Lab software with a doctor portal vs a shared case platform
A doctor portal belongs to one lab’s software. A shared case is opened by the lab and the practice alike. Here is how the two models differ for a lab.
By the Tusko team
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A lab that wants its practices online has two models to choose from.
One is a doctor portal, a login that belongs to the lab’s own software. The other is a case that the lab and the practice both open.
They can look alike in a demo. They differ in who they were built for, and that shows once practices start using them.
This guide compares typical setups in each category. It does not describe any single product.
Two ways to put a lab’s practices online
Two columns compare typical setups. With a doctor portal, a case entered there is already in production and billing, invoices and statements are in view in some products, and one vendor covers support, training and data, but a practice with three labs has three portals. With a shared case, the practice sends to every lab the same way, questions sit on the case beside the Rx, and both dates are on the same record, but invoicing may be in separate software.
A doctor portal
A login that belongs to the lab’s own software
- Yes: A case entered there is already in production and billing
- Yes: Invoices and statements in view, in some products
- Yes: One vendor for support, training and data
- No: A practice with three labs has three portals
A shared case
One case that the lab and the practice both open
- Yes: The practice sends to every lab the same way
- Yes: Questions sit on the case, beside the Rx
- Yes: Both dates are on the same record
- No: Invoicing may be in separate software
What a doctor portal is
Lab management software runs the lab. It holds cases, schedules, invoices and statements.
A doctor portal is the part of that software a practice can see. The lab gives each practice a login.
A typical portal lets a practice do three things.
- Submit a case, with an Rx form and files
- See the status of its cases at that lab
- View invoices and statements, in some products
The portal belongs to the lab. A practice that works with three labs has three of them, each with its own form and login.
What a shared case platform is
A shared case starts from the handoff. The case is one record, and both sides open it.
The lab sees its side: every case across all its practices, by stage. The practice sees its own: every case across all its labs.
The Rx, the files, the messages and the due date sit on the case. Either side can add to it.
Some platforms cover part of what lab management software does, and some cover little of it. Ask what you would still run elsewhere.
One case, both ways
| The moment | With a doctor portal | With a shared case |
|---|---|---|
| A practice sends a case | It logs in to this lab’s portal | It sends from the place it uses for every lab |
| The lab has a question | Varies: a portal message, a call or an email | A message on the case, beside the Rx |
| The practice wants an update | It logs in to this lab’s portal | It looks at one list of all its cases |
| The practice has three labs | Three portals | One place |
| The lab wants an invoice out | In the same software | May be in separate software |
| The lab plans its bench | In the same software | Depends on the platform |
The first four rows favour the practice. The last two favour the lab’s back office. That is the trade.
Who has to log in
A portal works when practices use it. That is the part a lab does not control.
From the practice’s side, each portal is one more place to check. A front desk with three labs and three logins may fall back on the phone.
Nobody is at fault in that. The practice is choosing the route that takes the least effort across all its labs.
Dr. Joel Gaudet, the dentist who founded Tusko, reached the same view from his own practice:
“The only way it was going to work was if everything was on one platform, and it was easy to send and receive from that platform.”
Dr. Joel Gaudet, Wave Dentistry
A shared case asks the practice to learn one tool for all its labs. That is a smaller request, and it is still a request.
Measure it before you decide
If you have a portal today, count last month’s cases by how they arrived.
| Channel | What to count |
|---|---|
| Portal | Cases submitted there, with a complete Rx |
| Cases that arrived as attachments | |
| Scanner inbox | Scans with a short order form |
| Paper | Slips that came in the box |
| Phone and text | Cases or changes given by voice or message |
A portal that carries most of your cases is working. One that carries a small share is costing you double entry.
Ask a few practices why they use the channel they do. Their reasons will tell you more than a feature list.
What each model does well
Neither model is better in general. Each fits a kind of lab.
A doctor portal
- One system. A case entered through the portal is already in production and billing.
- Billing in view. Practices can see invoices and statements where the product offers it.
- One vendor. Support, training and data sit with a single company.
- Depth. Mature lab software handles pricing, schedules and reports in detail.
It suits a lab whose practices send it most of their work. For them, the lab’s portal can become a habit.
It also suits a lab that needs the back office first. Production and billing come before the front door.
Best dental lab management software for Canadian labs looks at four established products.
A shared case
- One place for the practice. It sends to every lab the same way, so it has a reason to keep using it.
- Questions on the case. A message sits beside the patient, the Rx and the scans.
- Both dates in view. The lab’s due date and the practice’s appointment are on the same record.
- Status without a call. The practice can look for itself before it picks up the phone.
It suits a lab whose practices each work with several labs. How many dental labs should a practice use explains why they do.
It also suits a lab whose main cost is the back-and-forth. The real cost of phone tag shows how to put a number on that.
Check the limits. If the platform does not invoice, you will keep your billing where it is.
Running both
Some labs keep both. Management software runs production and billing, and a shared case carries the work between lab and practice.
The cost is a second system. Ask three things before you commit.
- Does a case have to be typed in twice?
- Which system holds the true due date?
- Who on the team updates each one, and when?
If the answers are clear, two systems can work. If they are vague, the bench will start keeping its own list.
Write the answers down and show them to the team. A rule that lives in one person’s head does not survive a holiday.
Questions to settle before you choose
- How do our cases arrive today, by channel?
- How many labs does a typical practice of ours use?
- Is our bigger problem inside the lab, or between us and our practices?
- What would a practice have to learn, and for how many labs?
- What would we still run in other software?
- Who helps our practices get started?
The last question matters as much as any feature. A tool that practices never open has changed nothing.
Answer these as a team. The owner, reception and the bench each see a different part of the problem.
Which model fits which lab
| If your lab | Lean toward |
|---|---|
| Needs production, pricing and invoicing in one system first | Lab software with a portal |
| Has practices that send it most of their work | Lab software with a portal |
| Has practices that each use several labs | A shared case |
| Loses most of its time to calls, texts and missing details | A shared case |
| Already has lab software its practices do not log in to | A shared case beside it |
Where we sit
Tusko is a shared case platform, founded by a dentist who sends work to three labs.
See how it works for labs, or estimate what the chasing costs with the lab calculator.
For labs still on email and spreadsheets, read spreadsheets, email and text vs case management software.
What is a doctor portal in dental lab software?
It is a login a lab gives its practices, as part of the lab’s management software. Practices use it to submit cases to that lab and check on them.
What is a shared case platform?
It is software where the lab and the practice open the same case. The practice uses one place for every lab on the platform, and each side has its own view.
Can a lab use both?
Yes. Some labs keep management software for production and billing, and use a shared case for the work that passes between lab and practice. Ask both vendors how a case moves between the two.
How do I know if my practices use our portal?
Count last month’s cases by how they arrived. The share that came through the portal, against email, phone and paper, is the number to watch.
Related guides
No single lab management system suits every Canadian dental lab. Here is what to check, and what four established products say about themselves.
Moving a dental lab’s practices onto one platform takes about a month of small steps. Here is a week-by-week plan, and what changes for each role.
Many dental labs run on a spreadsheet, an inbox and a phone. Here is what that setup does well, where it breaks, and how to move off it safely.