Healthcare Technology Archives -

We’re back

chris@precisionpr.co.uk — Mon, 15 Apr 2024 17:56:32 +0000

Precision PR is once again accepting new projects

After a couple of years during which we had to scale back our activities, we’re now able to stat accepting new projects. We’re available for content creation, PR consultancy and sustainability programmes.

At some point soon, we’ll be available to take on new websites and full PR programmes again. Chris and Cary are both healthy again, and we’re rebuilding our team of associates and specialists. So if you’re looking for a specialist in digital imaging, medical imaging, services to dentistry, practice management software or sustainability, please get in contact. We’ll be happy to discuss your requirements and how we might held.

Please email chris@precisionpr.co.uk or call +447432 189149.

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Helping the Planet to breathe a little easier

Anastasia Smith — Fri, 25 Feb 2022 03:27:59 +0000

One of the biggest single sources of greenhouse gas for which the NHS is responsible comes via something that many patients – and staff – carry around in their pockets. A tiny, blue plastic tube, normally less than 10 cm in length.

The villain of the piece is the Metered Dose Inhaler (MDI), used to deliver Salbutamol and similar medication.

Salbutamol is a lifesaver and a life changer. It’s one of those miracle drugs that is incredibly effective, rapid-acting, and yet (for most patients) has almost no significant side effects – other than the joy of suddenly being able to breathe! It’s used to relieve the symptoms of asthma – a debilitating lung condition with a real capability to kill.

A 200 dose salbutamol sulphate ‘reliever’ via a metered-dose inhaler (with an HFA propellant)

Asthma is a condition that affects your airways – the small tubes that carry air in and out of the lungs. It can be triggered by one or several factors such as allergies, anxiety, sensitivity to weather changes or physical exertion.

The thing is, it’s NOT Salbutamol that damages the atmosphere. The problem is caused by the propellant used to expel the drug from a tiny pressurised canister.

The propellant needs to be highly compressible to make the device small and portable. It also has to be chemically inert to avoid reactions with the drug, which is highly reactive (hence its ability to act quickly). And it is these very properties that make the propellant damaging to the atmosphere.

So what’s the scale of the problem?

First up, the propellants used are a group of chemicals called Hydroflouroalkanes (HFAs). HFAs were introduced into inhalers in the 1990s, as a solution to ozone-damaging CFCs. But they are 1,000 to 3,000 times more effective at trapping heat in the atmosphere than is Carbon Dioxide (CO2). According to research published by the University of Manchester, one puff of a typical MDI using the common propellant HFA-134a has a global warming potential equivalent of 0.13 kg of CO2.

The second problem is their incredible stability; great for preserving the drug while in the inhaler, but it means they take decades to break down in the atmosphere, and some of the compounds they degrade into are also ‘greenhouse gases’.

The third issue is the sheer number of MDIs in use. According to an article in Nature (13th May 2020, by Sarah DeWeerdt – https://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-020-01377-7), the annual greenhouse gas emissions from MDIs in the UK are equivalent to those of roughly 600,000 diesel cars. In the USA it is the 7th most commonly prescribed drug with over 60 million prescriptions. Across the whole NHS, 25% of emissions are related to medicines – with 3% coming directly from the use of MDIs – that’s not far short of the emissions from staff traveling to and from work. MDIs make up about a quarter of the carbon footprint from GP prescriptions.

So what to do?

The simple answer is to reduce the use of MDI’s and persuade patients to use other types of inhaler, such as Dry-powder or Soft-mist inhalers. But these have limitations. Dry powder inhalers require a higher inspiratory force, so aren’t suitable for all patients, while Soft-mist inhalers are complicated and expensive devices.

In the long-term, clearly, some very clever chemists and pharmacists will need to get creative in the lab and find a new, less damaging propellant, or some clever designer will need to come up with something as simple and safe, portable, and generally easy-to-use as a MDI, but which doesn’t rely on pressurised HFAs to operate.

A case study

My colleague Chris is asthmatic. His condition is generally severe, but well controlled. He uses a dry powder preventer morning and night, but carries an MDI ‘reliever’ to help manage symptoms during his working day.

A 120 dose beclomethasone dipropionate / formoterol fumarate dehydrate ‘preventer’ via a dry-powder inhaler designed by Fostair

After a chat with his asthma nurse, she agreed to switch Chris to a Dry-powder reliever too. Given that this coincided with the complication of Chris catching COVID, we thought other asthma sufferers and clinicians might find his experiences so far to be useful.

“I always feel it’s harder to breathe out than in,” says Chris. “I’ve never had a problem taking my Dry-powder preventer, so my nurse thought a dry-powder reliever would work for me.

“While I’ve been ill I’ve needed to take my reliever 6 or 8 times a day, at least. That’s much more often than usual. However, I found that my new Dry Powder inhaler was just as easy to take. I also felt it was at least as effective – not as quick-acting but longer-lasting.

A 120 dose terbutaline sulphate ‘reliever’ via a dry-powder inhaler, designed by AstraZeneca

“I’m carrying both at the moment, as an emergency backup and also because I currently own only one dry-powder device, while I have several MDIs stored in places such as on my desk and in my car, so I can find one if I need it. Now I’m recovering well, I find I only have to take the Dry-powder reliever once or twice a day.

“Based on my experience so far, I would recommend all asthmatics discuss a switch to dry powder with their nurse. And if you’re suitable, please do make the change because it will make a disproportionately huge benefit to atmospheric greenhouse gas emissions.”

