The Tasks feature in Open Dental is a valuable tool that can be used for interoffice communication, tracking to-do items, sending requests, reminders, and more. This post will discuss how to set it up, and its benefits.
Did you know…
Here at Open Dental, we have created over six million Tasks since they were introduced! We use them in many ways:
- To communicate with each other. We are spread out across several buildings – they are an invaluable communication tool for us!
- To create a job ticket when we receive a support request (whether by phone, email, or chat). The Task stays open until we call and the issue is resolved, then we mark it complete.
- To request something from someone else who works here.
- To notify a team, the staff at a specific location, or a group of people interested in a specific topic about something that they need to know (we’re all subscribed to multiple Task Lists to receive notifications that pertain to us).
- To remind someone (or set a reminder for ourselves) that something needs to be done.
We believe that with a better understanding of this feature, you will also find many ways to use it to improve communication with your team and prevent things from slipping through the cracks in your busy practice!
Understanding Task Lists
The Tasks Area is where you can set up Task Lists and options for Tasks, create new Tasks, and once you start creating Tasks you can see the Task Lists you’ve subscribed to, Tasks associated with the current patient, Tasks you’ve created, and also search for Tasks.
The Tasks Area can opened in a new window or be docked to always appear in the Module you currently have open. To dock the Tasks Area, go to Setup, Tasks, and choose Dock Right or Dock Bottom. This will always display the Tasks Area on all computers, unless Don’t show on this computer is checked.
If you’d like to view the Tasks Area without docking it, go to the Manage Module and click Tasks to open the Tasks Area in a separate window.
Creating Task Lists and Inboxes
Before you start sending Tasks, you will need to set up Task Lists and may want to set up Inboxes for users as well. To create a new Task List, go to the Tasks Area (if it’s docked, this is in any Module; if it’s not docked go to the Manage Module and click Tasks), and click Add Task List from the Main tab.
Enter a Description (name) for the Task List and Object Type (determines whether patients or appointments can be attached to new Tasks created for this Task List by default; this can be changed on Tasks). If using Clinics, Filters can also be set by enabling Default Filter for Tasks in Lists in Task Preferences.
Once Task Lists have been created, they can be assigned to users as Inboxes. Go to Setup, Tasks, and click Inbox Setup.
Highlight a Task List on the left, select a user on the right, and click Set to assign the user an Inbox. Users can only be assigned one Inbox and Inboxes can only be assigned one user.
After assigning Inboxes, users must subscribe to Task Lists, including their Inbox, while logged into Open Dental. To subscribe to a Task List, go to the Tasks Area, Main tab, right-click a Task List, and click Subscribe.
Any Task Lists you are subscribed to appear in the For [User] tab of the Tasks Area. When new Tasks are sent to those Task Lists, they appear in the New for [User] tab until they’ve been marked as read.
If you want to be subscribed to a Task List, but don’t want new Tasks to pop up every time, you can block them by Task List. In the Tasks Area, click Manage Blocks and check the Task Lists you don’t want new Task pop
ups for.
Sending and Receiving Tasks
Create Tasks by clicking Add Task in the Tasks Area or Tasks from the main toolbar in any Module.
If creating a Task from the main toolbar, you’ll be prompted to choose a Task List before the Task window appears. If creating the Task from the Tasks Area, you can choose the Task List to send to in the Tasks window or when clicking Send To…
If any users are subscribed to the Task List where the Task was sent, they’ll receive a popup with the task (unless they’ve blocked popups for that Task List), and that Task List will show an unread Task.
Users can add Notes to the Task and send it to another Task List or mark it as Done if no further action is needed.
Attachments
Task Attachments can be used to attach documents, images, or even just additional details that may be too long for the Description. In the Task window, click Attachments.
If any existing attachments have been added, they are listed here. Click Add to create additional attachments.
Click Import to select a file from your computer or enter text in the Text box. If a file is imported, it will be added to the patient’s Imaging Module as well.
Once Task Attachments are added, they are listed in the Attachments count at the bottom of the Task window. Staff can view attachments by clicking the Attachments button on a Task and double-clicking an attachment in the list. If the attachment includes a document, click View Doc to open it.
Searching for Tasks
If you’re looking for a particular Task, especially one that may have been marked Done, the Task Search function will come in very handy.
From the Tasks Area, click Search.
From the Task Search, you can find Tasks by key phrases (using the Text filter), user, PatNum, date, and more.
For additional information on Tasks, check out our YouTube videos. If you have questions about setting up or using the Tasks feature, our Support Techs are here to assist you. Just contact us.
Information in this post reflects features available in Open Dental Version [23.3]. For the most up-to-date information, please visit our manual.