Dental Tribune United Kingdom Edition

on how to draw up a plan. The time invested in collating all the information required for the plan at this stage could be one of the best investments a practice has ever made. The things that seem to be very simple now, when the practice is operating without any prob- lems, could be insurmount- able in the event of a crisis. Level of detail There are no hard and fast rules as to how long or short a continuity plan has to be. The level of detail in the plan is down to the continuity plan manager, who should never assume that everyone will still be around or be able to remember the essential pro- cesses, telephone numbers etc. So that your practice can continue to function without its premises and / or key per- sonnel ensure that all the day to day activities and processes are all documented, and that that they are all reviewed reg- ularly. At the same time think about processes that would only come into force if the continuity plan were acti- vated. Why not create a set of procedures specifically for when the plan is activated? Include details in the plan of where these procedures are stored! Don’t forget to make sure everyone in the prac- tice is familiar with the plan, and regularly test it together to see what might need to be changed, and if indeed the plan really works!! Testing Once the plan has been writ- ten and carefully checked think about testing it. Don’t be complacent and think that once the plan has been writ- ten it cannot be changed. To assume this is to take a big risk. Even the simplest and smallest of plans will have some amendments. Make sure the plan is kept up to date by reviewing it, even down to the smallest detail. Test the plan on a regular basis, combining this with a team building ex- ercise. Make the testing sce- nario as realistic as possible, change the theme each time it’s tested from loss of prem- ises, to people, to services and technology. Look at the impact of short-term losses to the medium and longer term. Keep a diary of the outcomes of each test so that key infor- mation that arises during each test isn’t forgotten about and can be built into the plan to improve the process. Success This article is not meant to be about how to write a prac- tice continuity plan: it’s about thinking outside the box; thinking around all those de- cisions that will have to be made and which will make the difference to a plan, and your business’ ability to carry on trading. Success in a crisis isn’t about good luck: it’s about good management con- tinuity planning. Good man- agement of anything involves planning, organising, imple- menting, control and finally reviewing. DT ‘At the same time think about pro- cesses that would only come into force if the continu- ity plan were acti- vated’ About the author Linda Young was the Information Security Manager and continuity plan holder for an international company for over 20 years. She is currently writing a practical resource manual to be published in 2013, which is designed for dental practices looking to improve their team’s management skills. 9Practice ManagementSeptember 10-16, 2012United Kingdom Edition For more information or to place an order please call 0800 169 9692 email sales.uk.csd@carestream.com or visit www.carestreamdental.co.uk © Carestream Dental Ltd., 2012. features of r4 R4 Mobile Direct link to PIN pad Patient Check-in Kiosk Care Pathways Communicator Steritrak E-Forms Patient Journey on-line appointment Booking Text Message and Email reminders Clinical Notes Appointment Book Digital X-Ray Managed Service Practice Accounts Give your patients the freedom to book their own appointments • From a Laptop • From an iPad • From a Smartphone R4 PracticeManagementSoftware GIVES YOU MORE Online Patient Appointment Booking allows patients to book appointments online, whenever they want to, or need to, even out of normal surgery hours. While this makes it very convenient for your patients, you still have complete control over who can make the bookings, the types they can book, with who and when. A quick glance will tell you when an appointment has been made so that you are able to accept, refuse or adjust any request. This gives your patients greater accessibility to you and your colleagues with increased feelings of inclusivity and you’ll have fewer missed appointments.