Contacting Patients on a List (Mail Merge)

1. Select the SMS button in the bottom right :

   Open

   

   The Contact by SMS window launches:

   Open

   

    

   Select the either Single SMS or Multiple SMS.

   The  Group by Family checkbox will apply to SMS as it does for letters, and allows email to family members to be sent together. It is greyed out and unavailable if the Single SMS option has been clicked.

   The  Tick as complete when message sent checkbox will mark the patient as complete on the contact list once the SMS is sent.
   With this unchecked the patient is not marked as Complete on the contact list until further manual action is taken. In other words, leave the checkbox unchecked if you want a reminder to take further action.

2. Single SMS option: Click OK to display the SMS Details screen as shown below (Step 5).

3. Multiple SMS option: Click OK to display the Contact Patients window. You can either uncheck all options to include everyone on the recall / contact list, or select options according to your preferences.

    

4. Once you have selected your list of patients and clicked OK you will be presented with the following screen, if you have set up staggered recalls in your email configuration:

    

   At this point, you can either:

   • Click the Send all SMS straight away to send the SMS messages.

   • Accept the staggered SMS settings, as listed.

   • Change any of the delivery times by clicking on a line, and then delete the line using the  Delete button.
     A new delivery time can then be added via the  Add button.

   • Accept the delivery times, but change the delivery frequency.

   Once you have reviewed (and edited the staggered settings, if required), click the OK button.

   
   
   

5. The SMS Details window is now displayed, to enable you to enter Provider and/or Specialist codes, if there are pertinent merge fields that need to be included in the SMS:

    

   You can also choose an SMS template if you wish to use a preset message as a basis for the SMS.

   If you do so, the Description field is automatically filled, but may be edited if required.
   Similarly, the Category field is usually defaulted but can be changed or deleted if you wish.

   The Category becomes important in the Patient Contacts Tab, where we can sort by Category column to see what kind of contacts have been made with the patient:

6. Click the OK button; the Create SMS window will now display, as for the single SMS option.

   If you have selected an SMS template, the text from the template will be displayed, but you may still edit the details of this if you wish, by clicking in the field.

   Note the following:

   • The text in the box is counted in the Character count field below it, to let you know how long the message is.
     This will not be accurate if any merge fields are present, so you will have to estimate how long each merge field is likely to be, based on what it represents.

7. Clicking the OK button in this window will create the SMS messages for the selected patients in EXACT, and either send the SMS messages or queue them to be sent, depending on your settings.

   The contact list entries will be updated with the appropriate SMS status icon in the Type column.

   For an SMS message, one of the following icons may appear, depending on the status:

   SMS appointment reminder sent to recipient (delivered)

   SMS message received by gateway (sent, but not yet delivered)

   SMS delivery failed (where SOE is the SMS provider; password is wrong, insufficient credit, etc.)

   Reply received (for SMS reminder sent to patient)

   SMS status is not available

   SMS failed or not sent to gateway

   A tooltip displays when you hover your mouse cursor over each of the icons.

8. The SMS messages will also appear in the Email Outbox until they are sent, when they will be removed and will appear in the Sent tab.

   In each case they will have the appropriate icon in the Status column.

   Only email replies will appear in the Email Inbox.

   If staggered recall settings are in effect, the column marked with a clock icon  will have a corresponding icon for any items in the Outbox that are subject to the settings.

    

   If you hover your mouse cursor over the icon, a tooltip will tell you when the SMS is due to be sent, as in this example:

9. Check in the Patient file Contacts tab for records of contacts

Contacting by Letter

Create from multiple locations

Patient letters can be created from multiple locations such as the patient file, recalls or contact lists by clicking on the Create a Patient document button wherever it is visible.

Patient Contacts tab lists letters

If EXDOC is installed these letter contacts are automatically stored on the patient’s Contacts tab and can be viewed and/or edited by double-clicking on the required letter.

NOTE: Without EXDOC the letter symbol will indicate the creation of a letter, but the actual letter itself will need to be either saved manually on one of the practice's computers or printed in duplicate and the copy held on file.

