Monday, April 6, 2015
Each spring we throw out old items and deep clean any nooks and crannies at home and in the office. Cleaning out your practice’s computer systems is just as important as ridding our lives of old and unnecessary items and encouraging patients to come in for semi-annual cleanings.
Dentists often store old and unneeded files—some from decades ago—on their computers. This can affect the performance of these devices. Efficient technology helps dentists meet their patients’ needs more readily and helps the practice stay competitive. Here are a few tips to spring clean your devices and keep them running like new.
Scan for Viruses
Keeping your computer safe from hackers should be something that is top of mind regardless of the time of year. Even if it is not, it’s a good idea to run an antivirus scan on your computer to make sure it is free of malware. Dentist offices often store highly confidential patient information, and malware can seriously compromise the security of that information. Not only could it invade your patients’ privacy, but it could also significantly slow down a computer. In addition to scanning for viruses, dentists should regularly install software updates to make sure their computers are running as quickly as possible.
Uninstall Old Programs
We often download programs that we don’t end up using, which take up valuable space in our computers’ hard drives. Check out the Control Panel and select “Programs” to pull up a long list of all the programs that have been installed or came pre-installed on your computer. If there is a particular program you haven’t used in months, it may be a good idea to uninstall it to clear up space. Be careful not to uninstall a program that you need. If there programs you have never heard of, it’s better not to touch them unless you know what you’re doing.
Upgrade Memory
One of the quickest ways to increase the performance of your computer is by adding more memory (or DRAM). Computer memory is a component in your computer that allows for short-term data access and helps load multiple applications at once. Adding memory is extremely inexpensive and requires little tech-savvy on your part. Computer memory upgrades, which start at around $50 apiece, can improve computer performance and help lengthen the life of the overall system.
Organize Files
Sometimes we let our computers turn into digital junk drawers when we have stored a long list of files and folders we’ll never look at again. Sort through old files and determine what you will and will not use again. Try recycling files that you are confident will never resurface. As you’re going through your old files, sort them into folders to help you be more productive. You’ll be able to find things when you need them and it looks much better than a long list of unorganized files.
These are just a few ways you can improve your practice computers’ performance this spring. By implementing these three tips you’ll find that your office will be more productive as you locate patient files more easily, and your systems run more efficiently. Faster access to the information powering your practice ultimately leads to higher patient satisfaction.