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PATIENT MANAGEMENT SYSTEM Version 3.0 by SureSoft P.O. BOX 2082 VAN NUYS, CALIFORNIA 91404 COPYRIGHTS SureSoft Software is Copyright (c) 1985, 1986, 1988 by SureSoft and may only be copied and distributed under the conditions specified in this document. COBOL is an industry standard language. Microsoft COBOL is copyright (c) by Microsoft Corporation, 1988, and copyright (c) by Micro Focus Limited, 1978, 1987. All Rights Reserved. Microsoft (TM) WORD is copyright (c) by Microsoft Corporation. - 2 - PATIENT MANAGEMENT SYSTEM - USERS GUIDE Copyright (c) by SureSoft, 1987 1. THE SHAREWARE CONCEPT There are several problems with much of the software on the market today. First, it is too high priced. This is partially a result of the cost of advertising and distribution and if these costs can be significantly reduced or eliminated, the savings can be passed along to the user. Advertising creates wants; it does not add to the value of a product. A second problem affecting software costs, particularly in specialized fields (such as dental office system software) is the cost of salesmen and convention booth costs. These, too, must be passed on the end user and they also affect the price you pay for your software. And once the salesman has completed his demonstration of the system (and gets your order) he collects his commission and adds no further valus to your system. As a potential user, you have another problem beyond that of price. You would like to try out the software before you buy it. After all, if it doesn't do what you want, it isn't really of much benefit to you. But vendors are not really interested in extensive try-outs, partly out of their fear that you will steal their software by copying it and then returning the original to them for a refund. Shareware software addresses all of these problems and others by letting you try out the software until you are satisfied with it and then asking you for a registration fee that does not require you to take out a mortgage on your business. These low fees are so reasonable because there are no high priced salesmen, distributors, and advertising executives to be paid. This manual will provide you with all of the information you need to use most of the functions of the Patient Management System. In some places, you will find this notice: *-----------------------------------------* * THIS SECTION OMITTED IN EVALUATION COPY * *-----------------------------------------* We believe that everything necessary to properly evaluate the Patient Management System has been included and the undocumented functions are more like "icing on the cake". There are several reasons why we have done this. 1. There are some people who will make extensive use of the Patient Management System without registering. We would like to encourage them to register. Where else can you get a bargain like this? - 3 - PATIENT MANAGEMENT SYSTEM - USERS GUIDE Copyright (c) by SureSoft, 1987 2. Those who do not register will not be advised of upgrades and will not be able to take advantage of the facilities of the latest version of the system. While new versions of the system will eventually end up in general circulation, the programs required to upgrade from an older version will be issued under normal copyright restrictions and may not be circulated. Thus, it may at times be necessary for an unregistered user to throw out all of his old data and re-enter it if he desires to upgrade other than by the proper means. 3. We feel that our registered users should be rewarded. There is a registration form included on the last page of this documentation for your convenience; or you may simply send us your name, mailing address, and telephone number with your registration check for $125. California residents, please remember to include 6.5% sales tax. PLEASE NOTE: Until we receive your registration, you essentially do not exist for us. We wish that we didn't have to be so firm about this but there are still a significant number of people around who not only will use the system without paying but will also use up large amounts of our time on the telephone or in letters if we let them, hence the rule of no registration, no questions. So if it looks good to you, register and get the full manual. Then, if you still have questions, write or call. Also, when you register, you will receive the very latest version of the system. So if you are a new user, we suggest that you do not enter a lot of data which you want to retain. The latest version may be several versions removed from the version you are working with and even if we knew which one you had, it would be a very large task to provide you with all of the upgrades necessary to get current. So save your real, critical data until you receive the latest version of the system. Then, as a registered user, you will be eligible to receive notifications of all future upgrades which you can receive for a nominal fee (current fee $35.00). These are generally annually and permit you to keep your system up to date. As a new registered user, you will receive copies of any upgrades issued without charge for a period of one year. Finally, we continue to make changes to the system as our users request them. We encourage you to also submit any suggestions which you might have for the improvement of the system. Please drop us a line and let us know what you think should be added or changed and why such an addition or change would be advantageous. We would really like to hear from you. - 4 - PATIENT MANAGEMENT SYSTEM - USERS GUIDE Copyright (c) by SureSoft, 1987 2. DISTRIBUTION You are specifically granted a license to obtain an evaluation copy of the system from a friend or association and to use that copy to evaluate the system on your own computer in your own office. You may also use a dealer's computer equipment for purposes of evaluating the interaction of the system with any computer equipment which you propose to purchase. You are then trusted to either forward a payment to the author or to discontinue use of the system. In either case, you are encouraged to copy the program and make it available to others for their evaluation. When you copy the system, you must not make any changes to the files provided on the diskettes. All files must be copied onto succeeding diskettes and all copyrights must rmain intact. While you may freely copy the diskettes for evaluation purposes, please note that the SureSoft Patient Management System is NOT a Public Domain program. It is Copyright (c) 1988 by SureSoft and may only be copied under the conditions set forth above. If you are in the business of selling Shareware diskettes, you may charge a diskette fee not to exceed $6.00 per diskette, plus a reasonable shipping and handling charge. 3. SYSTEM INTRODUCTION The SureSoft Patient Management System is a set of programs which comprise basic a dental office system. It was originally designed to provide a strong marketing program. Patient recalls are facilitated by options to select patient records by a number of parameters. Mailing labels, merge files for word processors and reports for telephone followup as well as hand addressing are available. Insurance billing is provided and the information captured on the insurance billing form may be automatically transferred to the patient's receivable record, eliminating the need to re-enter the information. Patient Billing (Accounts Receivable) has been greatly simplified by tying procedure numbers into a procedure file which is used on both the patient statement and on insurance billing statements. In other words, by simply entering the procedure number, both the description and your standard fee are obtained from the procedure file, eliminating the requirement for your office staff to type these entries. Monthly patient bills are as easy as feeding forms into your printer and selecting the billing option from a menu. By printing on two part carbonless forms, a permanent record of - 5 - PATIENT MANAGEMENT SYSTEM - USERS GUIDE Copyright (c) by SureSoft, 1987 all bills sent out can be maintained for your office records. This section describes the hardware required and the system installation procedures. Please read section 3 completely before starting your system. 3.1 System Requirements The SureSoft Patient Management System is designed to run on an IBM PC/XT/AT or PS/2 with 512 Kbytes or more of main memory and a hard disk. One floppy disk drive is required for installing the system running PC-DOS 2.0 or greater. An 80 column printer is required for reports and other printed output. While a monochrome monitor will be preferred by some because of its low cost, the system supports a color monitor and uses color effectively to highlight certain functions. The Patient Management System has been run on a wide variety of clones with complete success. However, we cannot guarantee that it will work on any particular clone. Our suggestion is that you try it before you buy the equipment if you do not already have it. There are some clones which are not 100% IBM compatible that could possibly not run the system properly. For color, you may use the CGA, EGA, or VGA adapters. You must set your files and buffers statements in your CONFIG.SYS file to 20 files and at least 20 buffers (we recommend 25). The Patient Management System requires that a large number of files be open at various times and the system simply will not function without these large values. *-----------------------------------------* * THIS SECTION OMITTED IN EVALUATION COPY * *-----------------------------------------* 3.2 Installing the System CAUTION: The installation instructions given here are for new installations only. If you are upgrading your system from a previous version, follow the instructions included with your upgrade diskette. The instructions given below will destroy your existing data. Before installing the system, please look at the directories of the diskettes you received to determine if there is a file named README.DOC. If this file is present, you should print it out to see if there are any last minute changes to - 6 - PATIENT MANAGEMENT SYSTEM - USERS GUIDE Copyright (c) by SureSoft, 1987 the installation procedure. This file will contain both procedural and documentation changes. Installation of the system consists of copying the files from the distribution diskettes to an appropriate directory on your hard disk and running a batch file to initialize data files. Your first step should be to create a subdirectory on your hard disk to contain your system. Use the DOS MKDIR (make directory) command to accomplish this. Then, using the CD (change directory) command, make this new directory your current directory. If you are not familiar with these commands, they are well documented in your DOS manual. Alternatively, you may use your root directory if you will not be installing a large number of other programs on your computer. Step two is to simply copy all of the files from the distribution diskettes to your working directory. Assuming that you are at the C> prompt and in your chosen directory, place each diskette into drive A in turn and enter the command "COPY A:*.