Manage Patient Database Defaults

Use the Database Defaults tab of your patient folder properties to select your office's preferred new patient default responses. Individual ViewPoint users can copy these defaults to their own system, facilitating consistent responses within your office data entry process.

Choose Your Settings

1. Open Patient Folder Properties Window - You can open this feature in multiple ways: Use the method that's most convenient for you.

   ViewPoint Main Menu - Tools & Utilities > Patient Folder Properties.

   

   Patient Folder - ViewPoint toolbar > Properties. (A patient folder must be open first: Otherwise, the Properties icon will open your Main Menu Properties instead of your Patient Folder properties window.)

   

   Patient Folder - ViewPoint shortcut menu > Folder > Properties. (A patient folder must be open first: Otherwise, the Properties icon will open your Main Menu Properties instead of your Patient Folder properties window.)

   

   New Patient Folder - You can also open Patient Folder Properties while creating a new patient folder. See "Create a New Patient Folder" for details.

2. Open Database Defaults Tab - Click the Database Defaults tab.

   

3. Enter Default Responses - Enter the responses you want to use as the defaults for new patient folders.

   Copy From New Patient Defaults Tab - If your New Patient Defaults tab is set up with the defaults you want to use as your office protocol, you can click the Copy New Patient Defaults button near the bottom of the window to duplicate those settings onto this Database Defaults tab, instead of entering the responses manually. When you click Copy New Patient Defaults, all settings from YOUR New Patient Default tab will be copied to the Database Defaults tab, overwriting all previous database settings. See the information at the bottom of this article for more information. Be certain of which direction you want to copy the settings before you click a button.

   Biographical Details - Use the Biographical, Res. Party, and Display sections of the properties window to set up certain default responses and viewing options for patient folders.

   

   Doctor - Select the orthodontist to assign to new patient folders. You can change the assignment before you save the folder, or whenever necessary. You maintain the list of doctors in your practice in your Orthodontist table. The patient's financial transactions and appointments default to the doctor assigned to the Patient tab of the patient folder. See "Orthodontist Table" for details.

   Office - Select the office to assign to new patient folders. You can change the assignment before you save the folder, or whenever necessary. Use the Office table to identify office locations in your practice. The patient's financial transactions and appointments default to the office assigned to the patient folder. Some fields are required for certain types of insurance claim submission and credit card transaction processing. See "Office Table" for details.

   Assistant - (Optional.) Select the assistant to assign to new patient folders. You cannot change this assignment until after the patient folder is saved; therefore, many offices choose to assign none as the default assistant. You maintain the list of assistants in your practice in your Assistant table. The patient's appointments default to the assistant assigned to the Patient tab of the patient folder.See "Assistant Table" for details.

   Status - Select the status to assign to new patient folders. You cannot change this assignment until after the patient folder is saved; therefore, many offices choose to assign Exam or a similar generic status. You maintain your list of status descriptions in your Status table. You may manually edit a patient's status from the Patient tab of the patient folder, or change it via Auto-Events as needed. See "Status Table" for details.

   Phase - Select the phase to assign to new patient folders. You cannot change this assignment until after the patient folder is saved. You maintain your list of phase descriptions in your Phase table. The patient contract, findings, treatment chart and other data are saved by phase: That is, these items are flagged with the phase currently assigned to the Patient tab of the patient folder. See "Phase Table" for details.

   Res. Party Title - Select the default title to add to the responsible party name (i.e. Mr. & Mrs.). You cannot edit the list of available choices. You can change the assignment before you save the folder, or whenever necessary.

   Display Practice Name Option - Enable the Practice Name option in the Display section of the Patient Folder Properties window to list dentists, professionals, and referrers alphabetically by practice name. If this option is disabled, the lists are displayed by the person's name.

   Reminder Cycle Options - Use the Reminders fields of your patient folder properties settings to define the suggested number of months between dental visits and progress evaluations.

