The Dental Practice - Case Study Example

 Fairfield Dental Practice Case Study Part 1 The dental practice needs a computer based information system and the manual system they are currently using seems to be inefficient even though it is easy to understand and use. The inefficiency is caused by the time delay it takes for doctors to create their appointments and not knowing which patient is coming in for what treatment until the arrival of the patient. An automated system could help speed up the processes of the company while allowing the company to move beyond basic accounting and create opportunities for more business. Of course a new information system cannot be created for the company overnight since the systems development life cycle needs to be completed before the company can start using a new system. In this regard, the waterfall model should be considered which can allow the company to gather its requirements, analyse them with regard to their needs and then create a design for their required system. The next step would be to obtain the necessary hardware and software for managing their system electronically and a few test runs of the systems should be included in this process to ensure that the systems performs according to the specifications that had been given by the dental practice. Once these tests have been cleared by the individuals using the system they can start establishing a criteria for what changes and updates they would like to see within the system and after a number of them have been collected the system can be put through another life cycle in order to bring about improvements. This particular method of the Systems Development Life Cycle is graphically represented below in Figure 1. Figure 1 (Gangolly, 2000) The present analysis of the system shows that there can be quite a few failure points for the company since there is no method of generating automated billing or payment processing via online methods. The company is already accepting bankcards and other electronic means of payment and it should be a relatively easy matter to integrate these payments into a digital records system. Perhaps the most significant failure point is the use of only one computer to keep all patient and financial records since without their storage on multiple computers to keep password protected secure backup copies the company is asking for trouble. If the computer being used to store these records fails, the company will simply lose all the data it has used to create relationships with its clients. In fact, knowing the size of the company, it may even be possible to use a program which is for small and medium enterprises in order to handle all the data of the company. Client management software and appointment management programs are easily available and the doctors can easily evaluate them on their own to come up with their suggestions as to which software is most user-friendly and feature rich based on their requirements. In this respect, Sharon can be an invaluable contributor since she has basic computer knowledge and in-depth information about how the business is operated. For the purposes of the doctors, a basic yet powerful client management tool is MS Outlook which can be combined with other programs within the Microsoft family to create powerful office management solutions. For example, clients can be sent automated email reminders about their appointments without the doctors or receptionist having to remind them over the telephone. The system can also automatically notify the users if any client does not respond via email to confirm an appointment in which case they can be called up directly. At the same time, doctors can be given colour coded appointment records which show them at a glance if the person coming in for treatment is a child of what age and how they can help in making that visit more comfortable for the child. While there may be objections that computerization may make the process of seeing a doctor less personal, it must be understood that computers can help doctors give a level of personalized service which has been unprecedented in the past. Such a system could automatically give the patient’s age, birthday and even their favourite colour along with the details of what is their treatment requirement. Of course using the windows environment may be questioned in terms of security but with hot fixes, security updates and the security enhancements coming from Windows Vista, the risk of security may not be that great. If the company is still overly concerned about system security, it could go with a Linux based system such as Ubuntu or Mac OS. Such judgment comes from Dahl (2005) who took a deep look at alternatives to the windows environment with various Linux installs and by using an Apple computer for a few weeks. He discussed the security concerns of Windows and made it perfectly clear that: “These days, you'd be crazy to run a Windows box without every hotfix installed, as well as antivirus software, a firewall, and a spyware scanner. Linux and Mac users rarely need to worry about most of those tools. The vast majority of viruses, spyware, and adware all focus on Windows (Dahl, 2005, Pg. 77)”. Therefore, depending on the needs of the company, it can go with one or the other operating system it wants as long as the software features it wants are available on the operating system. Part 2 Learning is a process that is dependent on the way which is used to teach as well as the method a person is most familiar with. Various theorists from different psychological and sociological backgrounds have said that people may have alternative ways in which they learn and of these theorists, Kolb (1983) as well as Honey and Mumford (1986) stand out from amongst the rest because their theories build upon the solid foundations laid out by earlier researchers. To better understand the learning process