Digitalization of administrative process in the german healthcare system with the focus on dental practices

Abstract

The digitization of processes in healthcare offers the opportunity to reduce costs and at the same time increase the quality of treatment. A large number of studies show how digitization can optimize and automate processes in healthcare. However, no study has yet addressed the specific requirements of processes digitalization in dental practices. This paper examines the status quo and opportunities of process digitization for dental practices in the German healthcare system. A structured literature review was used to identify 25 previous relevant papers. Their categorization and analysis revealed existing research gaps, which were explored in detail based on semi-structured in-depth interviews with four dentists. The analysis shows that most organizations are at an early stage of digital transformation, but are actively working to improve the digitization of their processes. Our findings provide a detailed description of the current challenges and starting points for process digitization and optimization in dentistry. They serve as a basis for further development and help to improve the quality and efficiency of processes in healthcare.