*". When all of your files have been copied, enter the following command: "STARTUP". This will run a batch file that will initialize all of the files required by your system and will then delete the initialization programs from the hard disk. These files are deleted to minimize the possibility of anyone accidentally running the programs again and destroying your data. The programs in question are named PMS00001.EXE and PMS03011.EXE. They remain on the distribution floppy diskette and may be re-copied if they are ever again required. Your system is now completely installed and ready for use. IMPORTANT ------------------------------ When you first set up your system, it is designed to procide an automatic interface between the insurance billing program and the patient billing module. If you do not intend to use the patient billing module for any reason, it is important that you turn off the automatic interface. Failure to turn this interface off will cause records to be written to the interface file every time that you use the insurance billing program for an actual bill. This file will continue to grow until it absorbs all of the available data space on your hard disk. To turn this function off, go to the Utility Menu, select the option to update Static Information, Select Option I on the static menu, and enter an 'O' (letter O, not number 0- - 7 - PATIENT MANAGEMENT SYSTEM - USERS GUIDE Copyright (c) by SureSoft, 1987 zero). This will turn the option off. To re-activate at any time, go to the same screen and enter an 'X'. 3.3 System Backups No matter what computer equipment you use, you must plan for and eventually expect to experience some degree of failure. This is particularly true where hard disk drives are concerned. The hard disk, due to the nature of its construction and because it runs continuously, is the most likely part of your system to fail. It is a truism that SOONER OR LATER YOUR HARD DISK WILL FAIL. Unfortunately, that is also where you will have your important files. WHEN your hard disk fails, recovery is important. If you have made a backup of your hard disk, you will be able to recover to the point where your backup was taken and will only need to re-enter data entered after the backup was made. If you have not made a backup, you may lose everything and have to start all over. We can't tell you how often to make backups of your data or how you should make them. You must make that decision based upon your volume of business and with the help and guidance of your local dealer. We can only make a few suggestions for your consideration. *-----------------------------------------* * THIS SECTION OMITTED IN EVALUATION COPY * *-----------------------------------------* 3.4 The "forms" concept The SureSoft Patient Management System was designed from an operational standpoint around the forms that your office staff are already familiar with. And thinking of the screens as forms in an electronic typewriter will greatly aid your staff in their transition to the computer. The only difference in filling out these forms and filling out a form on a traditional typewriter is that the computer will ask for related information at one time rather than slavishly moving across a line. This is more fully defined in the Definitions section. There are two "forms" that are actual forms from printers and these are required if you are to get full value from the system. The first is a printed Attending Dentist's Statement which is available from Moore Business Forms as their form number 4093. Since most of these forms are very close, you might have another you wish to try and you should certainly do so. The advantage of the Moore form is that it is a continuous form and you can print multiple statements - 8 - PATIENT MANAGEMENT SYSTEM - USERS GUIDE Copyright (c) by SureSoft, 1987 unattended. In any event, you may try out the system by printing on plain paper. The patient bill form is also a readily available form. We used NEBS form 9060 in developing the system, but this form is used with a number of different accounting packages and is readily available from different printers. This form was chosen because of the tear-off top portion which is to be returned with the patient's remittance. This greatly facilitates posting of payments. By the way, window envelopes are also available from NEBS for this form. You may also use plain paper when you are testing the system but be aware that the statement forms are not size 8 1/2 x 11 and that sample print on plain paper will look strange. You must also reset the paper in the printer when you complete printing sample statements on plain paper. If you wish to print mailing labels, you will need to obtain standard 3 1/2 x 15/16" labels. 3.5 Definitions We need to define a few terms in order to make communication between us easier. We will make a special effort to not let this get out of hand. CURSOR: The cursor is the blinking block or underline character that lets you know where the data you type will show up on the screen. That's all it is. Consider it as performing the same function as the position indicator on your typewriter. ENTER/RETURN: When you see the word ENTER or RETURN in capital letters or enclosed in square brackets as [ENTER] or [RETURN], this refers to the key on the right side of the keyboard with an arrow on it which points down and to the left. Some keyboards use the actual words ENTER or RETURN. To avoid confusion, we will try to stick with the term [ENTER] throughout this document. Use of the word enter in lower case letters means that you are to type in the required information. Confusing? Let's assume that you are about to type the name Hill into the computer and you are instructed to - "enter the name and press ENTER" or "enter name and [ENTER]". In both cases, you would type the individual letters "Hill" and then you would press the [ENTER] key. Just to check that out one more time, you would have pressed five keys. They are the H, i, l, l, and [ENTER] keys. Another function of the [ENTER] key when working on an on- screen form is that of a tab key. You actually have two options when you are tabbing forward, the [ENTER] key as - 9 - PATIENT MANAGEMENT SYSTEM - USERS GUIDE Copyright (c) by SureSoft, 1987 well as the tab key. For forward tabs, you may use whichever key you prefer. TAB: The [TAB] key is defined somewhat differently on various keyboards. On the IBM PC, it is designated by an arrow pointing to the left on top of an arrow pointing to the right. Some keyboards use the word TAB on the key. On the standard IBM keyboard, it is located on the upper left of the keyboard, next to the letter "Q". Unlike a typewriter, the computer is able to tab in either direction. A normal forward tab is obtained by simply pressing the key. A backwards tab is obtained by first pressing the [SHIFT] key and holding it down while you press the [TAB] key. The [ENTER] key may be used as a forward tab key only while working on any of the forms. There is one other important difference between using the [TAB] key on a computer and on a typewriter. Tabbing on the computer is under control of the program and may tab to any point on the screen rather than simply across the line you are working on. This makes it much easier to work on 'groups' of information rather than jumping around in your thinking process simply because of the requirements of the form you are working on. BACKSPACE: The [BACKSPACE] key is the left pointing arrow usually located in the top row of the keyboard, immediately above the [ENTER] key. This key can be somewhat confusing because it is sometimes a destructive backspace (i.e., erasing as it moves) and is sometimes non-destructive. In general, when you are issuing DOS commands, the key is destructive and when you are entering data into your files, it will be don-destructive. Note that this is a general rule and you should always test new programs to determine how they work. FUNCTION KEYS: Depending upon which keyboard you have, there are either 10 or 12 function keys available. They may be arranged in two rows down the left side of the keyboard or they may be in a single row across the top. In either case, function keys 11 and 12 are never used in the Patient Management System. These keys have special meanings at various times in the programs. When they are active (available for your use) they will be defined at the bottom of your screen. For example, the new patient form has [F1] defined as "START OVER". If you press the [F1] key at any time while you are working on a new patient form, it is the equivalent of tearing a form out of a typewriter, throwing it away, and putting in a new, fresh form. If a function key is not defined on the bottom of the screen, it is not active at that time and pressing it will have no particular effect. - 10 - PATIENT MANAGEMENT SYSTEM - USERS GUIDE Copyright (c) by SureSoft, 1987 We need to stress that what a function key will do is what is defined at the bottom of the screen at a particular time, not what you may have used it for in another program only moments before. The only exception to this on-screen definition is the [Esc] key, or 'panic button' defined below. PANIC BUTTON: The [Esc] (ESCAPE) key moves around from keyboard to keyboard. It will have the letters Esc printed on it. On the standard IBM PC keyboard, it is located on the top left, next to the numeral '1'. On other keyboards, it tends to be somewhere in the upper right area of the keyboard. This is our 'panic button'. It is almost always active. It is usually displayed as active in the lower right corner of the screen. This key will generally return you to the main menu from wherever you are. Use caution, however, because if you are in the process of entering data for a new patient and press the [Esc] key, you will lose the information entered on the screen. Sometimes, the [Esc] key will simply return you up one level in menus. 