as well as the various learning styles that may have an impact on the training day of the company, an study of the ideas presented by Kolb is necessary since other learning theorists have used his theories as the basis of their own. Kolb (1983) presented his theory about learning styles by basing the process of learning on an individual’s personal experiences. In fact, the theory of learning as presented by him is called the experiential learning theory which has a set of learning styles that can be useful for everyone. The theory is based on other psychological theories that were given by older prominent psychologists such as Piaget and Jung and it says that there are four distinct learning styles which are derived from a four state learning cycle. This learning cycle starts with direct experiences that create private observations and reflections for the learner. The observations can be used by the learner for the creation of theoretical concepts that create new ideas and allow the person to learn new concepts that can be tested to create new experiences. The four stages therefore become (1) experience, (2) reflection and observation, (3) abstract conceptualization and (4) active experimentation. Of course in a perfect world, a doctor would go through all four stages during the training day before a concept or a process of using the new system is completely internalized but Kolb discovered that many people prefer to use a combination of two elements listed above. These combinations become the four different types of learning styles which Kolb mentions as Diverging, Assimilating, Converging and Accommodating. Each style has two primary processes which underlie the learning that takes place and these have been described as: Diverging: Reflections and Observations combined with Experiences Assimilating: Reflections and Observations combined with Conceptualization Converging: Active Experimentation combined with Reflective Observations Accommodating: Active Experimentation combined with Experiences. Of course a deeper account of the learning styles becomes essential if we are to understand how these learning styles work while coming to terms with a new information system. The Diverging style is based on feeling and watching for learning since the people who use this style prefer to watch and gather information regarding the system before they apply the given information towards seeking a solution. The style is called diverging because people who use this method for learning will be better learners in a situation which requires divergent idea generation like solving some math problems that can have multiple methods of getting to the correct solution. Such individuals do best in artistic fields since creativity becomes their forte. Group settings and individualized feedback would also help them improve their learning for using the information system. On the other hand, the converging style of learning will work better with solving technical problems with the information system where few possible solutions can be created for a given problem. Those who use this style become focused on finding the right application for a given idea and are more comfortable in learning where social situations are not involved. The converging learning style is often seen amongst technical experts and specialists in a given field since they can experiment easily with new ideas in order to create practical applications for the material they have learnt regarding the new information system. Assimilating learners prefer to watch something in action and then reflect upon it when they have collected enough information from the demonstration. These learners like to use a clear, logical approach to the learning process and prefer to get a direct explanation of the material rather than a chance to perform a given task themselves. Like the users of the converging style, they are not good at learning through an informal social process and prefer to learn through individual readings, attending lectures and through personal exploration of information system. Individuals who use this learning method often find good careers in science and technology therefore it is possible for some of the dentists to use this learning style. Lastly, the accommodating style depends on doing something in practical terms and then understanding what they have done as a part of the process. This learning style is connected more with actively using the information system for real tasks by being based on a logical approach rather than an intuitive approach. Since such learners like to learn things by actually practicing them out, the users of the system should be given a chance to practice using the system while they are being trained. While such learners appreciate new experiences and are attracted to things they may not have done before. When it comes to seeking more information about that which they have learnt and experienced, they would prefer to get an analysis from some technical authority rather than present their own solutions. Learning styles and methodologies as suggested by Kolb become very important when we consider that doctors with different learning styles are likely to be present in the dental practice. An understanding of these learning styles can tell them how they can improve their use of the new information system. If multiple styles are used to teach the use of the information system, it can make the class easier for all who are involved in the learning process. Word Count: 1,919 Works Cited Dahl, E. 2005, ‘The Truth About Windows Alternatives’, PC World, vol. 23, no. 9, pp. 75-82. Gangolly, J. 2000, ‘Systems Development Life Cycle’, [Online], Available at: http://www.albany.edu/acc/courses/acc681.fall00/681book/node1.html Honey, P. and Mumford, A. 1986, Using Your Learning Styles, Peter Honey. Kolb, D. 1983, Experiential learning, Prentice Hall. Read More