You can get more information about alternative treatments and drugs for asthma from the charity Asthma UK: https://www.asthma.org.uk/

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A Crisis of Confidence

chris@precisionpr.co.uk — Tue, 03 Dec 2019 11:00:28 +0000

Fake instruments: are we sleepwalking into a scandal?

At the recent BDIA Showcase exhibition, I took the time to visit the MHRA (Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Authority), and I was frankly shocked. Not by their stand, nor the work they do in stamping out fake instruments. But by the sheer number of items they had seized at that very exhibition: 15,816 individual items from two stands, Retail Value £19,160.

It would appear that the Dental Industry is rife with counterfeit and uncertified instruments and materials. They can be bought quite easily on the internet, and even at professional conferences and trade shows.

Uncertified instruments pose a genuine safety threat to patients and staff alike.

What are we talking about?

There are several counterfeit issues in dentistry. The most serious can have potentially life-threatening consequences. Problems with fake drugs are the most obvious.

It’s very tempting to buy drugs from cheaper suppliers, and the internet makes it possible to find suppliers all over the world. However, if you buy from an uncertified supplier, do you really know what you’re getting? Do they contain the stated dose of the active ingredient? Are they made to the same standards as those from mainstream suppliers? Do they infringe on a patent or steal some other form of intellectual property?

Should you suffer an incident that involves fake drugs, how do you suppose a regulator might respond to you?

Exactly the same issue applies to cleaning and decontamination materials. Legitimate manufacturers and suppliers invest heavily in quality control to ensure their products perform to specification. But without that certification, do you know if those materials work? Can you be sure that they aren’t corrosive to your expensive equipment and instruments? Will they harm your patients, your nurse or even you?

But what prompted me to write this article was what is happening with fake instruments. I was shown a number of examples. Finger spreaders that were cheaply made with a plastic handle that could be pulled from the shaft. Curing lights with a power supply that posed a fire hazard. Ortho file systems that carried the logos, packaging and instruction leaflets of a quality brand, but which were clearly fake. And handpieces that were badly engineered and likely to fail unpredictably.

And worst of all? Fraud carried out by practices themselves by using out of date materials or previously opened batches that had not been resealed or stored correctly. Or deliberately buying fake instruments and unregulated drugs and materials to save money.

Dentists have a duty of care, and that extends to all members of staff and includes using approved and properly managed materials and equipment.

Why does it matter?

This is not the Wild-West. We have many regulations that govern dentistry, and they are there for a reason. Quite apart from failing to meet GDC and CQC standards when you use fake instruments and materials you are likely to be breaking the law and could face criminal charges (with all the consequences that follow).

Illegal whitening products can still be found on internet marketplaces, despite agreements by eBay and Amazon to ban them.

Pretty much every device sold in the UK should have a CE mark. CE marking is a certification mark that indicates conformity with health, safety, and environmental protection standards for products sold within the European Economic Area. Without that mark, you shouldn’t be buying or using that device. This is particularly important in medicine and dentistry.

Should you have an incident involving a patient, using non-CE certified instruments could invalidate insurance policies, and would almost certainly provide grounds for sanctions from the CQC and the GDC. If you are using counterfeit instruments then there is also the possibility of a civil action by the owners of the trademark. And, of course, the MHRA could seize your dodgy instruments meaning you have a sudden and unexpected bill for legitimate replacements.

What are the regulators doing?

There are three regulators involved in this. I sent questions to the MHRA, who have been very helpful (see the question responses below). The CQC responded by pointing me to their website. The GDC failed to respond. You can draw your own conclusion and do your own risk assessment based on that information.

My information is that the CQC and GDC carry out a paper checking exercise during inspections. So long as you can show you are keeping records they are fine. They rarely carry out physical checks on the legitimacy of instruments or the storage and use of part batches. Nor do they frequently check the legitimacy of drugs.

However, all that could (and probably should) change overnight.

When will UDI come into effect?

The Unique Device Identification (UDI) is a system used to mark and identify medical devices within the healthcare supply chain.

The IMDRF (International Medical Device Regulator Forum), the United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and the European Commission are aiming for a globally harmonised and consistent approach to increase patient safety and help optimise patient care by proposing a harmonised legislation for Unique Device Identification (UDI), using global standards. And even if the UK leaves the EU, UDI will be implemented during the spring of 2020.

And when it is, dental practices will need to keep records of every UDI marked device. Ambitions for tracking and tracing are that patient treatment records will include details of what instruments and equipment were used during treatment.

And that means that the CQC and GDC box-ticking exercise will become much more complicated. And they will have a very simple method to verify the legitimacy of instruments and equipment.

You have been warned.

How can I ensure I’m not using fake instruments?

The MHRA website provides some very helpful information about ensuring the legitimacy of instruments, equipment and materials.

On top of that, you need to start thinking about improving your stock and instrument management. This has led to a whole new class of software appearing at dentistry shows, such as the Insightdental from Smart Dental Solutions.

But you also need to ensure that your practice management and administration staff understand the regulations around purchase and storage of drugs, materials and instruments. They have to avoid ordering in bulk to gain discounts if that material isn’t going to be used and stored within specification. They have to ensure they don’t fall foul of counterfeiters. And they have to buy from legitimate suppliers with a trackable supply chain back to the manufacturers of the basic ingredients and components.

The rules are there to protect patients, staff and practice owners. Step outside these rules and someone or something is at risk. And the risk that you will be caught and sanctioned, even if your infringement was accidental, will increase significantly next year.

One of the most dangerous items intended for dentistry and seized by the MHRA is a Portable Dental X-ray Machine BLX-5 – neither certified or even designed for use in the EU or UK.