4. TUTORIAL *-----------------------------------------* * THIS SECTION OMITTED IN EVALUATION COPY * *-----------------------------------------* - 11 - PATIENT MANAGEMENT SYSTEM - USERS GUIDE Copyright (c) by SureSoft, 1987 5. DATA BASE REFERENCE 5.1 Starting the Day's Work To begin the day's work, first turn the computer on by following the instructions in your computer manual and the manuals for whatever peripherals you may have connected to your computer. If you have an AUTOEXEC.BAT file, you may wish to have it automatically start the Patient Management System for you if that is your primary use of the computer. If your computer has a clock/calendar built in (or added), the date will be set correctly by the computer. If you do not have a clock/calendar card, be sure to answer the date prompt correctly (DO NOT simply press the [ENTER] key as is commonly done). The reason is that the computer uses the current date in quite a few functions and it gets the date by asking the computer what date it is. If the computer has the wrong date, some of your patient records could end up with some incorrect dates in them. If you do not start the computer via the AUTOEXEC.BAT file, use the 'CD' command to make certain that the computer is working in the correct directory and type the command: PMS [ENTER] These are the only special instructions that you need to remember. From this point on, all that you will be doing is under the control of the programs. After you type the PMS command, (or the computer does it for you in the AUTOEXEC.BAT file) the system banner will be displayed for a few seconds and then the Main Menu will be presented. The system banner screen contains the version number of the system. You should note this for your records and if you ever have need to contact us, we must know the version number you are using before we can provide any assistance of any kind. Also, a version of the system will only be supported for a reasonable length of time following the release of a new version. This will range from 90 days to 180 days, depending upon the changes involved in the new version. - 12 - PATIENT MANAGEMENT SYSTEM - USERS GUIDE Copyright (c) by SureSoft, 1987 5.2 The Main Menu The Main Menu presents a number of processing options. To make a selection, simply press the keys indicated on the screen next to your choice, followed by the [ENTER] key. For example, adding new patients to the data base is listed as option 1. The line on the menu reads: (1) ADD NEW RECORDS To select this option, press the '1' key and the [ENTER] key. The screen will clear, you will receive a message stating that the program is loading and, once the program is loaded, you will see the form for adding a new patient to the data base. The Main Menu screen is divided into four sections. Of these, the END OF JOB option is the way in which you exit the system. Normally, this would only be at the end of a day's work. However, if you need to exit the Patient Management System in order to use your word processor or to do other work on the computer, always exit via this option. This will ensure that all files are closed properly and that any other cleanup chores have been done properly. It's like cleaning off your desk at night and putting everything away where you will be sure to find it in the morning. 5.3 Adding a New Patient When you choose the option to add new patients to your file, you will be presented with a form for the information. When the form is first presented, it is just as if you had inserted a form into a typewriter and positioned the type ball to the first field to be typed. You will find the cursor waiting in that position for you. The only real difference between entering data here and doing it on a typewriter is that the fields will be addressed in a logical order; not necessarily straight across the page. The cursor will always be on the field you are working on. Most of the fields on the form are self explanatory but a few may need special instructions. Before that, however, here are a few general considerations concerning entering data. As you enter data into a field, you may occasionally make a mistake (if you're like most of us). When this happens, simply press the left arrow (backspace) [<-] key. The cursor will backspace over the invalid data and permit you to re- enter the character that you entered incorrectly. When you finish with a field, press the [TAB] key to signify that you are done and to have the computer tab to the next field. If you notice an error after you leave the field, you may back- - 13 - PATIENT MANAGEMENT SYSTEM - USERS GUIDE Copyright (c) by SureSoft, 1987 tab to the field in error and make any needed corrections. Then tab forward to continue with your entries. *-----------------------------------------* * THIS SECTION OMITTED IN EVALUATION COPY * *-----------------------------------------* 5.3.1 Special Fields Some fields have special requirements if you are to obtain maximum benefit from their use. These are described in the order in which they appear on the patient form. *-----------------------------------------* * THIS SECTION OMITTED IN EVALUATION COPY * *-----------------------------------------* 5.3.1.1 Zip Code *-----------------------------------------* * THIS SECTION OMITTED IN EVALUATION COPY * *-----------------------------------------* 5.3.1.2 Chart You may use any numbers for your charts from 000001 through 999998. Both 000000 and 999999are not available. Duplicate chart numbers are not permitted in the system. *-----------------------------------------* * THIS SECTION OMITTED IN EVALUATION COPY * *-----------------------------------------* 5.3.1.3 B/D (Birthday) *-----------------------------------------* * THIS SECTION OMITTED IN EVALUATION COPY * *-----------------------------------------* 5.3.1.4 SS # (Social Security Number) *-----------------------------------------* * THIS SECTION OMITTED IN EVALUATION COPY * *-----------------------------------------* - 14 - PATIENT MANAGEMENT SYSTEM - USERS GUIDE Copyright (c) by SureSoft, 1987 5.3.1.5 Telephone Numbers *-----------------------------------------* * THIS SECTION OMITTED IN EVALUATION COPY * *-----------------------------------------* 5.3.1.6 EMP (Employer) *-----------------------------------------* * THIS SECTION OMITTED IN EVALUATION COPY * *-----------------------------------------* 5.3.1.7 INS Code The insurance codes are the three digit numbers you have assigned to the companies on your list of carriers (Option 3 at the Main Menu). Company numbers are not validated as you enter them so that you will not be forced into sequential processing whenever you add new patients with insurance companies not yet on file. In practical terms, this just means that you should be a bit careful. 5.3.1.8 Insured Chart # - Relationship INSURED CHART # - RELATIONSHIP: This field allows you to tie one chart to another for insurance billing purposes. For example, a young girl who is covered under her father's insurance would have the father's chart number entered here and the word "DAUGHTER" in the RELATIONSHIP field. When this patient is called up for insurance billing, the father's insurance information is obtained from his chart and used on the insurance forms. 