Setting Up Preferences for ExamWRITER

This section tells you how to define and change preferences in ExamWRITER, including how

You can change your ExamWRITER preferences any time you are not in an exam record. Close all exam records in the ExamWRITER chart window before changing ExamWRITER preferences.

  1. In the OfficeMate Administration main window, click Setup, select ExamWRITER, and select Preferences.

    OR

    In the ExamWRITER Administration main window, click Activities, and select Preferences.

    The Preferences window opens.

  2. Click the General tab.
  3. Select the appropriate Exam Default View radio buttons:
    1. Select which tab initially displays when an exam is opened:
      • Chief Complaint
      • Vision-Rx
      • Examination
      • Full View
    2. Select how text displays on the exam:
      • SINGLE line per heading displays observations in paragraph form.
      • MULTIPLE lines per heading displays observations in a vertical list.

    The default views are Full Exam View and MULTIPLE lines.

  4. If you want to use the HPI Wizard to more easily and accurately document HPI information, select the HPI wizard check box. If you select this check box, select the Show HPI in line item format check box if you want to document HPI information on an exam record in a vertical, multiline format (leave the check box deselected if you want to document HPI information on an exam in a horizontal, narrative format).

    The default preference does not have the HPI wizard check box selected.

  5. Select an exam display font size from the Font Size drop-down menu.
  6. Select the appropriate Exam Background Color of White, Manila, or Slate grey.

    The default exam background color is Slate grey.

  7. Select the appropriate Exam Report Format to Print Short Exam Headers or Print Long Exam Headers.

    Printing a short exam header will print the patient’s name, DOB, age, exam date, occupation, and chart number. Printing a long exam header will print the patient’s name, DOB, age, exam date, occupation, social security number, chart number, address, and phone number.

  8. Select a default ICD-10 coding and default procedure coding view for the Diagnosis/Procedure Coding window from the ICD9/ICD10 Coding Default View and Procedure Coding Default View radio buttons.

    The default view is All.

  9. Select the appropriate Force Relinking of Coding Changes radio button to open a window in the Diagnosis/Procedure Coding window to remind you to review linked codes. For more information about linking codes, go to To link diagnosis codes to procedure codes.

    The default selection is Yes.

  10. Select how many exams to display in the Exam History drop-down menu on the ExamWRITER chart window from the Number of Exams to Display drop-down menu. This preference is especially helpful if you have patients with many exams over many years.

    The default selection is 10.

  11. Select the appropriate Exam Finalization Defaults.
    • If you select Finalize Exam (No Changes Permitted), you cannot make changes to the exam after it is finalized and closed. You will only be able to add information to the exam in an addendum.
    • If you select Print Auto Letter and you are using ECR Vault, then the exam and auto letter is automatically saved in ECR Vault.
  12. Click Save/Exit to save your changes and close the Preferences window.

In addition to the procedure above, watch this video.

  1. In the OfficeMate Administration main window, click Setup, select ExamWRITER, and select Preferences.

    OR

    In the ExamWRITER Administration main window, click Activities, and select Preferences.

  2. Click the Report Settings tab.
  3. Enter the number of blank lines that you want to appear in your report header.

    If you are not using your office stationary and you want to print a report heading, enter 0 as the number of blank lines.

  4. Type the Report Closing that you want to appear in your report footer.
  5. Enter the number of blank lines that you want to appear between the closing and doctor’s name.
  6. Select appropriate Auto Letter Preferences Yes or No radio buttons to display or hide them on auto letters.
  7. Click Save/Exit to save your changes and close the Preferences window.
  1. On the OfficeMate Administration main window, click Setup, select ExamWRITER, and select Preferences.

    OR

    In the ExamWRITER Administration main window, click Activities, and select Preferences.

  2. Click the Defaults tab.
  3. Select the default Cylinder Default.
  4. Select the default Sphere Default.
  5. Select the default Eye selection.
  6. Select a default recall date from the Next Exam (Months) drop-down menu.
  7. Select a default eyewear and contact lens Rx expiration date from the Rx Expiration (Months) drop-down menus.
  8. Select the default spectacle and contact lens Rx print option from the Spec/CL Rx print options drop-down menu.
  9. Select an IOP variance range between 1 and 20 from the IOP Variance Trigger drop-down menu.

    If the most recently recorded IOP value in a patient’s exam deviates from any IOP value in the patient’s history more than the IOP variance trigger, it is highlighted in red in the IOP table in the Exam - Special Tests tab. For more information, go to Recording and Modifying Tonometry Measurements.

