Chairside, Reception Room, and the Internet Covered by a Trio of Patient-Education Products

InfoStar Productions (Fair Oaks, CA) provides a trio of products designed to educate patients: the dental SideKick, the Showcase, and custom Web page design. These products allow dentists to clearly educate patients on a wide variety of procedures, and in a variety of formats and locations.

THE DENTAL SIDEKICK

The dental SideKick (Figure 1) is a bilingual, user-friendly chairside procedure explanation program. The SideKick is really two products in one; it not only offers popular dental-related movies (as do its competitors), but it also provides 200 animations that allow a dentist to provide his or her own procedure explanations or play the provided audio. Dentists do not have to play a movie to get a visual point across.

The SideKick program may be installed on an existing PC network or on individual PCs. A single-office site license allows for the program to be active on every computer or workstation in an office. Software installation is a snap, and InfoStar provides easy-to-follow visual and auditory operating instructions. Even dentists who are not computer-savvy find the program easy to use.

The reaction to the material encourages dentists to use the program with every patient. It is quick, easy, and effective to use. InfoStar encourages its users to contribute new material to help shape its ever-changing products. An economical annual general maintenance agreement is available. The dental SideKick program includes useable features such as:
• play multiple movies in a chosen sequence;
• procedure explanation;
• animation pause;
• picture-drawing tool;
• bilingual text and narration;
• print-any-page function;
• create a take-home CD;
• procedure quick links;
• informed consent; and
• insurance explanations.

One of the most popular features is the e-mail function. By clicking on the e-mail icon of the procedure explanation being reviewed, a dentist can automatically attach it to be sent to a patient (Figure 2). A pop-up box appears, and the user types in the patient’s e-mail address; the entire procedure explanation—including multiple-language text and narrative, graphics and animation, and a printable informed consent—is e-mailed to the patient.

InfoStar offers two optional modules; the Picture Module and the Scriptor Module. The Picture Module allows a dentist to enter and organize his/her own case illustrations. Limited SideKick features apply to this module; however, the drawing tool, create a take-home CD, and print functions do apply. The Picture Module is integrated in the SideKick Program. The Scriptor Module is a continuous play audible presentation that features a  refashioned SideKick movie and audible procedure explanation library. Dentists may create multiple play sequences of any length from the library. Sequences may be saved, recalled, edited, or deleted. Computer-based Scriptor presentations play audibly and continuously.

THE SHOWCASE

The Showcase is a custom continuous-play DVD reception room presentation about the dentist’s practice and/or a CD chairside “screen saver” presentation (Figure 3). Presentations play continuously, silently, and unattended. Presentations are customized for each individual dental practice. This informative visual presentation is a professional, non-intrusive way to introduce the benefits of a practice including information on the dentist, team, policies, high-tech equipment, today’s dentistry, and more.

WEB PAGE

The Web page design service offers quality appearance, user simplicity, and includes many pictures and animation. Web page designs are customized for every practice (Figure 4). The quality of a Web page reflects the quality of a practice. It is often a potential patient’s first impression of a practice. Patients expect their dentist to have an informative, eye-catching, easy-to-use Web page. If a dentist does not have a Web page that he or she is proud of then it should be updated with a new site design that includes the “Wow Factor.” With the continuing advancements of the Internet, dentists should expect to completely replace their Web page every 2 to 3 years.

Web Links

The SideKick program content—including animation, animated links, bilingual text and narration, and printable informed consent—may be linked to any Web site (Figure 5). Patients see and hear everything they would see and hear chairside.

CONCLUSION

Since 1993, InfoStar Productions has provided economical patient-education tools for the dental professional. The dental Sidekick, Showcase, and Web page are tools that allow dentists to educate their patients while reassuring them with high-tech, active displays that aim to interest and inform.

For more information, contact:
InfoStar Productions
Phone: 800-889-4224
Web site: www.infostarproductions.com.

DISCLAIMER

The preceding material was provided by the manufacturer. The statements and opinions contained therein are solely those of the manufacturer and not of the editors, publisher, or the Editorial Board of  Inside Dentistry. The preceding is not a warranty, endorsement, or approval for the aforementioned products or services or their effectiveness, quality, or safety on the part of Inside Dentistry or AEGIS Communications. The publisher disclaims responsibility for any injury to persons or property resulting from any ideas or products referred to in the preceding material.

Figure 1 The dental SideKick is a bilingual, userfriendly chairside procedure explanation program.		Figure 2 By clicking on the e-mail icon of the procedure explanation being reviewed, a dentist can automatically attach it to be sent to a patient.
Figure 3 The Showcase is a custom continuousplay DVD reception room presentation about the dentist's practice and/or a CD chairside "screen saver" presentation.		Figure 4 The Web page design service offers quality appearance, user simplicity, and includes many pictures and animation.
Figure 5 The SideKick program content—including animation, animated links, bilingual text and narration, and printable informed consent—may be linked to any Web site.