5.3.1.9 Bill To Chart # BILL TO CHART #: This chart number is used for patient billing purposes where billings are to be grouped, such as sending only one bill for an entire family. To carry the example of the young girl discussed above another step farther, if her bill is also to go to her father, his chart number would also be placed in this field. However, she could be covered under his insurance coverage as indicated above but included on her mother's billing statement. In that case, the mother's chart number would be included here. Finally, if her billing is to be kept separate from the rest of the family, simply ignore this field and she will receive a separate bill. Note that this field only has meaning if you have the Patient Billing option of the system installed. - 15 - PATIENT MANAGEMENT SYSTEM - USERS GUIDE Copyright (c) by SureSoft, 1987 5.3.1.10 Inactive *-----------------------------------------* * THIS SECTION OMITTED IN EVALUATION COPY * *-----------------------------------------* 5.4 Review/Change Patient Record When this program comes up, it will ask if you want to locate a record by name (last name and first initial) or chart number. Press either [1] or [2] in response to the question. If you choose [2], you will then be asked for the chart number. Enter the 6 digit chart number. The computer will then search for the number you have requested. If it is found on the file, the record will be presented to you on the screen. If that particular chart number is not located, you will receive an error message on screen and will be returned again to this question. If you choose to locate a patient by name, press the [1] key. You will then be asked to enter the last name and first initial of the record you wish to have displayed. Enter the last name and first initial as you expect to find them on the data base. The computer will then search for the name. For purposes of locating a record by name, uppercase letters are not significant. The computer will treat upper and lower case letters alike. If the name does not exist on the file, you will receive a "NAME NOT ON FILE" message and will be returned to the NAME/CHART question. If the name is found, the computer can't be sure that it has located the one that you want to see (how many people with the name Jones or Smith are on your file?) so it will display basic information in an abbreviated format and ask if that is the one you wanted to see. If it is, press the [Y] key and you will then be given the complete record. If the record displayed is not the correct one, press the [N] key and you will be offered the next name that matches your request. This will continue for as long as necessary or until you run out of names that match your selection criteria. If you accept a name and then decide that it is not the correct one once it is fully displayed on the screen, pressing the [F1] key will take you back to the NAME/CHART option where you may select another record. - 16 - PATIENT MANAGEMENT SYSTEM - USERS GUIDE Copyright (c) by SureSoft, 1987 5.4.1 Modifying the Record Once the record has been located and displayed, the [F2] key will permit you to go into the modification mode. When you choose this option, the cursor will move to the last name field. You may then use the [TAB] keys to move from one field to another. When you get to the field that you wish to change, you may either completely re-type the field or use the cursor movement keys on the numeric keypad to move within the field and change only partial data. When you finish correcting a field, press either the [ENTER] or [TAB] keys to move on to the next field. You may move around the fields in the form at your own convenience, making corrections/changes in whatever order best suits you. When you have completed all of your changes, simply press the [F6] key to register your changes on the data base. Most changes will be made instantly. If you changed the patient's last name, the change may take a few seconds while the computer deletes the record under the previous name and creates a new record with the new name. 5.5 Add/Change Insurance Company Selecting this option (Option 3 at the Main Menu) will give you a choice of adding a new insurance company to your files (A) or changing information on an existing company (C). If you are adding a new company to your files, the computer will automatically assign the next available company number. You are then presented with a company screen where you enter the company name, mailing address, city, state, and zip code. This is the information that will be printed on insurance forms when they are printed (see CREATE AN INSURANCE FORM). If you are changing information relating to an insurance company already on file, you must enter the company number. The information currently on file will be displayed on the screen and the program will go into correction mode. You may move backward and forward through the fields by using the [TAB] keys. Simply overtype the field or fields that you wish to change. When you complete your changes, pressing the [F6] key will record the changes in the insurance company file. After the new or changed insurance company information has been stored in the insurance company file, you will be returned to the add/change question. If you have completed your work with insurance companies, press the [Esc] key to return to the Main Menu. It is then advisable to select option '18' at the Main Menu so that you may obtain a new working list of companies. This only takes a couple of minutes and is well worth the time spent. You should always - 17 - PATIENT MANAGEMENT SYSTEM - USERS GUIDE Copyright (c) by SureSoft, 1987 have a current list available for use while you are entering new patients. 5.6 Create an Insurance Form Selecting Option 6 at the Main Menu will permit you to create the data for use on an Attending Dentist's Statement. The Patient Management System is designed to use the spacing provided on Moore Business Forms form number 4093. This is a continuous form set on three part non-carbon forms. The forms may be pre-printed with the dentist's name, address, etc. if you wish or you may have the computer print the information (see section 5.14.6 for more information). When you select this option, you are first asked to enter the chart number of the patient for whom you wish to prepare a statement. Only chart numbers are acceptable here. This is to minimize the potential for error on similar names. After you enter the chart number, the computer will do two things before presenting the information for you to work on. First, it will obtain the patient's record and set up as much information as it has available in memory for use on the chart. Then, if that chart is tied to another chart (via the INSURED CHART # field on the patient's record) the computer will obtain the insured's chart and fill in the insurance information from that record. Once the computer has filled in as much information as it has available (this only takes a second or two) it will present the top portion of the form to you. This portion of the form, like the others, is designed to mirror on the screen the relative location of the fields on the actual form. Therefore, if you are at all confused over the layout on the screen, simply compare it to a copy of the actual form. You should also be aware that the field sizes on the screen are the same size as those on the form. That is, you can only type as many characters onto a line on the screen as will fit on the form. Notice the function keys listed at the bottom of the screen. Throughout the creation of the Attending Dentist's Statement, the [F1] key is dedicated to starting over. The [F2] key indicates that it is for corrections although it will seldom be used since you may readily move the cursor back and forth throughout the fields with the [TAB] key. The [F4] key is used to move on to the next part of the form when you are satisfied with this part. The [Esc] key, as usual, will take you back to the main menu. Note that in many cases, all available patient information will have been filled out on this part of the form. You may only need to complete the first fields which are choosing - 18 - PATIENT MANAGEMENT SYSTEM - USERS GUIDE Copyright (c) by SureSoft, 1987 between estimated and actual. This is done by placing an 'X' on the appropriate line. This choice, however, will determine whether the statement is included on the followup listing prepared under option 12 at the Main Menu. It will also determine whether the information is transferred to patient billing records if you have the Patient Billing Option installed for automated patient billing. Both parts two and three of the form list the patient name and chart number at the top of the screen along with an indication of whether you are working on an estimate or an actual billing. This is to prevent confusion should you be called away momentarily to another task. Most of part 2 simply requires that you place an 'X' in appropriate yes or no columns in response to questions. Any dates which may show up as zeros on the screen will not print on the form unless you enter non-zero information into them. There are two ways to move on to part three of the form, the actual billing portion. Both the [F4] and [F5] keys will get you there, but with a difference. Use of the [F4] key will start part 3 using your standard billing amounts taken from your Procedure File. The [F5] key, however, will use the descriptions and codes from your Procedure File but will require you to enter fees for each procedure you list on the form. This is to provide for special billing situations. The other function keys work as described. When you pull up part three of the form, there is a prompt line at the bottom of the screen, immediately above the function key definitions. There is an arrow ( ==> ) pointing to the prompt line. The underscore characters indicate data to be entered by you. If a field is not needed, simply use the [TAB] key to move to the next field. For example, if you were billing for a full set of x-rays, the tooth and surface fields would be meaningless and you would [TAB] past them. The date is the date that the procedure was performed, and the PROC # field is for the procedure number. Once you have completed the information on a billing line, press the [ENTER] key and the computer will display the appropriate line or lines for printing in the blank space above. The computer obtains the description for the procedure and your fee from your Procedure File, based upon the procedure number you entered on the prompt line. The prompt line is then reset for the next entry. Notice that the 'TOTAL FEE' field is now filled in by the computer. This is a running total while you enter procedures and may be used as a check that you don't miss anything. If you fill all available lines on this screen, you will move automatically to part 3A which functions identically to part 3. Between the two screens, there are sufficient lines - 19 - PATIENT MANAGEMENT SYSTEM - USERS GUIDE Copyright (c) by SureSoft, 1987 available to fill one Attending Dentist's statement completely. If