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 the Tasks feature and link you to three QuickTip video resources to help you get set up and using this in your office today.

Did you know…

We have created over 2 million tasks at Open Dental since they were introduced! We use them in many ways:

• To communicate with each other. We are spread out across several buildings and multiple physical locations – 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 of 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 of 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 tasks to improve communication with your team, and make sure things don’t slip through the cracks in your busy practice!

Understanding Task Lists – an Overview of the Tasks Area

In this video you’ll learn:
> Where they can be displayed on your screen: Docked to the bottom or to the right
> Setup Options: Show finished tasks, sort appointment type tasks, default tasks to a collapsed state
> How to create task lists
> How to create a task (regular and reminder types)
> How to search for a task
> How to manage pop-up notifications
> Overview of each tab

Setting Up Task Lists

In this video you’ll learn:
> How to enable this feature (you’ll need to do this on each workstation)
> How to create task lists
> How to assign user inboxes
> How to subscribe to a list (and where to what lists you’re subscribed to)

Sending and Receiving Tasks

In this video, you’ll learn:

> How to create and send a task with a patient attached (or not attached)
> How to see new tasks for you
> How to add a note to a task
> How to reply to a task
> How to mark a task complete

Using tasks in Open Dental can be a great way to keep track of patient-related to-do items, reminders, and just keep the flow of communication going. If you need help troubleshooting task setup or have questions about using this feature in Open Dental, just reach out – we’re here for you!