In this Tips & Tricks post, we will discuss using Queries for customized reporting, adding medications to the Medications Master List, creating and using the Patient Dashboard, and the benefits of using Appointment Confirmation Statuses.

Using Queries for complex reporting needs

Do you ever find yourself wondering how to get a report for something rather specific that’s not in Open Dental’s Standard Reports? Well, you just might be in luck – the Open Dental Query Examples Page has over 1300 queries to choose from! Need help finding or modifying a query, or want a custom query? Fill out and submit a Query Request Form.

Take these steps to find and use a query:

1. Filter the query results by category – up to three categories can be selected. Results will only include queries that match ALL selected categories.
2. Once you’ve found a query that looks like a fit, right-click in the body of the query and choose Select all (or Ctrl+A).
3. Right-click again and select Copy (or Ctrl+C) to copy the entire query.
4. In Open Dental, go to Reports, User Query, then use the Paste button (or Ctrl+V) to paste the query.
5. Click Submit Query to run the query.

Once your query has been run, you can:

• Click on column headers to sort by that column.
• Print, or export to manipulate the data further, using another program like Excel.
• Click Save to Query Favorites and name this query so you can use it anytime.

Here’s a QuickTip video on how to find and run a query in Open Dental.

Adding medications to the Medications Master List.

The Medications Master List contains all medications (generic and brand name) that can be added to a patient’s chart. To access the list, go to Lists. then Medications. From there, you can view the medications already in the list and add more by clicking ‘Add Generic’ (generic medications must be added before associated brand names can be entered) then ‘Add Brand’ as needed.

TECH TIP: You can add medications without selecting one from RxNorm. When the warning pops up, click OK, then OK once more to save the medication. Once added, you’ll be able to prescribe them, add them to your patient’s medications list, and to your medical history form sheet if needed.

Another way to add medications to the list is to do it when you’re adding it to the patient. In the Chart Module, double-click in the pink Patient Information area next to Medications. Click Add Medication, then click Add Generic then Add Brand as needed.

Creating and using the Patient Dashboard.

The Patient Dashboard is a customizable view of basic patient information that will display on the right-hand side of Open Dental, like this:

To create your custom dashboard:

• Go to Tools, Patient Dashboards, and then Dashboard Setup.
• Highlight the internal dashboard on the left and then click ‘Copy’.
• Double-click the custom dashboard on the right and edit the template to fit your needs.
• Create multiple dashboards that your staff can select from to suit their specific workflow and data needs.

Once you’ve created your dashboard(s), go to Tools, Patient Dashboards, and select a dashboard to enable.

To see a quick overview of this process watch our QuickTip video.

Using Confirmation Statuses

With Confirmation Statuses, you can add a small circle to the appointment box to indicate an appointment’s confirmation status. This is a great visual cue to let your staff know if the patient has confirmed their appointment or has had follow-up action but has not yet confirmed.

First, create and customize confirmation statuses in Setup, Definitions, Appt Confirmed.

Next, add the Confirmed Color field to your Appointment View. Learn more in our Appointment Views webinar.

Confirmation Statuses are an essential element of eServices setup when you’re using Automated Messaging. For example, if you’re using eConfirmations, your appointment Confirmed statuses will automatically update as patients confirm their appointments. This gives your staff a visual indicator of patients that still need to be contacted.

Our team is here to help so please reach out if you have questions or need to troubleshoot an issue. Have you tried our live chat feature? It’s a great way to get a quick answer to a simple question. If you need us to remote-connect with you, please give us a call.