you started Part 3 with the [F5] key, there is also a fee field on the prompt line. After you enter the procedure number, the cursor will move on to the fee field. Enter the fee amount as dollars and cents, complete with the decimal point. Note that you do not need to press the [ENTER] key after entering the cents. The computer will still obtain the description of the procedure from the Procedure File but will use the fee you input instead of the one on the file. IMPORTANT: The [F2] key will let you go back to the previous parts of the form to make corrections. However, when you return to Part 3, you will have lost the data you input and you must re-enter the information. The [F5] function key will permit you to exit from either part 3 or part 3A to complete production of the form. You are then asked whether to Print Now (N) or Save (S) the form for later printing. If you choose to save the form for later printing in batch mode (see Option 12, PRINT INSURANCE FORMS at the Main Menu) simply press the [S] key. The computer will take a few seconds to store all of the information and will then return you to the chart selection screen to prepare for the next form. You may then either proceed to prepare another form or press the [Esc] key to return to the Main Menu. If you choose to print the form immediately and already have forms aligned in your printer, simply press the [N] (for NOW) key and the form will be printed. If it is an actual billing, the patient, insurance company, and total fee will be saved for printing on the billing list when that report is next printed following a batch print run. If you do not have forms ready in the printer, do not press the [N] key until you are ready to print. Align a form in the printer first and then press the [N] key. When the form has been printed, you will be asked whether you wish to re-print it. If it was badly aligned, press [Y] after aligning a new form in the printer. If you are satisfied, press [N] and you will be asked for the next chart number. 5.6.1 Interface to Patient Billing If you have the Patient Billing option installed (included automatically starting with version 3.0) and you are creating an actual billing, the information you have entered will be automatically transferred to the patient's statement without further effort on your part. It will show up on the patient's next statement. The information is placed in the transaction file as soon as the Attending Dentist's - 20 - PATIENT MANAGEMENT SYSTEM - USERS GUIDE Copyright (c) by SureSoft, 1987 Statement is printed and is available for posting to the patient's records. 5.7 Mass Update The Mass Update (Option 7 at the Main Menu) provides you with an easy way to make identical changes to the date fields. The idea is to select the field to be updated, provide the computer with the information to be posted (i.e, the new date), enter the chart numbers which are to be updated, and let the computer go about the work of updating the records. The fields which you can update in this manner are: 'LAST OH', 'NEXT OH', 'EXTRACTION', 'BRIDGE', 'PARTIAL', 'DENTURE', 'ENDO. TREATMENT', 'PERIO. TREATMENT', and 'RECALL LETTER'. The definitions of all but the first two may be changed at system setup time. Simply select the field you wish to update by number. You will then be asked for the date to be posted. Enter whatever date you desire to post to the records. After entering the date, you are then asked for the chart numbers to be updated. Once you complete entering the information, the computer will post the dates on the charts you have entered and print a posting report for your records. As you enter each chart number, the patient's name and address are read from the patient file and displayed on the screen. You must then accept of reject the entry you have just made by pressing the Y or N (for Yes or No) key. This is to reduce the potential for error in keying the chart number. When you enter information for the 'LAST OH' (Last Oral Hygiene), the NEXT OH field is also updated. Each patient record has a time interval field which you may complete on a patient by patient basis. If that information is present, the computer will use it to update the NEXT OH field. If it is not present, the computer will default the NEXT OH to 6 months and 1 day from the LAST OH date. This date may then be used to generate recall letters or post cards. 5.8 Add/Change Procedure File This processing is entered by selecting Option 8 at the Main Menu. When you first enter Procedure File processing, you are asked whether you want to add a new procedure or to change an existing procedure. The selection options are [A] and [C]. - 21 - PATIENT MANAGEMENT SYSTEM - USERS GUIDE Copyright (c) by SureSoft, 1987 To enter a new procedure to the file, you are required to enter the procedure number, one or two lines of description (these are used on the Attending Dentist's Statement and on patient bills) and your fee for this procedure. If you choose to change a procedure, you are asked for the number of the procedure you wish to change. Enter that number and press [ENTER]. The information currently on file is then presented on-screen and you are automatically placed in change mode. Move around the screen making whatever changes you wish and then press the [F6] key when you are finished to update the information on file. If you press the [Esc] key rather than the [F6] key, you are returned to the Main Menu without updating the information on file. When you first install your system, you receive a sample procedure file which you may load and then modify as you wish. 5.9 Mailing Labels Mailing labels are selected by choosing Option 11 at the Main Menu. You are then presented with a menu of options. These include BIRTHDAY, LAST OH, NEXT OH, EXTRACTION, BRIDGE, PARTIAL, DENTURE, ENDO. TREATMENT, PERIO. TREATMENT, RECALL LETTER, ZIP CODE, INSURANCE COMPANY, REFERRED BY, EMPLOYER, RECALL CODE. Labels are printed on standard, single column (known as "one-up") labels. Continuous form mailing labels for computer use are readily available from most computer stores as well as most stationery stores. The size required is 3 1/2 x 15/16". After choosing your selection criteria, you will be asked to enter the selection data. For dates, you are asked for a range of dates by entering a starting and an ending date. For example, if you wish to obtain labels for all persons with a birthday in July, you would select the birthday option and then enter the starting date as 0701 and the ending date as 0731. *-----------------------------------------* * THIS SECTION OMITTED IN EVALUATION COPY * *-----------------------------------------* - 22 - PATIENT MANAGEMENT SYSTEM - USERS GUIDE Copyright (c) by SureSoft, 1987 5.10 List Procedure File This option will prepare a listing of your Procedure file in procedure number order. This report is particularly useful for reviewing your fee schedule. You will also probably want to print a copy of the file provided with the system to review the procedures and explanations provided with the system in order to determine what procedures you might wish to add and those which you might wish to change. You will also need to enter your fee schedule initially. 5.11 Word Processing Extract This option will create a file of extracted information to be used in preparing form letters via the merge option of your favorite word processor. A few early options remain on the menu, but we suggest that you use the ASCII options as virtually all word processors will work with an ASCII delimited file. The information provided on the extract is: FIRST NAME, LAST NAME, ADDRESS, CITY, STATE, ZIP CODE, DATA, EXTRANEOUS. The DATA field is the information contained in the field you extracted on. *-----------------------------------------* * THIS SECTION OMITTED IN EVALUATION COPY * *-----------------------------------------* 5.11.1 Supported Word Processors Use the ASCII option only. All major word processors accept an ASCII delimited file as input to their merge function. *-----------------------------------------* * THIS SECTION OMITTED IN EVALUATION COPY * *-----------------------------------------* 5.11.2 Extract Options See the Mailing Labels option for a discussion of the menu. 5.11.3 The Extract File A file with the extract information is created and is named 'PASSFILE.DAT'. You use this file as input to your word processor to create personalized letters. In the ASCII file, there are eight fields, seven of them usable. The last field contains useless information for most word processors and - 23 - PATIENT MANAGEMENT SYSTEM - USERS GUIDE Copyright (c) by SureSoft, 1987 was set up to provide space for some specialized information. However, you will have to let your word processor know of its existence in most cases. Simply give it a name in your field definitions and then ignore it. 5.12 Select Records (reports) This option provides reports based upon the same selection criteria used in the word processing extract and in the mailing labels. After making your selection as defined in those sections, make certain that your printer is loaded with plain paper and is on-line. You will then be asked to choose between the Address and Telephone formats. The address format would be most useful if you were to personally address cards to patients while the telephone format would be most useful in providing telephone followup. Depending upon the number of records chosen, the computer may get well ahead of the printer if you are using a spooler program or a hardware buffer. In this case, you will return to the Main Menu and may continue other uses of the computer without waiting for the report to complete. If you wish to obtain another plain paper type of report, you may go ahead and make the selection. The computer can then work on creating that report while it finishes printing the current one. As soon as the current report completes printing, the computer will immediately begin printing the next report. If a paper change is required, however, you will have to wait until the computer finishes, change the paper, and then start the next report. NOTE: Any records flagged as inactive will be excluded from the reports. 