Creating and Opening Patient Records

This topic tells you how:

  1. Open the Add New Patient Record window using one of the following methods:
    • Click the Patients icon to open the Find Patient/Guarantor window.
    • Click Tasks on the main window toolbar and select Patients to open the Find Patient/Guarantor window.
    • Click New on the Quick List window and go to step 3.
    • If a new patient has an appointment scheduled today, click on the patient’s name in the Quick List window, drag and drop the patient on the Patients icon, and go to step 3.
  2. Click New.

    The Add New Patient Record window opens.

  3. Follow the instructions in Recording Patient Information to record new patient information in the Demographic, Insurance, Marketing, Notes, Recall, Financial Info, Correspondence Hx, and HIPAA tabs. Follow the instructions in Attaching Electronic Documents to Patient Records in OfficeMate to record information in the eDocuments tab.
  1. Open the Patient Demographic window using one of the following methods:
    • Click the Patients icon to open the Find Patient/Guarantor window.
    • Click Tasks on the main window toolbar and select Patients to open the Find Patient/Guarantor window.
    • Right-click on the Hard Lens Order, Soft Lens Order, Eyewear Order, Fee Slip, Receipts & Adjustments, or Patient Ledger window title bar and select Patient.
    • Right-click on a patient in the Quick List window, select Patient, and go to step 7.
    • Click on a patient’s name in the Quick List window, drag and drop the patient on the Patient icon, and go to step 7.
  2. Enter search information in the Selection Criteria text boxes.
  3. Select the Include Inactive check box to include inactive patients and guarantors in the search results.
  4. Select the Include Other check box to include the names of people who are neither patients nor guarantors, but are recorded in the database as other insured parties.
  5. Select the Prior Name check box to search for a patient under a prior name.
  6. Click F2 Find.

    If your database is encrypted, PHI (protected health information) such as patient addresses, phone numbers, and chart numbers will be greyed out and not visible when you are searching for patients.

  7. Click on the patient, and then click Select or double-click on the patient.

    Either the Patient Center window opens or the Patient Demographics window opens. If the Patient Center window opens, it will display important patient information, including the patient’s ID, date of birth, phone numbers, email address, last exam date, expected referral return date, chart number, next appointment date, default provider, insurance carriers, patient and insurance balances, credit, the average amount spent per visit, and photo/notes (if applicable). If the Patient Demographic window opens, go to step 8.

    • To use the Patient Center, ensure that the Use Patient Center preference is set to Yes. For more information, see To set up patient preferences.
    • The Average $ text box displays the average dollar amount of all of the patient’s fee slips divided by the number of fee slips. The calculation for the average dollars spent is based on fee slip product fees and does not take into account packages, discounts, amounts billed to patients or insurance carriers, adjustments, and returns.
    • To add or update a patient’s photo, see Attaching a Photo to Patient Records.
    • To hide the patient’s photo and notes for privacy reasons, click Hide Notes/Photo.
    • To open the Scheduler, Fee Slip, Patient Ledger, Receipts & Adjustments, and Rx Order window or the ExamWRITER program, click the appropriate button in the middle of the window.
    • To view linked family members’ Patient Center windows, double-click on the family member on the Family Members tab at the bottom of the window.
    • To view the patient’s appointment history, click the Appointment History tab at the bottom of the window.
    • To view the patient’s exams in ExamWRITER, double-click on the exam on the Patient Exams tab at the bottom of the window. Note that you cannot open the patient’s exam if ExamWRITER is already open.
    • To view the patient’s diagnosis/problem list, procedures, and medications, click the Medical History tab at the bottom of the window.
  8. Click Demographics.
  9. Click Orders to view scheduled orders recorded in ExamWRITER, but not yet posted in the Task Manager. For more information, see To post scheduling tasks recorded in ExamWRITER.
  10. Follow the instructions in Recording Patient Information to record new patient information in the Demographic, Insurance, Marketing, Notes, Recall, Financial Info, Correspondence Hx, and HIPAA tabs. Follow the instructions in Attaching Electronic Documents to Patient Records in OfficeMate to record information in the eDocuments tab.

    Click the arrows in the bottom right corner of the window to move to the next, last, previous, or first patient’s record. The records that are displayed are based on the search criteria you entered in the Find Patient/Guarantor window.

For information on using the Patient Center, watch this video.