What the MHRA says:

What do you consider the most dangerous items you found?
1. at the BDIA Showcase?
  1. Dental Handpieces with NO Notified Body EC Certification
2. ever in dentistry?
  1. Portable Dental X-ray Machine BLX-5
3. in any other field?
  1. Uncertified Medical laser machine
Will the new marking regulations make your life easier or just make it easier to secure convictions?
1. The ethos at MHRA is to secure compliance with safety regulations and the new regulations will make that easier to achieve.
Who should a practice manager contact if they think they have purchased counterfeit instruments or materials?
1. They may complete the online form at https://yellowcard.mhra.gov.uk/counterfeit-products/ or they may anonymously send details of the suspect item including an explanation of why it is suspected of being counterfeit, picture of the label/packaging/sellers email and or address to devices.compliance@mhra.gov.uk we also have a 24-hour hotline for counterfeits at 020 3080 6701.
What penalties could a practice manager or owners face if they are found to have knowingly used counterfeit instruments or materials?
1. The MHRA does take action regarding the putting into service of illegal medical devices by professionals/dentists;
  1. where a dentist knowingly uses counterfeit instruments on a patient there are trading standards offences under the protection from unfair trading regulations
  2. a dental lab was prosecuted under these regulations for making dentures he was not licensed to
  3. additionally, MHRA provides witness testimony where a dental professional in charge of each dental practice can also be held responsible
2. Ultimately any monies made using illegal devices may be seized under the proceeds of crime.
Do you think this is organised crime run by a few ‘bad boys’ or lots of small players, some of whom might not realise exactly how dangerous this is?
1. Lots of the fake illegal dental equipment is supplied from abroad but a small amount is shipped from the UK
2. I do believe that it is run by a large operation abroad that counterfeits a large variety of products from different markets, not just the medical market.
What are the penalties for supplying counterfeit instruments and materials?
1. Under the Trademarks Act 1994 section 92, the penalty can be up to 10 years in prison.
What checks should purchasers perform to ensure they have approved instruments and materials?
1. Firstly I would recommend that they only buy from established distributors in the UK, as there will be little comeback against companies registered outside the EU.
2. There are several dental trade associations including the BDIA whose members are vetted.
3. To ascertain what classification and Certification products require is a specialist role

.

What Smart Dental Solutions say:

What ‘inspired’ you to create a stock control system for dental practices?
1. Mainly my own experience in running my practices. I got fed up of problems around stock control that I’m sure all practice owners have experienced. Things like running out of stock or ordering stock only to find out you are already holding that stock in the back of a cupboard somewhere and it’s now going out of date. I looked around for some solutions but found there was nothing out there that worked for me, so I made my own.
What features does your system have to;
1. Record batch/lot numbers
  1. There is the ability to record batch numbers/lot numbers under the description aspect of each stock item.
2. Instrument/material type approval
  1. Not a feature of my system
3. Material compliance (age, storage, etc)
  1. Our system allows you to enter expiry dates for each stock item. I mostly use it for expiry dates for emergency drugs.
How and why does your system link instruments and materials to patients?
1. Our system does not link instruments or materials to patients. It does, however, track stock from a stock room to individual surgeries.
Do you see stock control becoming a bigger issue for the CQC, and therefore practices?
1. Looking at the wider picture, I can see stock control of drugs and medication being an area that the CQC will start to look at. There is already talk around tracking instruments and materials to specific patients in secondary care and I can see this eventually being moved over into primary care. I do feel this is an area primary care will need to start to look at in the future.
Have you come across many instances in your career of counterfeit instruments or non-compliant materials?
1. Not generally in day to day practising life but I have seen an increase in patients ordering materials like bleaching gels from the internet and reporting adverse effects from this. Given the way the internet has enabled this, I believe this will be an increasing issue in the future.
Do you think practice managers and owners need to pay more attention to stock control and management?
1. Absolutely. For dental surgeries to run efficiently good stock control is essential. Most suppliers can deliver within 24-hours, thus holding unnecessary stock can mean surgery cash is tied up in stock rather than being used for investment.

.

More information about Insight Dental from Smart Dental Solutions can be found at: https://smartdentalsolutions.co.uk/

You can find the MHRA at: https://www.gov.uk/government/organisations/medicines-and-healthcare-products-regulatory-agency

To contact Precision PR, please email chris@precisionpr.co.uk or call 07432 189149

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One couple’s day out in Birmingham – at the BDIA Showcase

chris@precisionpr.co.uk — Sun, 20 Oct 2019 12:57:54 +0000

A review: BDIA Showcase, NEC, 17th-19th October

Apparently, people we know think we’re a bit weird. “What are you doing this weekend?” they ask. “We’re going to the BDIA Showcase at the NEC,” we reply. “Oh! Why?”

Why indeed? Including the trip to Colchester to drop our youngest son at his brother’s house for the day, the NEC is 156 miles from home. So it better be worthwhile as we’re investing a whole Saturday.

After Cary’s obligatory McDonald’s breakfast (amazing what she’ll agree to for one of these) and a stop off at the surprisingly pleasant M6 Corley services, we hit a bum note.

We arrived at the NEC as planned just after 11:00 am. And it seems that the entire UK caravan and motorhome community chose the self-same time to visit their trade show. A queue to get onto the site, queues for the carparks, queues for the transfer bus. Not a good start to the day.

We finally made it into the building just before noon, and dodged the bag search. NEC, please take note – Security didn’t have their A-team on duty. It was then an easy walk to Hall 3. The bus driver had announced Hall 5, but he wasn’t part of the A-team either.