5.13 Insurance company Master List The insurance company listing, Option 18 at the Main Menu will print a list of the insurance companies on your file by company number. You should always have a current copy of this list handy when you are entering data so that you can enter the correct company number on the patient record. You need only ready the printer, press [ENTER] and the computer will do the rest. Since this list is not usually very long, the job should complete very quickly. 5.14 Utilities A number of utilities have been included with the Patient Management System to help you maintain your system. These are programs not normally used in the day to day operation of your system - 24 - PATIENT MANAGEMENT SYSTEM - USERS GUIDE Copyright (c) by SureSoft, 1987 5.14.1 The Utility Menu The Utility Menu is entered by selecting the Utilities option at the Main Menu. You are then presented with the Utility sub-menu. When you return from any of the utility programs, you will return to this sub-menu. Note that selection of option 99 will return you to the Main Menu. 5.14.2 Deleting Records Since a disgruntled staff member could do a considerable amount of damage by deleting patient records from your files, the deletion program is password protected. This means that every time you enter the deletion program in order to delete a patient record, you must give the master password. You are asked to enter it on a password screen. As you type in the letters, you will not be able to see what you have typed. This is done to make it harder for a nearby observer to discover what the password is by watching the screen. When you receive your system, the master password is 'PASSWORD', exactly as typed (without the quotes). You must enter it in all capital letters. All passwords are case sensitive and are matched exactly with the way they have been defined to the system. If you have changed the password via the 'UPDATE STATIC INFORMATION' option, you must enter it here exactly as you changed it. If you enter an incorrect password, you are returned immediately to the Utility Menu. If the password is correct, you are asked for the chart number of the patient record which is to be deleted. You will then be shown the abbreviated form of the patient data and asked to verify that it is the correct entry. After each delete, you are again asked to enter the password. While this may seem to be a nuisance at times, it is to protect against the time when you may be engaged in deleting records and are called away. If you were to forget to exit the deletion routines, your system would then be exposed to possible malicious damage. Since deletions should be relatively infrequent, this should only be a slight inconvenience. - 25 - PATIENT MANAGEMENT SYSTEM - USERS GUIDE Copyright (c) by SureSoft, 1987 5.14.3 Rebuilding Patient Files *-----------------------------------------* * THIS SECTION OMITTED IN EVALUATION COPY * *-----------------------------------------* 5.14.4 Display File Statistics *-----------------------------------------* * THIS SECTION OMITTED IN EVALUATION COPY * *-----------------------------------------* 5.14.5 List Inactive Patients This is a report designed to help you keep track of your inactive patients. You are provided with two options; you may print all of the inactive patients on the file or those with a certain code. To print all patients, simply press [ENTER] when asked to provide the code to be listed; otherwise, enter the appropriate code. This code is case sensitive. If you have some patients that are not appearing where you think they should, consider running a full list and verifying the INACTIVE code. In many cases, you are likely to find that the code is in lower case when you requested upper case, etc. 5.14.6 Update Static Information The static information section is primarily used for the management of passwords. *-----------------------------------------* * THIS SECTION OMITTED IN EVALUATION COPY * *-----------------------------------------* 5.15 End Of Job You use the END OF JOB option whenever you must exit from the system, whether it is actually at the end of the day or if you are going to stop the system in order to use the computer for other purposes. For example, you may be going to run form letters using your word processing program and a file that you have created. You would exit the system using this option and go about your word processing tasks. - 26 - PATIENT MANAGEMENT SYSTEM - USERS GUIDE Copyright (c) by SureSoft, 1987 If you need to re-enter the Patient Management System after you finish with your other chores and you are still in the correct sub-directory or have returned to it, enter the command: PMS [ENTER] The system will re-initialize and the Main Menu will be presented. 5.16 Abnormal Power Down Abnormal power downs may be harmful to your computer and/or to your data. Generally, these occur during storms or other situations likely to be preceded by a voltage spike. All electronic equipment is sensitive to these spikes; computers more than most. *-----------------------------------------* * THIS SECTION OMITTED IN EVALUATION COPY * *-----------------------------------------* The Patient Management System is reasonably protected against these kinds of situations. It accomplishes this by closing files as soon as possible. If all files are closed, your data will not be damaged, provided that physical damage does not occur to the hard disk itself. Following a power failure, try to re-start the system in the normal manner. Then call up the information you were just working with. If it comes up on the screen, look at a few other recent entries. If these all appear to be okay, you have probably not suffered any data damage. If the computer appears to be operating properly but you are unable to use your files properly, it will be necessary to go to your last backup of the system and to restore your files at that point. Work entered since then will likely have to be repeated. 5.17 Data Base Index *-----------------------------------------* * THIS SECTION OMITTED IN EVALUATION COPY * *-----------------------------------------* - 27 - PATIENT MANAGEMENT SYSTEM - USERS GUIDE Copyright (c) by SureSoft, 1987 6. Patient Billing / Accounts Receivable This section describes the use of the Patient Billing (Accounts Receivable) module of the Patient Management System. To use this module, you must have the data base module installed and operating. The Accounts Receivable module is tightly coupled with the Patient Management System and will NOT operate as a stand-alone accounts receivable system. The terms Accounts Receivable and Patient Billing refer to the same process and are used interchangeably in this documentation. 6.1 Introduction to Billing To use this module effectively, you will need a supply of statement forms which the computer may use to automatically produce your monthly statements. The form we programmed for around is form number 9060 from Nebs Computer Forms. This form is compatible with much Apple software, the Small Business Systems Group software for several computers, and the Star Software Systems for CP/M and MP/M based systems. This form was chosen for two reasons. First, it should be readily available from most publishers of continuous forms because it is used by so many popular general purpose accounting systems and secondly, it is one of the few forms which utilize a "tear off" portion to be returned with the remittance. The tear off and return portion makes posting of payments much easier since the chart number, required for posting, is on that part of the form. This eliminates the time consuming operation of looking up patient information when remittances are received. Most publishers of continuous forms can supply single or dual window envelopes for ease of mailing plus return envelopes to help in your collection efforts. This makes the monthly billing chore as simple as having the computer print the statements, removing the printed statements from the printer, stripping the perforated edges, stuffing the envelopes, applying postage, and mailing. We suggest that you consider obtaining your statement forms in 2 part carbonless forms. After printing, you simply separate the two copies and keep the duplicate intact for your permanent records. - 28 - PATIENT MANAGEMENT SYSTEM - USERS GUIDE Copyright (c) by SureSoft, 1987 6.2 Accounts Receivable Menu The Accounts Receivable sub-system is entered via Option 21 at the Patient Management System Main Menu. You are first presented with a screen identified as the 'ACCOUNTS RECEIVABLE ACCESS SCREEN' where you are asked to 'ENTER PASSWORD' and you are presented with a series of asterisks. You must enter the correct password to gain access to the accounts receivable sub-system. As you type the password, the cursor will move across the asterisks but the letters you type will not be displayed for security reasons. The password, when your system was originally shipped was 'PASSWORD' (no quotes, and all capital letters). This must be entered exactly as given. If you enter the password correctly, you will be presented with the Accounts Receivable Menu which looks and functions very much like the Main Menu. As you move in and out of the accounts receivable modules, you will return to this menu. If you do not enter the password correctly, the screen will turn red on a color monitor, the message INVALID PASSWORD ACCESS DENIED will be printed on the screen and you will be unceremoniously exited from the Patient Management System. If this happens, you must restart your system with the PMS command. 