MacPractice, Lincoln, Neb, will release DDS 5.1, the next generation of its DDS 5 software. Version 5.1 will include dental-specific enhancements in all clinical charting and imaging functions and fully integrated, secure, HIPAA-compliant communications services for doctors and patients.

Both MacPractice DDS 5 and v.5.1 are compatible with Yosemite and Mavericks and operate with MacPractice’s iOS 8-compatible Patient Check In, Clipboard, and iEHR apps for iPad as well MacPractice Interface for iPad and iPhone.

MacPractice’s clinical abilities, which are in the process of being rewritten with the input of dentists who use MacPractice DDS, include Perio Chart 2, Restorative Chart 2, and DR 2 (Digital Radiography/Photo). According to the company, scheduling has been rewritten to boost speed and performance in the office, especially for remote offices.

New features in MacPractice 5.1 include integrated fax, HIPAA-secure messaging (doctor-to-doctor and patient-to-doctor), ICD-10 capability, and government-prescribed data security. Planned services for early 2015 include:

  • Doctor-doctor collaboration, 256-bit encryption, utilizes Direct Project;
  • Doctor-patient communication, 256 bit encryption, utilizes Direct Project;
  • Patient portal with ONC/CMS-certified functionality and secure messaging;
  • Online registration with EHR forms, discrete data directly in MacPractice;
  • Patients can view, download, and transmit clinical documents;
  • Patients can review demographics and request corrections;
  • Patients can see who has accessed their files and when;
  • Patients can view appointments, confirm, and request changes;
  • Patients can schedule their own appointment;
  • Patients can review charges and pay online; and
  • Patients can fill out surveys and practices can publish results.

Purchasers of MacPractice DDS 5 receive $500 off or $1,000 off for an EHR “trade-up” until December 31, 2014; a free upgrade to 5.1 is included.