Editor's note: This is a continuation of a yearlong series that is designed to help dentists and team members understand their practice management software better. Today, we are providing you with a tip from Tracey Thompson, a product trainer at Curve Dental. Earlier this month, we posted Q&A articles from experts in Dentrix and Eaglesoft.
Q: How do I set up my recare in Curve Hero to ensure the recare process works and updates correctly for the patient?
Tracey Thompson.A: Great question! Setting up your patient correctly for recare will help keep preventive appointments current and accurate so the oral health of your patient is up to date.
Here are some simple steps in setting up your patient for recare, scheduling the recare, and scheduling future recare appointments.
Colors associated with recare
The word "recare" in the Sidekick will turn a different color based on where your patient is within his or her recare process, allowing you to see the next step for your patient at a quick glance.
- Black: The patient is not set up for recare.
- Orange: The patient is set up with recare with a future due date, but it is not attached to an appointment.
- Green: Recare appointment has been scheduled.
- Red: The patient is overdue for his or her recare.
Attaching recare using the profile or Sidekick
It only takes a couple of clicks to choose and set up your patient for recare. The Sidekick recare summary triangle is a quick way to attach recare, but still view the scheduler at the same time. The patient profile allows you to attach recare for a new patient as you are viewing his or her patient information.
In both areas, it is simple to click on "Add Recare" and choose the type of recare plan benefiting your patient, whether that is a six-month recare or even a three-month periodontal recare. Once you have attached the recare plan for the patient, the word recare will turn orange, indicating he or she has recare attached but no appointment, or a future due date but no appointment if this is an established patient.
Creating a recare appointment using tags
Creating and attaching the correct recare tag for the appointment is crucial in making the recare process work correctly in Curve Hero. All you need to do is find the day on the scheduler your patient is due, locate the time he or she would like to come, make the appointment, and (then comes the crucial step) make sure you attach the appointment tag that matches the type of recare you set for your patient in the Sidekick or profile. The word recare will turn green, indicating the patient is scheduled for recare.
Creating a recare appointment utilizing the Sidekick
Using a click-and-drag method from the Sidekick allows for little error in scheduling the recare to ensure the process works correctly. You can simply click on the summary triangle next to recare, locate the interactive bubble with the recare due date, and drag it onto the scheduler with the desired recare date for your patient. The word recare will turn green, indicating the patient is scheduled for recare.
Checking out and scheduling for future recare
Once your patients have finished their recare appointments, you check them out and the recare due date will automatically populate based on the frequency of the recare type. Before the patient walks out the door, you can right-click on the due date, which will take you directly to the future due date on the scheduler and you can simply schedule the patient using the appointment tags or by dragging from the Sidekick.
Tracey Thompson has spent more than 20 years in the dental industry, including 10 years as a dental assistant and office manager before becoming a product trainer at Curve Dental in 2010. She teaches best practices to dental offices across North America using Curve Hero. Learn more about Curve Hero at www.curvedental.com.
The comments and observations expressed herein do not necessarily reflect the opinions of DrBicuspid.com, nor should they be construed as an endorsement or admonishment of any particular idea, vendor, or organization.
