jada.ada.org
patients, while being fair to staff members. n http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.adaj.2017.04.030 Copyright ª 2017 American Dental Association. All rights reserved.
Dr. Levin is the founder and chief executive officer, Levin Group, 10 New Plant Court,
July 2017
Owings Mills, MD 21117, e-mail rlevin@ levingroup.com. Address correspondence to Dr. Levin. Disclosure. Dr. Levin did not report any disclosures. The views expressed are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the opinions or official policies of the American Dental Association.