It is my opinion that an Easy Dental trainer is not just a trainer, but a coach. A coach is responsible for instructing you in the ways of operating Easy Dental while identifying best practices within the software. A coach is a role model for excellence, guiding you to meet goals, and giving you tips, tricks, and advice along the way. A coach is that person that will be there to cheer you on when you are struggling through a difficult moment, but also there to cheer for you when you are celebrating a victory.
As an Easy Dental coach, my favorite topic to discuss is accounts receivable management. Why is this my favorite? Accounts receivable management is a great topic because there is no one way to process this all-important task. In my time as a coach, I have witnessed really great accounts receivable managers and I have also worked with many practices to improve their routine management of their accounts receivable. No matter the practice accounts receivable status–whether they are currently great or needing work– there is often room to improve when it comes to documentation with account notes.
As your Easy Dental coach for today, I would like to highlight a widely under-utilized tool: Account Notes. When fully implemented into the workflow, an account note is a great time- and money-saver for any dental practice. With the simple documentation of account status and knowing where this account note will display, you have a very powerful tool for understanding a patient (or family) balance without conducting a full-on research project.
Let’s Make Accounts Receivable Management EASY
- Where to enter an Account Note?
Account Notes are placed within the “A” icon of the Accounts module.
The best organization of Account Notes involves starting with the dateline and finishing with your initials. The ability to identify WHEN and WHO wrote the note is key for accuracy and longevity.
- Who owns the Account Note?
No one person – it is shared. I like to explain that Account Notes are essentially “family notes” in that the same notes display from within each family members account. For example, the account note that I placed into Suzie’s account today would also display from her husband’s account. The fact that account notes display for all members of the family makes your documentation of the name of the family member the note applies to within the text of the note incredibly important. - Examples of What to Include in Account Notes:
- Documentation of unexpected balances (insurance denials, frequency limitation, downgrades, etc.)
- Payment arrangements due to extenuating circumstances
- Details surrounding a discussion of the balance owed to the practice and when it will be paid
- Documentation of financial delinquency notices sent
- Taking it a step further with the Billing Statement Note
Sending a message to the guarantor by placing a note into the Billing Statement Note will provide the guarantor with an idea of why they are receiving a billing statement. This quick message will eliminate phone calls to the office. Be cautious with your documentation in this field, anything in this box will print until the displayed date!
- Where do Account Notes display?
- Accounts Module – when a team member is reviewing an account, quick access to the Account Notes is available through the icon on the toolbar.
- Billing Statements – with the “Verify Billing Statements” feature activated in Easy Dental Preferences, you receive a preview of your billing statements before they print. It is inside this preview that you have quick access to the Account Notes. Talk about a time saver when you are validating your billing statements!
- Appointment Note in Schedule Module – when you patient has a note entered into their appointment, a note icon displays on their appointment block. Clicking this icon will display a summary of notes that are linked to this patient.
- Aging Report – when you produce your patient aging report, there is an option you can select to “Print Account Note”. This option will place your account note right on the report – no that’s what I call convenience!
- Collections Manager – the collections manager is one of the most underutilized tools in Easy Dental. This tool is essentially an electronic aging report, allowing you to have quick access to patient balance information in the most customized ways along with all patient information at your fingertips. You will find the account note icon in the Collections Manager window.
- Patient Notes Report – want to run a report that shows nothing but Account Notes? Select the Account Notes option from within your Patient Notes Report.
- Patient Visit Form – the Patient Visit Form is a customizable route slip and includes an option to print the Account Notes.
- Accounts Module – when a team member is reviewing an account, quick access to the Account Notes is available through the icon on the toolbar.
Easy Dental Account Notes are available from nearly every financial corner of Easy Dental. Utilizing this tool will provide your team with greater efficiency and ease when dealing with potentially difficult financial conversations with patients and guarantors. What is your success story with using Account Notes? Share with us today!
David Broom is Senior Director of Product and Business Development. David has a master’s degree in Information Technology (IT) from the University of Texas in Dallas and has more than 35 years of experience from many global companies such as Hitachi Vantara, Methode Electronics, and Keane, Inc. In his current role, he is responsible for all aspects of the product management and field service teams at Henry Schein TechCentral, which identifies the ideal advanced technologies to meet the unique needs of the dental market and ensure that dental offices are using the right IT to be more efficient and effective.