6.3 Enter Charges This program is used to enter charges directly to a patient's statement. It is used when an Attending Dentist's Statement has not been prepared. If an Attending Dentist's Statement has been prepared, it is not necessary to use this function as the charges entered on that form will automatically be transferred to the patient's billing statement. There are only four fields required for entering a charge and two of these will carry the date forward from one screen to the next. The four fields and their purpose are described below. PATIENT CHART NUMBER: Enter the patient's chart number here, not the billing chart number. This is important as the billing statement will reflect the patient's name. If the billing chart number is different, as in the case where a single statement is sent for all members of a family, the computer will handle the consolidation automatically. As you enter each chart number, the patient's name and address are read from the patient file and displayed on the screen. You must then accept of reject the entry you have - 29 - PATIENT MANAGEMENT SYSTEM - USERS GUIDE Copyright (c) by SureSoft, 1987 just made by pressing the Y or N (for Yes or No) key. This is to reduce the potential for error in keying the chart number. Since there will often be more than one billing item per patient, after you complete the entry, the patient's chart number will still be in this field. To enter another charge for the same patient, simply press the [ENTER] key to tab to the next field. If the next charge is for a different patient, just type the new chart number over top of the number on the screen. DATE: Whenever you first enter the charge screen, the current date is obtained from the system and is placed into this field for your convenience. If you are entering charges for the current date, you may simply tab past this field. However, as this is the date that will be reflected on the patient's statement, you should over type it if the charge date is different. Once you change the date, the new date will remain in the field until you again change it. PROCEDURE NUMBER: All billings are based upon the entries in your procedure file. You just enter the procedure number and the description in the procedure file will be used on the patient's billing statement giving complete, descriptive billing without all the typing! AMOUNT: You have two options in the amount field. To use the standard amount as reflected on your procedure file, just press the [ENTER] key. You will see the computer fill in a zero amount for a moment. This zero amount is an indication to the computer that you wish to use the standard amount and the computer will obtain that amount from the procedure file. If, however, you wish to bill a different amount than what is on your file, enter the amount you wish to bill in this field. The amount you enter will be used rather than the amount on file. NOTE: You may need to pay particular attention to the amount field whenever you have made recent changes to a fee on the procedure file. For example, if you have already changed the fee for an extraction and you are still entering charges from a date prior to the change, you will need to enter the correct fee here. Accepting the default will cause the new fee to be used. When you have completed your entries, use the [Esc] key to exit this option. You will then be returned to the Accounts Receivable Menu. - 30 - PATIENT MANAGEMENT SYSTEM - USERS GUIDE Copyright (c) by SureSoft, 1987 6.4 Enter Payments This is Option 12 at the Accounts Receivable Menu screen and is used for entering payments only. If you are adjusting an account balance, use option 13; do not use the payment entry. PATIENT CHART NUMBER: You may enter either the billing chart number or the patient chart number (if different) and the payment will get to the appropriate account based upon the BILL TO information on the patient chart. In most cases, you will have the billing chart number which will be printed on the return portion of the patient's statement. As you enter each chart number, the patient's name and address are read from the patient file and displayed on the screen. You must then accept of reject the entry you have just made by pressing the Y or N (for Yes or No) key. This is to reduce the potential for error in keying the chart number. DATE: This date field will be initialized and handled identical to the date field in the charges input screen. PAID BY: There are two 'paid by' options; 'Patient' and 'Insurance Company'. Simply enter anything in the appropriate field (we use an X, but you can use whatever you wish). The importance of this field shows up on the patient's statement. Entries indicated as having been paid by the patient will state 'PAYMENT - THANK YOU' on the patient's next statement whereas entries indicated as having been made by the insurance company will reflect 'PAID BY INSURANCE COMPANY'. This will help give the patient a proper record of just who paid what. AMOUNT: Enter the amount of the payment. CHECK NUMBER: This information is not carried over to the statement so you may ignore it if you choose. However, it is printed on the posting report and can at times be of value in tracing activity on an account. Whether or not you use the field is a decision for your office to make. NOTE ON APPLYING PAYMENTS: For aging purposes, all payments are applied to the oldest balance first. - 31 - PATIENT MANAGEMENT SYSTEM - USERS GUIDE Copyright (c) by SureSoft, 1987 6.5 Enter Adjustments The adjustment screen is used to make adjustments to a patient's account, either positive or negative (see AMOUNT, below). This screen should be used to correct an error on an account or to make any other required adjustment so that the adjustment is properly reflected as an adjustment on the patient's next statement. PATIENT CHART NUMBER: Like the charges screen, the patient's chart number should be entered, not necessarily the billing chart number. The computer will see that the entry is posted to the proper billing chart, if it is different. As you enter each chart number, the patient's name and address are read from the patient file and displayed on the screen. You must then accept of reject the entry you have just made by pressing the Y or N (for Yes or No) key. This is to reduce the potential for error in keying the chart number. DATE: Handled the same as the charges and payments. AMOUNT: To add to (increase) a patient's balance, enter the amount of the adjustment here. If you are lowering the balance, enter the adjustment amount and then press the [-] (minus) key BEFORE you press the [ENTER] key. In either case, the amount will be reflected on the patient's next statement with the notation 'ADJUSTMENT'. 6.6 Look Up An Account Balance The purpose of this option is to do a quick lookup on an account. It is important to remember, however, that only POSTED amounts will be reflected in the balance shown. Any unposted amounts will not show up. So if you have unposted transactions for the patient you are looking up, you must add these amounts to the balance displayed here in order to arrive at the correct present balance for the account. This lookup function operates much like the REVIEW/CHANGE PATIENT RECORD in the main data base in that you may look up a balance either by chart number or by name. For more information on finding the appropriate record, please see that section of your data base manual. Once you have obtained the appropriate patient record the balance lookup begins. The screen you are presented with will show the patient chart number you requested, the billing chart number (which may be the same or different) and the billing name (again, may be the same or different). - 32 - PATIENT MANAGEMENT SYSTEM - USERS GUIDE Copyright (c) by SureSoft, 1987 The billing name and chart number are presented as an indication to you that the balance you are shown may contain charges for other, related patients. Remember, while you enter charges and payments by patient, the computer maintains its records by billing chart. 6.7 Initialize Prior Accounts When you first transfer your patient records to the computer, you need a method of setting up existing balances before you can take full advantage of the billing system. There are four fields on the screen for each of your current billing records. PATIENT CHART NUMBER: Enter the patient chart number here. If the patient record indicates that billings are to be consolidated on another statement, the computer will make that consolidation automatically. Note that even if you currently have separate statements but wish to consolidate them on your automated system, there is no need for you to pre-consolidate the accounts. As long as you have the 'BILL TO' fields completed on the patient records, the computer will make the consolidation automatically. Also, to help you understand just what will be done, the 'BILL TO' information is displayed along with the patient information while you are entering data. 30 - 60 DAYS: Enter in this field amounts which are for the PREVIOUS month only. For example, if you were converting in the month of May, this field would contain unpaid amounts which were billed in April. 60 - 90 DAYS: Enter amounts which were billed two months ago and remain unpaid. In the example given above of converting in May, this field would contain amounts which were billed in March. 