Empowering Your Interdisciplinary Team Through Shared Digital Technology Dr. Richard Roblee Summary by Dr. Thomas Skafidas The use of an interdisciplinary digital network facilitates interdisciplinary therapy. This allows for a common and versatile platform through sharing digital information, i.e. photographs, radiographs, and 3-D models. The Interdisciplinary Digital Network (IDN) was defined as the following: A local area network consisting of monitors, desktop and/or laptop computers, printers, and scanners., This is connected to the World Wide Web, with firewall protection, to an area where centralized records can be stored. This can be linked to home computers and mobile and/or wireless computers. There are safety and/or firewall checkpoints between the central record source, the World Wide Web, the local area network, home computer and/or mobile and/or wireless computers. Application Service Providers (ASP) provide the software, which lowers the initial cost and enables data to be accessed from anywhere. This also provides the benefit that when updates are made, they are automatically placed into the system. A true interdisciplinary approach to dentistry is arguably the best way to fully utilize current treatment options. Because of the inherent complexity and difficulties in developing and maintaining an interdisciplinary team, very few groups practice a comprehensive approach. The keys to interdisciplinary dental facial therapy (IDT), are education and facilitation. These keys can be combined with the power of the internet and can enable a team to achieve levels of care that until now did not seem possible. The first key, education, represents common knowledge. Providers must be specialists in their area. They must understand the other disciplines well enough to know how they can help each other. They must also recognize the limitations of other disciplines. The second key to IDT, facilitation, encompasses the infrastructure needed to make interdisciplinary therapy possible. Facilitation is the biggest barrier to providing an interdisciplinary approach when delivered using traditional methodologies and technologies. A successful infrastructure must support, standardize, and orchestrate the members of the team; that is, diagnostic and treatment planning procedures, records, treatment, communication, and correspondence. Stationary ASP web sites help provide secure services, such as electronic patient charts with immediate patient and team access, standardized digital records, real time conferencing, automated diagnostic and communication protocols. An ASP web site can enable secure storage and retrieval of patient data information over the internet. In turn, dental participants can conduct remote collaboration to enhance diagnosis and treatment planning. Teams and doctors can collaborate on-line, while viewing and editing a single patient's record without duplication of information or the need for physically coming together. Doctors can refer patients for consultation or procedures and easily notify each other of significant treatment care that is affecting the overall team. They can track all changes or additions to a patient's information. Dentists are now developing ASP web sites. By reducing redundant efforts; i.e., test, procedures, errors, and delays, greater efficiencies and cost reductions can be achieved. The individual dentist will be able to participate at his/her comfort level, and at the same time, encourage a high level of care. Each doctor can have his/her own mailbox, and calendars integrated within the site and with other doctors, teams, or study groups. This allow for time management, communications, coordination, and confirmation of meetings and appointments. In addition, the internet can augment the educational process of interdisciplinary care. It facilitates traditional and web based study groups, virtual problem based learning, on-line continuing education courses, and discussion forums. Information technology is affecting every aspect of business today. Dentistry is just beginning to take advantage of its many offerings. The World Wide Web can simplify collaboration at local and global levels to provide a vast resource for treatment options, philosophies, and new technologies. By harnessing the power of the internet, interdisciplinary dentistry will become more predictable and efficient.