1 How to Use EagleSoft: a clinical dental software Raquel Rico EDTC 6321
2 The Learners, The Environment, and The Instructional Goal Overview In today s modern world, technology is not only used for pleasure but it has become a necessity in almost everywhere we go, and doctors offices are not the exception. Today, even dental offices are using computer software to help them speed up the process of patient treatment. This instructional unit will provide digital training for the dental team using Patterson EagleSoft. Background The Dental Hygiene Program at Texas State Technical College has recently implemented digital technology in the clinic to help the students become familiar with what most dental offices are using today. The students in the Dental Hygiene Program start with patient paper records for the first two semesters and end the last two semesters with computer records. This transition period is always very confusing and frustrating for the students. And the fact that they have to learn the new computer software while providing patient treatment causes them to slow down and get behind with requirements. Patterson EagleSoft is a software for the clinical and practice management of the dental office. This new technology will help the students to gain speed when entering all of the patients information including medical history, HIPPA forms, digital x-rays, charting and probing depths, treatment plan, plaque scores, nutritional counseling, patient education, and much more.
3 The Learning Environment This training module is being designed to help the dental hygiene students become familiar with digital technology for the dental practice. It is very hard and time consuming to be coaching the students during their clinic sessions; therefore, the training module will be developed as a web page to help the students access the training at their own time and from their own home. Once learned, the dental hygiene students will be using Patterson EagleSoft during their patient treatment in the Dental Hygiene Clinic at Texas State Technical College. The DH clinic has thirteen operatories for patient treatment and four radiology rooms and all of them are equipped with digital technology for the students to use. The Intended Audience The target audience will be 10 dental hygiene students, two males and eight females, ranging from ages 19 through 36. Most of the students are familiar with computer technology and they all have a computer at home. We also have a computer lab at TSTC and therefore, the students will have a place where they can review this tutorial. None of the students have a known disability; therefore, they are all able to follow instruction on their own without the presence of an instructor. Their first language is English for everyone except for one of the males, whose primary language is Spanish, however, he does understand and speak English and therefore, I don t anticipate any problems with the understanding of the tutorial.
4 Overarching Instructional Goal The Dental Hygiene students will be able to use Patterson EagleSoft software for patient treatment in any dental office. Specific Goal Given the opportunity to adopt computer technology in the dental office, the dental hygiene students will be able to demonstrate their ability to 1) review patients medical history 2) perform a clinical exam 3) chart existing restorations and dental probe readings 4) record plaque scores, provide patient education, and fill out treatment plan, and 5) take digital x-rays using Patterson EagleSoft. Explanation of Specific Goal to Selected Members of Target Audience The instructional training has been proposed to the dental hygiene students. The students think that this training will help them understand this new technology better and avoid confusion and frustration. The students are excited about having this tutorial. They have all agreed that they could really benefit from a computer-based training because they can do this at their own pace instead of learning it while providing patient treatment. Summary This instructional unit will be designed to help the Dental Hygiene students become comfortable when transitioning from patient paper records to computer records using
5 Patterson EagleSoft software. This unit will be developed in three or four trainings of 30 minutes each. Each instructional training will be uploaded into a Web page for the students to access at their own time and at their own pace from home and/or school. Resources Bixler, B. (2006). Writing educational goals and objectives. Retrieved June 27, 2010, from http://www.personal.psu.edu/bxb11/objectives Dimensions of Dental Hygiene. (2008, July). The digital solution. Retrieved June 23, 2010, from http://www.dimensionsofdentalhygiene.com/print.asp?id=1430