Front Office Perspectives on Fuse Software

Reaching true connection

Two front office professionals describe how Fuse connects staff and data across locations

Office managers and administrative assistants are the practice navigators who keep front office operations soaring smoothly, from scheduling and insurance to billing and everything in between. They’ll tell you it’s no small feat to access patient information and data between multiple locations without grounding productivity levels.
 
Enter Fuse, the cloud-based dental practice management software created by Patterson. Rena Smith and Barb Cline, two front office Fuse users, share firsthand how this cloud software clears the way for a better workday.

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Fuse from the frontlines

Two front office Fuse users share their perspectives

Barb Cline manages Elevation Dental’s Deer Lodge office in Montana. A newly formed group practice, Elevation has a second location in Butte under its umbrella.

Rena Smith is the administrative assistant at Martin-Tyrrell Washington District Health Department Dental Clinic in North Carolina. The public health operation hosts two sites and a mobile unit ready to treat patients from several areas of the region.

Referral-ready records

Smith says Fuse is unique from other practice management software she’s used when it comes to referring patients to specialists or other practitioners at alternative locations. With Fuse, the information lands all in one place.
 
“We’ll see patients in our Plymouth location for an emergency and need to refer them to our Columbia office. Instead of having to complete a referral form, print off all these records and send them over, everything is just right there. And with Fuse, navigation is much simpler. It’s all labeled within the platform. You know exactly which images and information you want.” 
 
Another key feature Smith says alleviates workflow worries is transparency between the front and back offices. For her, Fuse makes that connection seamless. “It’s a whole lot easier for us to see what they’re doing on the clinical side. Our dentists don’t even have to finish the appointment, and we can start the referral process before the patient comes up to the front. We’re ready for them.”
 
Those benefits extend to dentists themselves, too – especially when traveling between locations, she relates. “On the back end, if you have multiple clinics, you don’t have to have separate charts for each patient. Dentist A can see what Dentist B or C did without sending a bunch of notes back and forth or having extra servers, which costs extra money.”
 
Cline agrees. “Having the two locations connected is so very helpful. We do orthodontics in Deer Lodge but don’t in Butte, so our dentist there refers patients to our Deer Lodge office. Their whole dental history comes over. We can view all their X-rays and everything they’ve done with the other practice. It creates a certain amount of familiarity and level of comfort for the patient because they’re not starting over. It’s very convenient.”
 
She says reducing paperwork and having a patient’s information at her fingertips further leads to a polished patient experience. “It’s ridiculously time-saving – not only for us, but for the patient. It gives them more options. They can stroll into our Butte office and know everything we discussed in Deer Lodge is right there.”

Better billing and accounting

Accounting is another area in which Smith says the investment in Fuse adds up to success. “For billing, it has been a dream. I used to spend all day posting my Medicaid remittance whereas now I can have it done in about half the time. I don’t have to go into each patient’s chart and look up their account number and other items; it’s all there underneath the insurance tab.”
 
Smith details how Fuse simplifies the receivables process – a welcome change from her experience with her office’s prior practice management software. “I don’t have to print out 10 reports to get one anymore. I found myself having free time that I didn’t think I would ever have.” Which, she says, allows her to shift her focus to other tasks she used to place on the back burner. “Now I can post my payments and pull the Explanation of Benefits forms out and work on them whereas I couldn’t before.”
 
Beyond tackling reports, Cline explains how Fuse handles the bigger accounting picture. “I know everything is correct and my numbers are right. It’s really a good, solid program I can count on. I don’t have to worry about things being put in the wrong place and doctors not getting the credit that they are supposed to receive. This was originally a single practice and one doctor, and now I have three doctors that I keep track of in this process. I feel comfortable and confident that the accounting is well done.”
 
The cloud-based solution, according to Cline, also provides invaluable insights in making her next move. “I can look at the patient’s accounting background and say ‘Is this is a solid patient that I can set up on a payment plan that has paid me every time or is this a patient that I need to collect payment?’ because I have that history and I can view it.”

Automated claims processing

Organize and personalize the entire insurance process

Seamless connection

Transparency between the front and back offices

Superior support

Ongoing support from helpful, responsive experts

Issue-free insurance processing

When it comes to dealing with insurance, Smith points out with Fuse in place, claims processing has also been an easier daily lift. “I can submit all my claims electronically. I’ve got all my Electronic Funds Transfers coming to me. When I submit insurance, I don’t have to complete as many steps to accomplish my job.” Plus, she adds, the platform’s slick automation speeds up claim results. “Everything is labeled, you see your claim errors and alerts so you’re able to fix it immediately and resubmit it. This one tells you it was accepted or sent back right away. The bulk insurance payments can just automatically post your Remittance Advice forms.”
 
Thanks to customizable dashboards, Smith suggests you can organize and personalize the entire insurance process. “You can see how many claims you have pending, how long they’ve been pending, the ratio of insurance claims you have paid, your hygiene retention percentages and how many adjustments you make – year or month to date.”

Superior support

Best of all, Smith says, the support she receives from Patterson is unprecedented. “Almost every time I call, they answer the phone really quickly. They’ve been great. You call them and they say ‘Let me remote in,’ and nine times out of 10, your problem is fixed within five or 10 minutes.”
 
Cline describes the transition and subsequent digital journey with Fuse as “fabulous.” “Patterson support has been excellent. I’m able to get through quickly, I get answers right away and if they don’t have the answer right away, they get back to me and let me know. Their trainers are excellent. They check in with you and are just wonderful.”

“It’s ridiculously time-saving – not only for us, but for the patient.”

Barb Cline, Dental Practice Manager

Finding your Fuse connection

The pair say they’re sharing their lofty experiences so others may benefit from working in the cloud, too. “Fuse is easy to follow. It’s more user-friendly than the other cloud-based software I have used. I just couldn’t be more pleased,” quips Cline.

Smith concurs: Taking the leap to Fuse offers a productivity payoff and the sky’s the limit. “There are a lot of awesome benefits. You can organize everything as you need it and how it’s best for you. It’s so much easier. It’s fast, it’s sleek and it’s helped a lot.”

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