   

   Dental Visit Cycle - Enter the number of months you suggest a patient wait between dental visits. This value is assigned to the Milestones tab of new patient folders automatically, but may be changed as needed. As you schedule appointments, the Grid Scheduler checks the dental visit dates on the Milestones panel of the patient folder, and prompts you to update them if appropriate. You may also change these dates on the Milestones tab at any time.

   Evaluation Cycle - Enter the optimum number of months you wait between formal treatment evaluations. This value is assigned to the Milestones tab of new patient folders automatically, but may be changed as needed. As you schedule appointments, the Grid Scheduler checks the progress evaluation dates on the Milestones panel of the patient folder, and prompts you to update them if appropriate. You may also change these dates on the Milestones tab at any time.

   Late Fee Details - Use the Late Fee fields of your patient folder properties settings to define the default late fee for both individual transactions and contract fees.

   

   Res. Party - Select the default late fee policy to apply to miscellaneous charges posted to the responsible party. You cannot change the default until after the patient folder is saved. This default may be the same as, or different from, the policy assigned to contract fees.

   Contract - Select the default late fee policy to apply to contract fees that fall past due. You can change this assignment as you create the contract for the patient. This default may be the same as, or different from, the policy assigned to contract fees.

   Sibling Record Defaults - When you create a patient folder from a non-patient family member record with the Make Patient tool, late fee policies default to the policy assigned to the responsible parties you copy to the new folder. Otherwise, the default policy comes from your New Patient Defaults.

   Appointment Defaults - Use the Explorer On option of your patient folder properties settings to specify whether the Explorer opens for the patient when you use the Save & Appoint feature from a new patient folder. If the Explorer On option is disabled, the Save & Appoint feature opens your Grid Scheduler to a scheduling grid, with the new patient activated.

   

   Email Form Options - Enable the form options you would like to send via email, rather than printing them. Even though set up email form defaults for new patients in your Patient Properties, you can turn these features on/off directly from the Patient and Responsible tabs of the patient folder. When you email a form, rather than printing it, it is still recorded in the appropriate correspondence history.

   

   Patient Correspondence - Enable this option if you want to send the patient an email of their appointment card, rather than printing it.

   Res. Party Correspondence - Enable this option if you want to send the responsible party an email of the patient's appointment card, as well as payment receipts via email rather than printing them.

   If both the Patient and Res. Party email options are enabled, both parties will receive appointment card email messages.

4. Save Your Changes - Click Ok at the bottom of the window to save the changes you have made and exit the editing window. You can also click Apply to save your changes but keep the window option, or click Cancel to close the editing window without saving any new changes.

Use This Feature

Copy Default Settings - You can use the options at the bottom of the Database Defaults tab to copy all settings to and from individual users.

Copy Database Defaults to Your Defaults - Once database defaults are set up, ensure consistency across your office database entry process by requiring that each ViewPoint user run the Copy Database Defaults option to copy the settings to their own New Patient Defaults tab. When you click Copy the Database Defaults, all settings on the Database Defaults tab will be copied, overwriting all settings on the user's New Patient Defaults tab. (See "Set Up Patient Folder Default Responses" for details about individual settings)

Copy New Patient Defaults to Database - If your New Patient Defaults tab is set up with the defaults you want to use as your office protocol, you can click the Copy New Patient Defaults button near the bottom of the window to duplicate those settings onto this Database Defaults tab, instead of entering the responses manually. When you click Copy New Patient Defaults, all settings from YOUR New Patient Default tab will be copied to the Database Defaults tab, overwriting all previous database settings.

More Information

Update Default Responses - If you make changes to your database defaults that you want all ViewPoint users to share, each user will need to re-run the Copy the Database Defaults option to update their own New Patient Defaults tab.

Editing the Defaults - If you change the default values, the response does not change in existing patient folders; the new response will be entered as the default for new patient folders only.

Mass Update Email Flags - Use Data Tool 140 - Mass Update Email Flags to reset the electronic correspondence options for any group of patients or responsible parties. You generally only use this tool when you first begin to use electronic correspondence. See "Batch Reset Email Options" for details.