Letter templates

Letter Templates are used when writing letters. These templates contain the standard layout and wording common to all letters of the same purpose, and merge fields that are automatically resolved with actual data when the letter is processed. For example, all referral letters will contain merge fields for basic information about the patient such as name and date of birth, and may begin with a first sentence of ‘Thank you for seeing…’

See also:   Portal blog and video: Creating letter templates 

To contact by Letter

1. Select the Create a Patient document button  .

2. Complete details in the Contact by Letter screen:

   Select the type of letter: Create either a single letter to the selected patient or multiple letters to patients within the contact list.

   Select Group by Family if there are several members of the same family, and you want to send one letter for the family.

   You have the checkbox option to Tick as complete when printed. If you check this box, EXACT will remove each patient from the contact list when the letter for that patient is printed, leaving only patients on the list with unprinted letters.

   With this unchecked the patient is not marked as Complete on the contact list until further manual action is taken. In other words, leave the checkbox unchecked if you want a reminder to take further action.

3. Select OK.

   A Contact Multiple Patients window will appear:

   See the Contact Multiple Patients window for details.

4. With these fields appropriately configured, select OK.

   The Document Details window displays, as described below.

   If you have Presentation Manager enabled, the Document Details window will have a preview window and slightly different fields.

   The Document Details window enables you to write to the patient as well as create/modify the Letter Templates that are the basis of the individual letters written.

   Letter Templates can include merge fields. These are placeholders for patient, provider, specialist, practice and other details that can be inserted directly into a letter from EXACT, which are replaced with actual data when the letter is processed.

   Document Details window:

   Complete the following fields (as appropriate) to create the document:

How to send emails to a list of patients:

1. Click the Email button  at bottom right of the screen to open the Contact by Email screen:

   Select Single or Multiple Emails.

   Select Group by Family if there are several members of the same family, and you want to send one Email for the family.

   You have the checkbox option to Tick as complete when sent. If you check this box, EXACT will remove each patient from the contact list when the letter for that patient is printed, leaving only patients on the list with unprinted letters.

   With this unchecked the patient is not marked as Complete on the contact list until further manual action is taken. In other words, leave the checkbox unchecked if you want a reminder to take further action.

2. Select OK.

3. If you selected Multiple Emails, complete the standard Contact Patients screen, but as applicable for Email:

4. With details specified, click OK to advance to the Email Details screen:

5. Complete the appropriate fields.

6. Choose an Email template by means of the selectors.

7. Document attachment options are greyed out unless you first check the Attach Document checkbox. Click any document attachment to see a preview at right.

8. Click OK to advance to the Create Email screen.

   This will either be blank (if you did not specify an Email template), or it will contain the Email Template that you specified:

   Blank:

   With sample specified template:

9. Optionally Attach any documents, image files (x-rays, photos, etc.) or other files.

   When you select Finish, the attachment/s appear in the Create Email screen. You can right-click them to see further options:

   To add a further attachment, click the +1 button.

   To delete an attachment, select it then click the Delete button.

   To save an attachment to another location, select it, click the Save button, and specify the location.

   To open (view) an attachment, select it then click the Open button; this will open the attachment with the appropriate program.

10. Complete the email as you require and then click the large Send button to have EXACT automatically send off the emails to the specified contacts.

11. Check in the Patient file Contacts tab for records of contacts

1. Highlight the patient to phone.

2. Click the Phone button  to open the Call Patient window:

   NOTES:
   The example above shows the screen that is available if you have the EXDOC module registered. Without this module the Contact Notes section will not be displayed, though brief notes can still be made within the Description box.
   The phone number options displayed depend on which numbers are present in the patient’s file.
   The Dial button and phone numbers are displayed only if EXACT has been configured to dial outgoing numbers for you. See the Computer Settings section for more details.

3. Enter a description about the phone call and any notes if required. Any notes that you enter will be stored on the patient's Contacts tab against the date that you contacted the patient.

4. If you are calling the patient from a Recall List or Contact List entry, click the Mark as complete checkbox if no further contact with the patient is required. This will remove the patient from the list when you exit this screen by clicking the 'OK' button.

   If a patient is not marked as complete, reception will be prompted to mark them as complete when an appointment is made for them. This allows you to make further contact with the patients on the recall list at a later date if they don't respond to the first contact.

