Midmark Identifies Trends That Will Impact How Care Is Delivered in 2020 and Beyond

Midmark Corp, a leading provider of dental equipment, technology and services, has identified six trends that will significantly impact the point-of-care ecosystem — where the majority of today’s health care encounters still occur. This report shows how much the field continues to change, as each month dental professionals face new developments, technologies and challenges.

“General practitioners who not only know about current trends, but also understand how they impact the point of care, will be better equipped to address the needs of their patients and drive improved outcomes at lower costs. Adapting to the many advances in care management, such as novel imaging technologies, puts complex restorative procedures within reach of the general dentist,” says Tom Schwieterman, MD, MBA, chief medical officer at Midmark. “This represents a great opportunity for dentists to augment the overall health of their clinical practice with new procedural offerings that enhance patient loyalty and drive healthy practice margins.”

Of the six areas identified, the trend of “primary care stealing spotlight back from specialists” indicates an area where dentists can improve customer retention and revenue. General practitioners are offering more specialized and complex procedures. The use of digital dentistry, for instance, enables general dentists to provide more complex procedures in office.

“They are being empowered and better equipped to do more for their patients, including providing comprehensive and sophisticated interventions at the point of care,” says Schwieterman. “When dentists can do more of the work themselves, they are able to reduce the number of providers a patient needs to see to complete a complex procedure. Technology and advanced training allows the practitioner to provide services under one roof, saving patients time and making it more convenient for them.”

Another trend that dentists should be aware of is the growing focus on the customer experience at the point of care. The quality of interaction the patient has with the provider and care team can translate to a better understanding of the clinical situation and a higher likelihood of all parties getting more involved, which can improve outcomes and lower costs, the report states.

This result is driving more focus on creating a safe, inviting environment that accommodates the patient’s mobility limitations and enhances the dentist-patient interaction.

The six identified trends that will shape how care is delivered at the point of care in 2020 and beyond are:

1. Data analytics drives the next step in enhanced care and outcomes
2. Primary care steals spotlight back from specialists
3. Customer experience takes hold in health care
4. Self-empowered patients take control of their care
5. Risk shifts from insurers to providers
6. A healthy body begins with the mouth becomes best practice