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SOFTWARE SELECTIONS: ADA.ORG GIVES YOU THE LOWDOWN
Are you in the market for a practice management software package and in need of detailed information about what products are available? Or interested in knowing how your current system compares with others on the market?

The Directory of Practice Management Software, launched earlier this year on ADA.org, is a key resource for evaluating your information management needs.

This new feature compiles data from North American software vendors who distribute practice management software in a searchable database format for quick reference. The information, provided by the software vendors themselves, is collected each year by the ADA Department of Dental Informatics.

You can search the software directory by specifying any of several search parameters, including the desired clientele user base, product cost and preferred features, such as support for compliance with the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996, recall/ recare/continuing care scheduling, electronic charting and training.

Click on the name of any particular product for contact information, product specifications and costs, which are broken down by base price, support, training and networking costs. Each vendor listing also includes detailed data on the features supported by the product in the General, Scheduling, Clinical and Financial categories. Vendors’ responses regarding particular features in each category are provided in a checklist format.

Included with the directory is the Guide to Selecting Software. Based on the ADA Technical Report "Computer Software Performance for Dental Practice Software," prepared by the American National Standards Institute/ADA Standards Committee on Dental Informatics, the guide provides help to dentists in choosing information systems to meet the requirements of their practices.

The guide offers advice on topics such as general software features and functions, billing and collections services, clinical information system requirements, financial management systems, shopping for software, selecting a vendor, training key staff, and support and maintenance agreements.

After you’ve used the software directory and selection guide to choose a management system, you can find guidance for negotiating with software vendors in the ADA Model Software License and Support Agreement, which went online last year. The model license is annotated with comments that explain technical and legal elements in lay terms and point out differences between the model language and the terms often found in vendors’ standard software license agreements.

Taken together, these online features offer a powerful set of tools for making informed, effective decisions about your information management requirements.

The Directory of Practice Management Software is available in the Your Practice content area at "www.ada.org/prof/prac/manage/software/index.html". To view the Guide to Selecting Software, follow the link that says "Things to Consider When Choosing a System." In the Law, Ethics and Risk Management content area, the Model Software License and Support Agreement can be downloaded, in Microsoft Word format, at "www.ada.org/members/prac/law/bizprac.html" and also can be requested by e-mailing "legaldivision{at}ada.org".

Reported by Joe Hoyle, electronic media editor, "hoylej{at}ada.org".

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