90 DAYS: Enter the amount in this field which remain unpaid from three months or longer (February and older in our example). Do not enter current months charges in any of these fields. All current months charges should be entered directly either through an insurance billing or via option 12 at the Accounts Receivable Menu so that proper descriptive billing can take place. Note that the [F1] key is indicated as 'cancel' at the bottom of this screen. If you discover that you have made a number of errors on the entry and need to start over, use this function key to exit the current entry without saving your work and without returning all the way to the menu. - 33 - PATIENT MANAGEMENT SYSTEM - USERS GUIDE Copyright (c) by SureSoft, 1987 NOTE: Do NOT set up accounts which do not have outstanding balances. It is not necessary and just wastes computer storage space. Whenever you make an entry to an account which has not been set up in advance, the account is automatically opened on the Accounts Receivable masterfile when you post the entry. The account is also automatically removed at the end on the month when the balance is zero to help conserve space. 6.8 Posting Whenever you enter charges, payments, or adjustments to a patient's account, the line items are placed in a transaction file where they are held by the computer. The transactions are NOT posted to the account file immediately because of the time required to look up all of the appropriate information. While this may only take a second or two, even this amount of time can be distracting to the operator faced with entering a large quantity of data. Consequently, we have chosen to make the data entry operation as fast as possible and let the computer do all of its lookups at one time while your office staff is doing something else. This suggests that you should probably run a daily posting cycle to update all charges and payments. If run daily, this should only take a minute or two. We recommend that you either post at the end of your day or at the beginning. However, you may post at a time that best fits your schedule. To post, first make certain that the printer is loaded with plain paper and is on-line so that the posting report can be produced as the computer posts. Then, simply select this option and let the computer do the job. All of the transactions are first sorted. This is primarily for reporting purposes so that all of a patient's entries will be together to aid in your review of the posting report. While the sort is taking place, the computer screen displays a 'SORTING' notation. When the sort has completed, a 'POSTING' notation is placed on the screen and a 'DO NOT DISTURB' sign is "hung up". As an extra precaution against anyone interrupting the posting process, the screen is turned red on a color monitor. As each transaction is processed, the transaction is listed on the ACCOUNTS RECEIVABLE POSTING REPORT. This report is in billing chart order and also lists the patient chart for reference. The type of transaction is indicated by CHG for charge, PMT for a payment, and ADJ for an adjustment amount. The customer's check number is listed next for payments and - 34 - PATIENT MANAGEMENT SYSTEM - USERS GUIDE Copyright (c) by SureSoft, 1987 the procedure number is listed for charges. The procedure (or payment) date is listed next, followed by the billed amount (payment amount for payments). Finally, if the item was obtained from an insurance company billing, it is so indicated on the report. 6.9 Close Period This option is selected at the completion of the billing cycle. Its purpose is to close out the period and get ready for the next cycle. You select this option AFTER you have completed all work, reports, statements, etc. for a billing cycle and before you begin the next cycle. *-----------------------------------------* * THIS SECTION OMITTED IN EVALUATION COPY * *-----------------------------------------* 6.10 Aging Report The aging report is selected after all transactions have been posted for the billing cycle and before the period is closed. It is at this time that the information is most accurate for aging purposes. That is, data in the OVER 30 DAYS category is between one and two months old, etc. When the period is closed, the information is shifted one period and will then most appropriately represent what the status will become at the end of the cycle if the amounts are not paid during that cycle. This is still useful information and you may choose to run the report periodically during the cycle to see how your collections are coming along. *-----------------------------------------* * THIS SECTION OMITTED IN EVALUATION COPY * *-----------------------------------------* 6.11 Print Statements The statement print option will prepare your monthly statements using the information accumulated during the month. Make certain that your posting is up to date and then select the statement option. You will first be given an opportunity to align your forms in the printer to prepare for the run. You should always print at least one form in alignment mode to make sure that you are satisfied with the way the statements will be printed. If everything prints in the proper location, you may proceed on to the printing of the actual statements. If - 35 - PATIENT MANAGEMENT SYSTEM - USERS GUIDE Copyright (c) by SureSoft, 1987 the forms are mis-aligned, correct them and print another alignment copy. Once statement printing begins, it will continue until all of the statements have been printed without any further intervention. However, no matter how careful the planning, things sometimes go wrong. If you experience any difficulties during your statement print run, please refer to the Statement Reprint function. 6.12 Statement Reprint No matter how careful the planning, things sometimes go wrong. And this is never more true than during a long computer run. You may run out of forms and while you load new ones, a couple of statements are printed out of alignment. Or perhaps your ribbon breaks and several statements are printed before you recognize the problem. The statement reprint function was designed to help you resolve these kinds of problems. The screen presents you with the option of reprinting any group of statements by entering the beginning and ending billing chart number to be reprinted. If you do not enter a beginning number, statements will be reprinted from the beginning of the file. If you do not enter an ending chart number, statements will be reprinted to the end of the file. Therefore, simply pressing [ENTER] for both numbers will cause the entire file to be reprinted. 6.13 Return to Main Menu This function will return you to the main system menu. Once you return to the Main Menu, you will be required to re- enter the password to again access the Accounts Receivable functions. If you have instituted password protection for your system (i.e., if you have installed passwords beyond the 'PASSWORD' that was shipped with your system( you should be very careful to exit the Accounts Receivable menu when you are away from the computer for some time. *-----------------------------------------* * THIS SECTION OMITTED IN EVALUATION COPY * *-----------------------------------------* 6.14 Accounts Receivable Index *-----------------------------------------* * THIS SECTION OMITTED IN EVALUATION COPY * *-----------------------------------------* - 36 - PATIENT MANAGEMENT SYSTEM - USERS GUIDE Copyright (c) by SureSoft, 1987 PLEASE NOTE: We do not know from where you obtained your copy of the system, upon what equipment you intend to install it, or how you intend to use it. You may even intend to use it for purposes other than that for which it was originally intended. Because we have no salesmen to verify your intended use or other control over your use and because you have the opportunity to freely evaluate the system before becoming a registered user, we must issue the following disclaimer... DISCLAIMER You assume full responsibility for the selection of this system of programs and for the installation, use, and results from this program. SureSoft makes no representation of fitness or warranties with respect to the programs or their contents and disclaims any implied warranties of merchantability or fitness for any particular purpose. The entire risk as to the quality and performance of the program is with you. In no event shall SureSoft or the Author be liable to you for any damages, including any lost profits, lost savings, lost opportunity costs or other incidental or consequential damages arising out of your use or inability to use this system of programs, even if the Author has been advised of such damages, or for any claim by any other party. - 37 - PATIENT MANAGEMENT SYSTEM - USERS GUIDE Copyright (c) by SureSoft, 1987 ORDER FORM ---------------------------------------------------------- J. D. Tucker SureSoft P.O. Box 2082 Van Nuys, CA 91404 Please register my use of the SureSoft Patient Management System, version 3.0, send me the printed set of documentation, and notify me of the next upgrade. I understand that I am entitled to free upgrades for a period of one year with my registration. After my free year of support, you will notify me of pending upgrades and their cost. I may then choose to obtain the upgrade to keep my system current or I may decide to continue using the version of the system which I am then using. Also, if these is a more recent version of the system than the one I am registering, send me the diskettes for that version. I understand that I am entitled to the most recent version but, as I new registered user, I will not receive any automatic upgrade programs to convert from version 3.0 to the current version. PMS v. 3.0 Registration. . . . . . . . . . . . $125.00 (includes printed manual) $ 6.5% California state sales tax . . . . . . . ------- $ TOTAL . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ------- ****** Make Checks payable to J. D. Tucker Please indicate: 5 1/4" diskettes: ______ 3 1/2" diskettes: _____ Name --------------------------------------------- Address ------------------------------------------ Address ------------------------------------------ City State Zip ------------------------- ------ ------ Daytime phone number (____) ____ - ________ (in case there is a problem with your order) - 38 -