Bags we collected at the BDIA Showcase (but NOT at the entrance). We think one is cool, one is ‘hot’, and the other we would be very happy to quote for new artwork.

First impressions

Registration was in the hall entrance. This is a good thing as you don’t have to wander around the atrium trying to work out how to register and get in. Note – the A-team weren’t issuing the passes, but it was such a simple process they couldn’t muck it up too badly.

Walking in, the walkways were clear, straight and wide, decorated with a pleasant cerise carpet. BUT no pre-made packs, no goody bags, and the show guides seemed hidden (we found ours on the way out!).

Plenty of space for the ‘crowds’

Crowds

‘Crowd’ might be a bit of an exaggeration. We spoke to several exhibitors who said Saturday was the busiest day, but it certainly wasn’t what you’d describe as crowded. One said he thought seriously about pulling out of Saturday as Thursday and Friday had been so quiet. Others thought Thursday had been acceptably busy, but that Friday was a write-off.

Halls 3 & 3a are not the biggest halls at the NEC, and it was difficult to see how much had been occupied by the show. There were several theatres which were large, and these made it difficult to see how much space was used. We certainly don’t think the halls were fully utilised. That said, the back of the exhibition was very close to the back doors.

Exciting new things!

Well, more like one exciting new thing. 3D-Printing is about to come of age in dentistry. We spoke to a couple of suppliers of 3D-Printing kit who told us that a number of processes and materials have been approved by the FDA for use in the United States. Certification is currently underway in Europe, and once complete, 3D-Printing will be available to both laboratories and dentists for making appliances such as dentures and clear aligners.

Beyond that, there wasn’t anything particularly exciting to shout about.

We only found Dentally, SFD & SOE out of the PMS suppliers

Things that were missing

Carestream! Not a sign of them. They were completely absent. So were all the practice management software vendors apart from Software of Excellence, Dentally and Systems for Dentists. If anyone else was there we couldn’t find them – which amounts to the same thing (only more expensive).

Several of the big kit suppliers were also missing, though several others were exhibiting (Planmecca, Durr, Belmont, Acteon, etc).

Nobody had ‘stupid’ attention-seeking stands either – certainly no scantily clad Santas or inexplicable ‘dwarfs’.

The MOD recruitment stand was empty too, which was a shame as we wanted to talk to them. Right at the back of the show, they probably gave up after the poor audience on Thursday and Friday.

SFD’s goody bag – we think they’ve read what we have to say about branding your exhibition investment

Conclusion

We went to the BDIA Showcase last year at the London Excel, and we thought that was a great show. This wasn’t. The audience was poor, and exhibitors were relatively thin on the ground.

Did we achieve our aims? Yes. We met the two organisations we had planned meetings with and our discussions will progress. The fact that the crowds were so thin on the ground probably helped. We also had a chat with a few other interesting organisations. But if we had been going for some other purpose I don’t know that we would have thought the show a success.

Shows rise and fall in a complex cycle. Each grows through investment, success and rinsing phases.

In the investment stage, the organiser goes above and beyond to create a ‘show brand’.
In the success phase, they deliver on their promises – audience, promotion, value.
In the rinsing stage, they believe the brand is self-supporting – pricing creeps up, promotion slows down and value plummets.

SOE Piggy Banks – the cutest give-away we found

The BDIA showcase at the NEC is in serious danger of moving into the rinsing phase. I would recommend to the organisers (and to exhibitors) to ignore the NEC and focus on London Excel.

A note to all organisers

Dentists earn money by seeing patients. Some of them earn A LOT of money. If you want them to give up money to attend, better make it worth their while and tell them WHY they should be there. The same applies to persuading them to send their staff during the week. And also the staff themselves if you want them to attend on a Saturday.

Likewise, picking a date during a major religious festival (Diwali) celebrated by a significant part of your target audience is dim.

Some parts of the BDIA Showcase were busy

Are exhibitions in fashion?

Outside of the efforts of individual shows, exhibitions as a whole go through a success cycle.

We’re not entirely sure where they are in the UK. Some shows are succeeding, some aren’t. They are definitely doing well in consumer markets – B2B is more of a mixed bag.

On the continent, European mega-shows in Holland, Belgium and Germany look like they are maintaining their popularity and value.

But what do you do if you are focused on the UK market? If you’re not a European-wide brand, the pan-continental mega-shows are just too expensive, and the audience too disparate.

1st class (Hons) in Fine Art (ceramics and sculpture), but 4:58 to complete a child’s puzzle – Cary on the stand of of Morris & Co (specialist dental accountants)

Our advice

We continue to recommend that dental businesses exhibit. However, we would suggest that the London Dentistry Show and BDIA Showcase in London are better exhibitions than BDIA Showcase at the NEC.

The organisers of the Dentistry Show at the NEC during the spring have assured us that they are taking action to correct the deficiencies of this year’s show, and that may well make it a recommendable show next year.

But at the moment, we recommend using your exhibition budget to also create your own smaller events. More effort – possibly. More manpower needed – definitely. But success will be due to YOUR marketing efforts, and focus will be on YOU.

So what do you think?

If you attended or exhibited at the BDIA Showcase at the NEC, we would love to hear your views. Contact us at cary@precisionpr.co.uk or call Chris on 07432 189149.

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Case Study: Pearl Dental Software

chris@precisionpr.co.uk — Thu, 26 Sep 2019 18:46:04 +0000

New product, new image

BHA Software‘s dental practice management software, Pearl, is well established. In fact, it’s the third most used product of its type in the UK. However, because the company had always sold Pearl through word of mouth, it had received very little marketing investment and simply didn’t look the part.

