Paperless perks

Featured Products Promotional Features

  Posted by: Dental Design      6th September 2024

Over 400 million metric tons of paper are produced a year.[i] On average, one standard pine tree can produce 10,000 sheets of paper, meaning the number of trees needed annually is in the billions.[ii] This is not sustainable. The increasingly digital world of the 21st century has lowered the demand for paper, but the volume of paper needed still shows one thing: more can be done.

A dental practice can use a lot of paper. As such, finding ways to offset the amount of paper needed by implementing more digital platforms can have numerous benefits for a practice. These include inciting a positive environmental change, being more cost-effective, and having a more efficient workflow.

Environmentally friendly appeal

Dental practices use substantial amounts of electricity every year and can produce a great deal of plastic waste.[iii] The demand for businesses to incorporate eco-friendly routines, resources and education has risen dramatically, with younger generations championing going green.[iv] 80% of Gen Zs and millennials (the two most vocal groups in the field, incorporating people born from the early 1980s onwards) want businesses to make their products or services more sustainable.[v]

These two generations both have climate change/protecting the environment as a major concern, with 28% identifying it as their top personal concern.[vi] They are therefore more likely to pay for services that protect and benefit the environment.

Studies have shown that patients have positive attitudes towards sustainable dentistry. Many patients are happy to wait longer in appointments or even pay more for environmentally-friendly treatment.iii Pursuing sustainable dentistry is therefore the right social decision, one that patients – especially millennials and Gen Z – will recognise and value.

The amount of paper a dental practice needs can be extensive: forms, new patient paperwork, chart, bills and receipts. If one metric tonne of office paper requires 2.26 tonnes of carbon dioxide to produce, then regular printing can be detrimental to the environment.[vii]

Furthermore, printing requires ink. 500 million ink cartridges are added to landfill sites every year.[viii] Each ink cartridge has a carbon footprint of approximately 0.46kg of carbon dioxide, with the plastic and metal components requiring an intensive process to manufacture.vii By adopting a cloud-based system to store data, your practice will not need to print constantly. This can decrease the use of ink and paper by printing only when essential, such as patient forms for those who may struggle to access them online.

Business bonus

Minimising paper use by adopting a cloud-based management software is beneficial for the practice. By needing far fewer ink cartridges and paper reams, the business can save money on resources and electricity – printing 10,000 A4 sheets requires 400kWh of power.vii Cutting this down can lower energy bills, especially when the practice computers will be on and in use regardless.

As the world relies on phones for more and more services, from contactless payments to bank transfers, practices must meet the demands of patients by incorporating technologies that can provide a better service.[ix] With cloud-based software, patients can have 24/7 access to information about their appointments, payments and forms.  This increases patient engagement with the practice which can then increase appointment attendance.[x] Business can be stronger through digital communication.

Ease workflows

Going digital saves time. Staff can send out forms to patients to complete and sign before their appointment, able to be accessed anywhere with internet. This streamlines the appointment process for patients and frees up time for the receptionists, who can then focus on other jobs for a more convenient workflow.

Paperless workflows further decrease the time practice staff need to file paper documents.xi Instead, cloud-based systems can use easy-to-find computer folders and search filters for fast access to important documents. The added risk factor of ensuring that paper documents will not be damaged, folded, creased, stained or ripped is also avoided.

Get on cloud nine

For an ideal cloud-based practice management software to optimise the paperless workflow, consider AeronaDental. Offering high security and a unique dashboard to breakdown important business analytics, AeronaDental is the most feature-rich solution available. The Patient Portal builds online engagement by promoting fast and easy payments, appointment bookings, form-filling and consultations that can all be done online. The Practice Portal add-on allows your practice to offer a secure platform for patients to sign forms electronically, keeping affording more time to staff and preventing printing.

Adjusting your practice with a reliable cloud-based system can help to promote more sustainable dentistry alongside reduced paper use and printing costs. This benefits the business and creates a more efficient workflow, which in turn enhances the treatment experience for patients.

For more information, please visit aerona.com or call 028 7000 2040

Follow us on LinkedIn: @AeronaDental Software and Instagram @aeronasoftware for the latest updates

Author: Mark Garner, AeronaDental General Manager 

[i] Statista. (n.d.). Production volume of paper by type 2018. [online] Available at: https://www.statista.com/statistics/270317/production-volume-of-paper-by-type/.

[ii] Ribble. (n.d.). How Much Paper Comes From One Tree? – Ribble. [online] Available at: https://ribble-pack.co.uk/blog/much-paper-comes-one-tree.

[iii] Baird, Harriet & Mulligan, Steven & Webb, Thomas & Baker, Sarah & Martin, Nicolas. (2022). Exploring attitudes towards more sustainable dentistry among adults living in the UK. British Dental Journal. 233. 10.1038/s41415-022-4910-6. Accessed via: https://www.researchgate.net/publication/360384080_Exploring_attitudes_towards_more_sustainable_dentistry_among_adults_living_in_the_UK

[iv] Hashed Mabkhot (2024). Factors affecting millennials’ green purchase behavior: Evidence from Saudi Arabia. Heliyon, 10(4), pp.e25639–e25639. doi:https://doi.org/10.1016/j.heliyon.2024.e25639.

[v] ABN Resource. (2023). Deloitte Survey Reveals Over 40% of Gen Z, Millennials Would Switch Jobs Over Sustainability Concerns. [online] Available at: https://abnresource.com/27/sustainability/deloitte-survey-reveals-over-40-of-gen-z-millennials-would-switch-jobs-over-sustainability-concerns/.

[vi] A call for accountability and action T H E D E L O I T T E G L O B A L 2 0 2 1 M I L L E N N IA L AND G E N Z S U R V E Y 2. (2021). Available at: https://www.deloitte.com/content/dam/assets-shared/legacy/docs/insights/2022/2021-deloitte-global-millennial-survey-report.pdf.

[vii] www.ecoprinters.net. (2023). Print more while becoming more eco friendly! Is this even possible? [online] Available at: https://www.ecoprinters.net/en/eco-blog/print-more-while-becoming-more-eco-friendly-is-this-even-possible.

[viii] PaperCut. (2024). How to reduce your energy consumption and carbon footprint with cloud printing. [online] Available at: https://www.papercut.com/blog/print_tips/how-to-reduce-your-energy-consumption-and-carbon-footprint-with-cloud-printing/ [Accessed 28 Jun. 2024].

[ix] Anon, (n.d.). Four benefits of a Paperless Clinic | Aerona. [online] Available at: https://blog.aerona.com/four-benefits-of-a-paperless-clinic [Accessed 28 Jun. 2024].

[x] Chakaipa, Shamiso & Prior, Sarah & Pearson, Sue & Van Dam, Pieter. (2023). Improving Patient Experience through Meaningful Engagement: The Oral Health Patient’s Journey. Oral. 3. 499. 10.3390/oral3040041. Accessed via: https://www.researchgate.net/publication/375523524_Improving_Patient_Experience_through_Meaningful_Engagement_The_Oral_Health_Patient’s_Journey

No Comments

No comments yet.

Sorry, the comment form is closed at this time.