5. If dialling through the PC (with the required software and hardware), select the number to dial and click the Dial button  to make the call.
   (Note that the numbers listed will depend on what has been entered in the patient's record - there may be any or all of the home phone, work phone, or mobile phone numbers).

6. If dialling manually and recording the call details (the notes entered above, and the date of the call), click OK. This will add an entry on the Contacts tab for the patient, with a handset icon in the Recalls column to indicate the contact type was a phone call.

   EXDOC users can view/edit the additional notes entered by highlighting the entry then clicking the Edit button. Alternatively, double-click the Contact entry.
   
   

Printing labels for contacts

Contact lists can be created and viewed from multiple areas of EXACT, such as:

• Administration > Contact Lists

• Multi Column appointment book Contact Lists tab

• Marketing Manager Contact Lists for promotions

• The Recalls window (Administration > Manage Recalls > Double-click on a recalls list) or

• The Contact Lists window (Administration > Contact Lists > Double-click on a list)

To print letter labels for multiple contacts

1. Click the Print labels button to open the Print Labels window:

   Select Group by Family if there are several members of the same family in the list, and you want to print one label for the family.

   Tick as complete when printed: If printing the labels completes the printing process, you have the option at this time to mark all entries in the list Complete as the labels print, as an alternative to marking them off manually at a later stage, perhaps when the patient responds.

   With this unchecked the patient is not marked as Complete on the contact list until further manual action is taken. In other words, leave the checkbox unchecked if you want a reminder to take further action.

2. Single and Multiple label options:
   
   

   Single Label option

   The Single label option will launch the Label Details window.

   Multiple Label option

   If the multiple label option is selected, you will be presented with the Contact Patients window with the contact preference defaulted to Letter:

This window will allow you to print labels based on a date using the Contacted by letter on option.

The date field will be defaulted to today’s date.

Once you have selected your list of patients and clicked OK, the Label Details window will launch, allowing you to complete the label printing process for the selected patients. The OK button on the Label Details window will instead read Print if multiple labels are selected

Label Details Window

The Label Details window displays in the process of Printing labels for contacts.

If your practice label templates are already set up,

1. Optionally specify a Provider and type a Description (required if this information populates merge fields in the Label template):

   Provider: The Provider merge field in the document (if any).

   Description:
   Description to identify this label template. When the label is printed, the text entered in this field will be written to the Contacts tab in the Patient File, in the Description column (as in the image below).

   Category:
   Associate a Category with the template. Default is Admin Document.
   Add, edit and delete categories by means of the Selector controls.

   These Categories are significant in the Patient File Contacts tab (as indicated below), where contacts can be displayed/sorted by the Category. Note also how the template Description field is shown under the Description column:

2. Select a Label Template, preview it at right, and then click Print.

If your practice Label Templates are not already set up:

You will need to first Import Label Templates or Create Label Templates, as described below.

To import Label Templates

(requires Presentation Manager / EXDOC-PRO)

1. Click the +1 button at bottom centre of the Label Details window.

2. In the Create Template window that displays, click the Import Templates button and then

   1. Browse to this folder: ExdocProTemplates > Label Templates.

   2. Select a Label Template or use Click > ShiftClick to select multiple Label Templates.

   3. Click the Open button.

   
   The Label Template/s display in the Label Details window.

3. If necessary, drag templates into an existing Category or create a new Category for them:

   
   
   

   TIP: These Categories are significant in the Patient File Contacts tab (as indicated below), where contacts can be displayed/sorted by the Category. Note also how the template Description field is shown under the Description column:

To create Label Templates

(requires Presentation Manager / EXDOC-PRO)

1. Click the +1 button at bottom centre of the Label Details window.

2. The Create Template window displays. In this window, do the following:

3. First select an existing template to use as a Base template.

4. EXACT will by default name it the same as the Base template, but with an incremented (number) after the name. You can later edit and rename it. can later rename it.

5. Click the Category dropdown and select a Category in which to save the new template that you will create.

6. Click the Create Template button.

   You will see the Presentation Manager Loading... message:

7. Please refer to the Presentation Manager module for further information:

   Presentation Manager Overview

   Using Presentation Manager (v11)

   The EXDOC-PRO screen

   Presentation Manager Registration

   Enabling Presentation Manager