Early in 2017, work was well advanced on a new version of Pearl, boldly named Pearl Dental Software. The established ‘Pearl Plus’ had reached the end of its development life and was built on a old-style architecture. With new work patterns emerging and many regulatory changes expected within dentistry, Pearl Dental Software needed to provide up-to-date features built on the latest development tools and based on a cloud architecture.

Such a major change in the product would be bound to cause some customer concern. So, the new product needed to be good. It also needed to tell users and potential customers it was good too. For BHA, it was time to invest in marketing.

A partnership is born

Also in early 2017, Cary Cray-Webb (a registered dental nurse and nurse-tutor) and Chris Webb (a technology PR professional for nearly 30-years) decided that it was time for some creative thinking of their own. Chris had spent years managing in-house PR teams to create some highly successful communications campaigns. He had also spent years working for PR agencies and freelancing. Read more about us.

Precision started business development activities and was soon in touch with BHA Software. BHA requested a proposal. After a visit to BHA’s office in Leicester, the deal was sealed for a content-based social media campaign.

Precision would help BHA build LinkedIn profiles and attract members of the dental profession to connect. BHA’s profiles would then share content, such as case studies, opinion pieces and articles from the Pearl website. This would develop the company’s visibility and credibility, and drive traffic to the website. There was only one flaw in the campaign plan – the website.

A fresh look

Unfortunately, the Pearl website was not up to the job. It looked, shall we say, ‘unattractive’. Worse still, it didn’t actually have the capability to curate the content necessary for the social media campaign. A new website was needed. One that looked fresh, reflected and described the product, and that could ‘compete’ with the websites of competitive products.

Working with Precision’s associate website designer, Dawn Li, Chris drew-up a specification for the new website. BHA quickly accepted the proposal. Development was scheduled for the site to be in place in time for the official launch of Pearl Dental Software – in just a few weeks.

The new site was built on the WordPress platform. This provided three key advantages:

Easy to maintain
Easy to develop further in the future
Easy to curate and share content for social media

While the new website was being built, content for the social media campaign was posted directly to LinkedIn or hosted on the Precision PR site. This was transferred to the new website ‘Opinions and Ideas’ section once the site was completed.

Branding

Creating a new website soon became the lead element of a full-on re-branding exercise. Dawn recommended that the Pearl logo needed updating. It needed to show that Pearl Dental Software was a new product – not just a re-platforming of Pearl Plus. Precision PR treated her design as an integral part of the project – other agencies might have chosen to charge for it as a separate project.

BHA quickly adopted and adapted the new logo for the product itself. Pearl Dental Software was starting to look as good as it is functional.

A wider remit

The new website was universally viewed as a success. As well as posting on LinkedIn the campaign was broadened to Twitter, and (to an extent) Facebook (each social media platform needs its own approach, so curated content designed for one doesn’t always work on the others).

The key purposes of the campaign were defined as retention of existing customers, and encouraging migration from Pearl Plus to Pearl Dental Software. Precision PR recommended regular newsletters to BHA’s several hundred of user contacts. The same curated content could be sent directly to the people who use and love Pearl Plus. And the message that Pearl Dental Software is even better would get to the people who need to hear it most.

Working with Charlotte Taylor, Marketing Manager at BHA, Precision started designing and editing newsletters. These were sent through Mailchimp, and eventually also taking on the distribution process. These were eventually going out every two months. However, a new plan (launching 2019) will see monthly ‘technical updates’ about the product itself. Newsletters, sent quarterly, will deal with issues and stories from the world of dentistry and dental software.

Precision also works with press and publishers on behalf of BHA. All advertising now goes through Precision who maintain relationships with the key industry publishers and event organisers. As Ben Baker, MD of BHA, says; “This means that we act strategically with advertising and exhibitions. Salespeople no-longer bombard us with calls, trying to fill up an issue. But we still maintain a relationship with the publishers. Precision assesses each opportunity and passes on their recommendations. We can select from options we already know are worth considering.”

A star is born?

At the launch of Pearl Dental Software, Precision PR suggested that video would help customers understand the changes. Precision set-about managing the production of three short videos. They needed to be very ‘personal’, describing why the new product was necessary, what it was capable of doing, and how it would help customers. Ben Baker supplied the personal element.

“I think I’ve met all of our customers and most of their staff,” says Ben. “We wanted to talk to them directly, but individual meetings were going to be impossible. I hate doing things like this, but Chris persuaded me that video would solve the problem.”

Scripts were written, and a production team hired. A customer, JDRM, offered the use of a surgery in Coalville for the filming.

“I think you can see the difference in what we filmed before and after lunch,” says Ben. “It took me a while to relax in front of the camera, and we had to do some editing where I fluffed my lines. But I think the finished videos worked well with our users. Professional enough to be credible, but with me being me as well.”

Now and the future

In total, Precision PR provides about 5-days consultancy each month to BHA Software, plus weekly social media reports and a monthly planning meeting.

At time-of-writing, Precision PR has supported the marketing efforts for Pearl Dental Software for a little over two years. The work includes content creation, PR (media relations and social media), advertising, website maintenance, direct mail (newsletters and updates) and strategic advice.

Pearl or articles related to the product has appeared in several trade publications and journals (including The Probe and BDJ-Team). New customer signings are on the rise (including for the first time, practice chains). The number practices moving elsewhere has slowed to a trickle. All new and more than half of BHA customers are on Pearl Dental Software. And there is a queue of Pearl Plus users planning migrations.

Recommendation?