  10. Select a minimum IOP trigger between 10 and 40 from the IOP Minimum Trigger field drop-down menu.

    If the most recently recorded IOP value in the patient’s exam is greater than the trigger value, that cell in the IOP grid turns red.

  11. Select the appropriate Default Rx View.
  12. Select the appropriate default Print DEA # on Medication Rx radio button.
  13. Select the appropriate default Show Contact Lenses radio button to choose whether you want to view all contact lenses or only the lenses that are in your Quick List in the Select Contact Lens window.
  14. Select the appropriate Next Appointment Default radio button to choose whether you want to assign a recall date or schedule an appointment in the Follow-Up window.
    • If you select Recall, the recall will be recorded in the EMR and OfficeMate.
    • If you select Schedule, the appointment will be recorded in the EMR, but no appointment will be scheduled in OfficeMate.
  15. Select the appropriate Show Patient Quick List radio button to specify whether you want to always display or hide the Quick List.
  16. Select the appropriate Auto show Impression/Treatment menus radio button to specify whether you want to automatically open impression and treatment windows after selecting examination exceptions.
  17. Select the appropriate Insert “No ~ exists except:” in Patient Hx radio button to specify whether you want to automatically insert the “No ~ exists except:” text in the exam record when an exception is selected in the Patient History window.
  18. Select the appropriate Insert “Unless otherwise noted below:” radio button to specify whether you want to automatically select the “Unless otherwise noted below:” check box on the Patient History, Review of Systems, External Exam, Slit-Lamp Exam, and Routine Ophthalmoscopy windows
  19. Select the appropriate Auto Populate PD radio button to automatically calculate PD values in the Pupillary Distance window.

    When you select Yes and record a distance PD, the near PD is auto populated as 3mm less than the distance PD. When you record a distance or near PD, the right and left PDs are auto populated as half of the value of the distance and near PD. When you record a right distance PD, the left near PD is autopopulated as 1.5 mm less than the right distance PD. For more information about recording pupillary distance in exams, go to To record and modify pupillary distance measurements. Recording split PDs ensures that eyewear orders sent to VSP using the VSP Interface are processed without errors.

  20. Select the appropriate Show ECR Vault AMD button (same pref as OM) radio button to specify whether you want to display the ECR AMD button in the Patient Demographics window in OfficeMate and on the exam chart window in ExamWRITER.
  21. Type the default Dilation Orders (Auto Text) in the text box.
  22. Type the default Retinal Image Text text in the text box.
  23. If you are use the standalone version of ExamWRITER (without OfficeMate) and a third-party practice management software system, select the On Third Party Interface radio button to export exam files to your BIDEAS folder or select the Off radio button if you do not want to export exam files to your BIDEAS folder.
  24. Click Save/Exit to save your changes and close the Preferences window.

In addition to the procedure above, watch this video.

  • Exams and templates that were created using ICD-9 codes can be copied forward to new exams that use ICD-10 codes. If there is an exact correlation between ICD-9 codes copied forward and their ICD-10 counterparts, then the ICD-9 codes will be translated into ICD-10 codes in the new exams and templates. If there is no exact correlation between ICD-9 codes copied forward and their ICD-10 counterparts, then the ICD-9 diagnoses will be flagged as blue text in the exam so that you can manually re-code them as ICD-10 diagnoses them before billing the exam.
  • If you are using ExamWRITER 10.6 or above and you copy forward an exam that was created before ExamWRITER 10.6, the selections you made during the previous exam in the Examinations, Impressions, Plans, Special Testing, and Surgery windows will not copy forward to the new exam.
  1. In the OfficeMate Administration main window, click Setup, select ExamWRITER, and select Preferences.

    OR

    In the ExamWRITER Administration main window, click Activities, and select Preferences.

  2. Click the Copy Forward tab.
  3. Select the appropriate Copy Forward To New Exam Options to copy former patient specific exam template information to a new patient exam.
  4. Click Save/Exit to save your changes and close the Preferences window.
  1. On the OfficeMate Administration main window, click Setup, select ExamWRITER, and select Preferences.

    OR

    In the ExamWRITER standalone main window, click Tools and select Preferences.

  2. Click the Rx Print Options tab.
  3. Select the printer where you want to print medical prescriptions from the Medical Rx drop-down menu.
  4. Select the printer where you want to print ophthalmic prescriptions from the Ophthalmic Rx drop-down menu.
  5. Select appropriate Ophthalmic Rx Options.
  6. Click Save/Exit to save your changes and close the Preferences window.

In addition to the procedure above, watch this video.