Ben Baker

So what does Ben Baker think of Precision PR?

“Precision PR opened our eyes to what could be done with marketing. They provide us with very cost-effective campaigns and don’t expect us to continually payout for extras. What they quote is what they charge. This predictability is really important for a small company such as BHA. Cary’s inside knowledge of, and opinions about dentistry are always useful. And Chris has dealt with companies of all sizes, creating many different campaigns for a range of technologies. So they always have ideas for both marketing and the product. I would thoroughly recommend Precision PR Limited to any technology business.”

More information

For more information, or for a chat about how Precision PR could help your business improve its brand, marketing and communications, please go to the call us page, call Chris on 07432 189149 or email chris@chrisprecisionpr.co.uk

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Workplace stress : A nurse’s tale

Cary Cray-Webb — Fri, 08 Mar 2019 16:52:20 +0000

An article for BDJ-Team

Cary Cray-Webb – Director

Here’s an article written by Cary for BDJ-Team and republished on their Facebook page, where it caused quite a stir.

Cary’s article

If you are interested in thought-leadership content such as this, please get in touch.

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Making life easier in the waiting room

chris@precisionpr.co.uk — Fri, 01 Mar 2019 18:09:28 +0000

File Away the Filing

Like most people, I hate filing almost as much as I hate filling in forms. For me, a truly great piece of technology would make both easier – or even disappear altogether.

And that’s exactly what’s happening in the waiting rooms of hundreds of dentists.

The reason? They’ve implemented ‘tablet computers’ as data capture devices for personal details and medical history.

The device works by showing the patient a copy of their most recent personal information and allowing them to update it – with a few mandatory checks to ensure they have answered accurately. The updated details are automatically attached to the patient’s record, meaning that the clinicians can check them without the need for fussy paperwork.

In some implementations, such as the ‘PearlPad‘ extension to Pearl Dental Software, changes to medical history raise a flag so the dentist is aware of the need to discuss the change with the patient. This obviously makes life easier for the patient and more efficient for the dentist. It also means that nurses and receptionists don’t have to fiddle around with filing and can instead focus on patient care.

“So much less filing”

Chloe, who is part of the reception team at one dental practice that has already adopted this idea, says; “It’s made my life a lot easier on reception, so much less filing!”

Using PearlPad means she doesn’t need to print off a medical history form, treatment plan, consent forms, FP17DCs or a PR Form for the patient to sign. And the tablet also means she doesn’t need to collect, scan, or stack them for filing afterwards.

The pad is handed to the patient for them to fill-out in the waiting area and handed back once completed. The completed forms are automatically stored or updated on the patient record depending on what the patient has filled in. It simply makes life easier for both the patient and the practice team.

Because people are used to computers, patients aren’t over-burdened by paperwork and see the practice as efficient and organised. As a professional communicator, I see this is an excellent example of how a practice can use technology to make a great first impression with patients.

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Process before technology

chris@precisionpr.co.uk — Mon, 17 Dec 2018 13:38:22 +0000

A rant against edicts (and idiots)

I recently posted a rant on LinkedIn about a story I saw on the BBC News Site. At the time of writing, my post has been viewed 692 times. The reason for my irritation? The story purports to be about technology, but in fact, it’s about a political idiot issuing a political edict for purely political gains.

The story is about the use of Fax machines within the NHS and the Secretary of State’s instruction that they should be replaced with ‘new technology’.

Brilliant! I’m all in favour of new technology – that’s how I’ve made my living for the last 34-years. Except this decision is stupid. And here’s why.

Rt Hon Matt Hancock MP, Secretary of State for Health, is (in my opinion) ditching fax machines without understanding how they are used.

Half the story

The Secretary of State (Rt Hon Matt Hancock MP) is reacting to half information. He doesn’t know what these fax machines are doing or being used for. He just wants them thrown away and replaced with something new.

He isn’t aware (for example) that they were used as an emergency back-up by the Blood Transfusion Service during the WannaCry cyber attack on the NHS in 2017. He doesn’t know how simple it is to transfer hand-written notes between hospitals and locations compared to a computerised ‘scanning’ system. He hasn’t thought about how quickly a fax machine can transfer information between two teams working with systems that are not compatible or not fully integrated. He has forgotten that in the NHS, staff are massively over-burdened with work and need a simple, reliable solution, or that time savings can be measured in lives.

And for those reasons, he doesn’t know what they should be replaced with. He just knows they are old technology and is embarrassed that the NHS is the UK’s biggest user of fax machines. And he has therefore added in a vote-driven rush yet another example of half-baked government stupidity that will implement unnecessary technology badly.

Process before technology

I’ve been writing case studies and articles about technology for 26-years. Coupled with my experience as a technician and technical author, it is obvious to me that technology in itself has never ever made anything better and never once improved someone’s life. But what DOES make things better is the way that technology is used and applied to specific problems.

In other words, analyse the problem, design a solution for that problem and THEN go out an look for technology that will help you implement that solution.

Computers came about because people were trying to solve specific problems. Later, various types of computer application came about because there was a problem that could be solved in a way that a more generalised computer could enable. But none of them came about because of the computer itself. The same applies to telecommunications. And to digital printing and scanning. And even to the fax machine.

And this is exactly the case in the day-to-day operations of the NHS. Fax machines were introduced to solve a problem that already existed. So if the Secretary of State wishes to replace them he should first find out what they are used for and what can solve that problem as simply and elegantly.

I would be very interested to hear what you think about this story, this issue, or even this Secretary of State for Health. Please contact us via email to chris@precisionpr.co.uk or call 07432 189 149.

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Evaluating new technology

chris@precisionpr.co.uk — Thu, 13 Dec 2018 14:56:50 +0000

Good afternoon – I’d like to buy a computer:

How should dental practices weigh up cost and performance when investing in new technology? Always a tricky question, but here’s how I would do it.

Why do you need to invest in technology?

Because something takes too much time or resources, costs money or doesn’t make enough money. Alternatively, a 3rd-party (the NHS) mandates a technology.

Work out the problem you need to solve, then you can work out the return needed on your investment.

What are you going to buy?

Examine constraints, such as:

Will the new technology work with your existing equipment, systems and processes?
Will it cause compatibility problems that will require further investment?
What external systems does it need to work, and what standards should it meet?
What is actually available and where can you find information about possible solutions?

Where are you going to put it?

Do you have space and services (power, water, cooling) the technology needs?
If it is a portable device, can it be stored safely and securely?
Where are the suppliers and installers based, and can they provide a good standard of support from that location?

When will you install this new technology?

Does that date allow for any special training you or your team need?
Will your facilities be ready by then?
Can the supplier guarantee delivery and completion dates (so you can manage your appointment book)
When will you need to pay for this new technology?
Length of warranty and support contract?

How are you going to choose?

Draw up a list of questions and organise them into ones for you to answer, ones for the supplier, and ones that require collaboration.
Ask colleagues and friends if they can make recommendations of suppliers who can solve the business problem you identified.
Research the names recommended to you, but also find alternatives.
Remember – the biggest supplier doesn’t always have the best product, service or deal for you.
Select about six suppliers – call them and discuss all your questions with them.
Invite three of them to submit a quote.
Go back to the top of the page and check that the solution solves your initial problem.

Congratulations. You are now able to choose.

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What do you think of the show so far?

chris@precisionpr.co.uk — Wed, 30 May 2018 17:03:39 +0000

Confessions of an NEC virgin

(by Cary Cray-Webb)

A couple of weeks ago, my husband frog-marched me to the car and then drove me at speed towards Birmingham. While I’m growing very familiar with the western stretches of the A14, I’ve always managed to stop short of the M6 (except for one family trip to Dudley – a different story, and I slept most of the trip so it doesn’t count). On this occasion, our destination was the National Exhibition Centre.

After a couple of minor dramas (like getting caught in a traffic jam while the trip computer threatened instant doom in the shape of an empty petrol tank), we arrived at the NEC. The ‘helpful’ multi-coloured traffic management system sent us round most of the site before we found a car park that seemed to be full of vans, each occupying four spaces. Eventually, we found a couple of free spaces that were the perfect size for my Ford Fiesta. Unfortunately, Chris, my husband, drives a Mercedes; so getting the car in the space was a struggle followed by a performance that can only be described as a sot of Limbo Dance.

Off we go …

After a brisk walk across the car park and a short stop to pay £12 for the privilege of forced contortions and the expectation of dinged paintwork, we joined the queue for the shuttle bus. Things started getting better. We managed to time our arrival for late morning, and there was only one person waiting. When we got on board there were only two other people already there, so we chose a comfortable seat near the exit door.

The bus then performed a slightly weird dance of its own while the air suspension levelled things out, and then we were off toward the exhibition halls, largely retracing the route we had followed in the car as we drove in.

I don’t often use buses. Not because I’m posh, but because we live in the country and the bus service near home can only be described as crap. But I have to say that the NEC’s shuttle buses are very comfortable and sensibly driven.

Upon arrival …

Arriving at the exhibition halls I was met by a security guard who wanted to search my bag. I wasn’t really prepared for this. However, the guard didn’t seem to find the contents of my bag either too threatening or too amusing, so it wasn’t too much of an embarrassment.

A quick comfort break before entering The Dentistry Show (we were there on business) revealed a major shortfall of the NEC. There are equal numbers of gents and ladies loos. However, the internal layout of ladies loos vs gents means that they have less ‘capacity’, meaning they always seem to form a queue. Additionally, the gents and ladies are not sited next to each other. So while my husband found a loo right next to the exhibition entrance, mine was miles away, near the Baby Show, so the queue was enormous.

It turns out that the problem was exacerbated because the loos inside the exhibition halls themselves did not have facilities for disposal of sanitary ware. This mean ‘ladies’ were dumping their used items on the floor, which was pretty disgusting even by 11:30, and that in turn meant one visit was enough to send you walking around the central concourse and joining the 50 or so expectant mums outside a loo there.

Note to the NEC – YUK!

The Dentistry Show

The Dentistry Show 2018 offered plenty of verifiable CPD

Once I’d eventually rejoined my husband, we produced our tickets (sent prior to the show) picked-up our show guides and lanyards, and had our badges scanned at the entrance. All very straight forward. We walked through the door and bang! 400 stands and exhibits covering every aspect of dentistry.

The immediate impression wasn’t good – it looked a bit like a marketplace in some areas, with stands basically ‘flogging’ probes and mirrors, mostly staffed by what appeared to be bored looking Chinese people who seemed confused that no-one was buying handfuls of the shiny treasures.

Pushing through the bazaar, things started to take shape and became more recognisable. Brands and suppliers, prospective customers and trade organisations became discernable, and we started to make sense of the floor plan. As we were there for two days we decided to use day one for looking and day two for talking. So we wandered around, looked at what was on offer, picked up some freebies and brochures and learned new things.

I had no idea of what to expect. As I wrote above, I’ve never been to the NEC, and I’ve never been to trade show of this scale. My husband (who has been to lots) told me that it was not the biggest in terms of floor space, but it was probably the busiest he’s been to.

What did Cary do next?

Very simply, I discovered why Chris is always grumpy and knackered whenever he comes back from working at a trade show (he doesn’t usually visit – he works the stands or the press office). It is so tiring.

We stayed in central Birmingham. Finding our hotel was a performance enhanced by an out of date satnav and Birmingham City Council’s decision to pour every drop of EU development funds they could get hold of into digging up the city centre. However, we eventually arrived at the Hyatt Regency, and this turned out to be a very comfortable hotel.

Chris’ plan had been to show me around Brindley Place, and the pubs and restaurants by the canals. They were teaming with happy people, but frankly, I was too tired to enjoy them. Instead, we found a very nice Indian restaurant next to our hotel called ‘Gateway to India’ and had a fantastic meal, followed by a drink in the hotel bar and bed.

Saturday is a work day

After a very nice breakfast and some more of Chris’s dreadful navigation, we arrived back at the NEC to queue (this time) for a carpark. The queue was long and slow-moving, though oddly, there were loads of full-sized, easy to access spaces once we eventually got into the car park.

On this morning, because we were there a bit earlier, there was a proper queue for the shuttle buses. However, Chris has a shuttle bus trick. When he gets near the front of the queue, he lets other more eager people on ahead of him and catches the next bus (told you he goes to lots of these things). As that next bus was sat behind this first bus, we didn’t exactly have long to wait, but we had the first choice of the seats. We sat in comfort while others jammed themselves into every possible piece of floor space. Meanwhile, a third bus sat empty behind.

Even fully loaded on Saturday, the bus was just as super smooth as it was when empty on Friday.

Arriving at the exhibition halls, I avoided the bag search as I was instead sniffed by a Cocker Spaniel wearing HiViz. One woman asked the dog handler if she could ‘stroke the puppy’. His response was that she wouldn’t like it if he asked to stroke her puppies when she was working – which I think made a good point in a slightly questionable way.

More goodies on the way in, badges scanned, this was a day for focus and hard work.

We had a list. The editor of The Probe, four of our client’s competitors (for various reasons), a pre-arranged prospect meeting, trying to get meetings with other prospective prospects, hand-shakes with people who had contributed to articles. We also had to have discussions with the exhibition organisers and publishers about exhibitions and adverts. Our list had twenty stands to visit, and we got to most of them in the next few hours, as well as some interesting discussions with a couple of others.

That’s enough …

Eventually, I couldn’t do anymore. I was shattered and went looking for food while Chris finished the last few ‘must do’ meetings. When he found me, he too was pretty much done, so we ate our crisps and sandwiches, picked our moment to join the bus queue, and went back to the car.

By some miracle (previous evidence suggests it wasn’t Chris’s navigations skills) we were on the motorway and heading for home about 10 minutes after retrieving the car. The A14 was kind to us or a change, and we were back home again in a couple of hours.

So, what did I learn?

That the NEC is BIG is probably the first thing I would say. Truly big. This is something you really need to understand and to think about, whether you are exhibiting or just attending.

The National Exhibition Centre is truly BIG.

It’s also expensive. £12 per day for parking (and shuttle bus) and £16 for lunch (two sandwiches, two packets of crisps and two bootles of waters) also needs factoring into your visit. And the loos can be a bit ‘3rd-world’.

Of The Dentistry Show itself, I was mightily impressed. Because of our involvement with one of the main Practice Management Software vendors, that was our focus. Only one of the top six that wasn’t there. We were also keen to see CEREC and Imaging systems, and again, just about all of the manufacturers you’d want to see (including Carestream, Sirona, Fona and Vatech) all had stands. I was also impressed by a number of more niché application providers such as Dengro’s CRM and VPM’s data compliance system.

Then there were the proper ‘suppliers’ – the people selling cement and composites and implant componenets and gloves and autoclaves and an endless list of things you can buy from a catalogue. And the catalogue companies such as Henry Schein and Dental Directory.

There were also quite a few services companies, such as specialist accountants and lawyers, training companies and of course, labs. But there were two types of service company that really caught my eye.

The first was the Compliance companies, several of which were riding the ubiquitous and confusing GDPR wave.

The second group was the various ‘agency’ companies that make their living through buying and selling practices. It had never before registered with me just how frequently practices change hand, or why these transactions happen. Dentistry is, after all, a business just like any other, and businesses change hands all the time.

And what do I think of the show so far?

It wasn’t what I expected. Some aspects of it and the venue were better than I anticipated, some were worse.

Will I go again? YES – but I’ll go the day before, make sure I rest, and try to take advantage of Brindley Place or the Birmingham Rep Theatre during my visit.

Morcombe and Wise (with Glenda Jackson) – What do you think of the show so far?

Would I recommend that clients exhibit at the Dentistry Show? They certainly need to think about it. The organiser’s efforts to secure a very comprehensive schedule of verifiable CPD definitely drew in the crowds. Those stands where exhibitors had made efforts before the show to reach out to potential buyers were very busy. Those stands where exhibitors turned-up and hoped were less so.

Should dentists and nurses attend? Yes. You have the chance to hear some excellent presentations (with free, verifiable CPD points), to learn new things, and to refresh your enthusiasm for dentistry. In our case, to also meet people face-to-face who we have worked with over the ‘phone and email.

So while ‘Morcombe and Wise’ might have thought the show to be ‘Rubbish!’ I for one am very pleased that my husband twisted my arm to go and see the Dentistry Show. I look forward to my next trip to Birmingham with a far better appreciation of what that city has to offer.

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