Version 15.4

See Versions.

Version 15.4 was released on 2/24/2015.

Major Changes

Automated appointment reminders:

• Send automated reminders for scheduled appointments using e-mail or integrated texting. Automated Appointment Reminders
• Send automated Web Sched e-mails based on recall due dates. Web Sched Recall

Clinics:

• Override clearinghouse settings on a clinic-level. Clinic Clearinghouse Setup
• Use different X-Charge or PayConnect merchant accounts for different clinics. X-Charge Clinic Setup, PayConnect Clinic Setup

eServices: New eConnector service enhances and simplifies communication between Open Dental secure servers and your office server. eConnector

Insurance: Many enhancements including automatic ERA download.

Patient Information: Set certain fields as required on the Edit Patient Information and Add Family windows. Required Fields

Patient Portal: New Images category allows patient to view documents stored in designated Images folder(s). Patient Portal: What the Patient Sees

Treatment Plans:

• Design custom printed treatment plans using Sheets. Customize Treatment Plans Using Sheets
• Create multiple treatment plans (active and inactive). Treatment Plans
• Treatment plan from the Chart module. Treatment Planning from the Chart Module

Changes by Category

Account module

• Quickly add procedures to a patient's account (e.g. for products sold to patients like toothpaste). Quick Procs
• Option to store credit card tokens when using PayConnect. PayConnect
• Run recurring charges using PayConnect. Recurring Charges
• For X-Charge transactions, prompt patients for an electronic signature when using a credit card terminal that has signature capabilities. X-Charge
• Print receipts for X-Charge or PayConnect transactions via the Payment window. Payment Window
• New preferences for finance charge minimums. Finance/Billing Charges
• New Definitions category determines Quick Proc items and associated procedure codes. Definitions
• New display field to show procedure code abbreviation in the Account module. Display Fields
• New display field to indicate that procedures have been digitally signed. Display Fields
• Statements that use sheets optimized to print faster. Customize Statements Using Sheets

Appointments

• Send automated reminders for scheduled appointments using e-mail or integrated texting.Automated Appointment Reminders
• Send automated Web Sched e-mails based on recall due dates. Web Sched Setup
• Preference to set Appointment module default view to weekly. Appointments Module Preferences
• Customize what columns show in the Family module, Recall grid. New options for Previous Date and Interval. Display Fields
• Hide or show completed planned appointments. Planned Appointments, Patient Appointments
• Appointments sent to the pinboard from the Planned Appointment Tracker are removed from the tracker. Planned Appointment Tracker
• When adding a blockout, start and stop time defaults to time selected on the Appointments schedule. Blockouts
• The fee for broken appointments defaults to the fee for procedure code D9986. Breaking Appointments
• Customize the color used for broken appointment procedures in Definitions, Account Colors. Definitions
• Confirming appointments via postcards or text messages creates an automatic note in the CommLog.
• New static fields available when designing a Routing Slip using Sheets. Sheets: Routing Slips Setup

Canada

• Generate Canadian autocodes through Procedure Code Tools. Canada Procedure Code Tools
• Enter time units (scaling units) for procedure codes. Canadian Procedure Code Time Units
• Track remaining insurance benefits for unit-based procedure codes. Canadian Procedure Code Time Units

Central Enterprise Management Tool

• Filter connections by provider and clinic in the main window. Central Enterprise Management Tool (CEMT)
• Show the database connection status and version in contrast to CEMT database version. Central Enterprise Management Tool (CEMT)
• Daily and Monthly Production and Income reports. CEMT: Production and Income Report

Chart module

• Preference to use provider colors for procedures in the Chart module progress notes. Chart Module Preferences
• Chart module shows indicator for signed consent forms. Chart Module
• Ortho chart columns (Display Fields) can be set to allow selection from a picklist. Ortho Chart
• View full path of a task in the Chart module progress notes. Chart Module
• Changes to when electronic prescriptions are automatically copied to the Chart module. New option to manually copy. NewCrop eRx Troubleshooting

Clinics

• Override clearinghouse settings on a clinic-level. Clearinghouse Clinic Setup
• Use different X-Charge merchant accounts for different clinics. X-Charge Clinic Setup
• Use different PayConnect merchant accounts for different clinics. PayConnect Clinic Setup
• Enter clinic-specific login credentials and clinic-specific addresses for DentalXChange e-bills. Billing Defaults
• When using Web Sched, clinic address shows in the banner instead of practice address. Web Sched
• When setting up operatories, filter operatories by clinic. Picker button added for clinics and providers. Operatory Setup
• Filter the following reports by clinic: Routing Slips, Outstanding Insurance Claims, Claims Not Sent, Procedures Not Billed to Insurance, Insurance Overpaid.

CPOE Radiology Orders for EHR. Enter and Approve CPOE Radiology Orders

• ADA procedure codes for x-rays are considered 'radiology' for EHR purposes.
• X-ray procedures added for a patient are automatically counted in the denominator for the CPOERadiologyOrders measure calculation.
• X-ray procedures approved by the EHR provider count in the numerator for the CPOERadiologyOrders measure calculation.
• New menu item indicates to EHR providers that approval is needed for radiology procedures.
• Providers can easily view pending radiology procedures and approve them using the Radiology appointment list (marks them as CPOE).

E-mail

• Incoming e-mails attach to patients based on matching e-mail address. E-mail Inbox
• Add CC and BCC recipients. Send E-mail
• Create e-mail autographs (e.g. sender name and signature) for sent messages. Send E-mail
• Use variable fields in the subject or body of e-mail templates (e.g FName, LName, PatNum, ApptDate). E-mail Templates
• Description of e-mail template can differ from the default e-mail subject. E-mail Templates

eServices

• New eConnector service enhances and simplifies communication between Open Dental secure servers and your office server. Replaces the Listener Service. eConnector Setup
• An open port is no longer required.
• Install eConnector service from the eServices Setup window. eConnector Setup
• Patient Portal has a new Images category that displays documents stored in folders designated as 'Show in Patient Portal'. Patient Portal

Insurance and Claims
Edit Claim window.

• New Attachments tab groups claim attachment information. Edit Claim - Attachments
• New Status History tab to record and track custom claim data. Edit Claim - Status History
• Add a note when custom tracking status changes. Edit Claim - Status History
• Share of Cost column added to Misc tab. Edit Claim - Misc

Send Claims window. Send Claims Window

• Send Claims window is non-modal. Open other windows while sending or validating e-claims.
• Page through claim history by week.
• Validate Claims button checks claims for missing information prior to sending.
• Warnings are generated when user attempts to send a deleted or already sent claim.
• Type dropdown on Send Claims window allows extended selections.

ERAs. Electronic EOBs (ERA 835)

• View ERA button added to the Edit Claim window. Edit Claim Window
• Set ERAs to automatically download to the correct report path (if clearinghouse provides the reports). Clearinghouse Setup
• If a matching claim is not automatically found for the ERA, manually attach a matching claim.
• Carrier names show in the Send Claims, History grid.
• Patient names show in the Send Claims, History grid.
• Electronic Remittance Advice - ERA window is non-modal. It can remain open while visiting other areas of the program.
• Verify and Enter Payment window interface changes

Other

• Change Healthcare/Emdeon real-time benefits eligibility. Change Healthcare E-Claims
• Document the claim payment status (Payment Tracking) for individual claim procedures. Claim Procedures
• When entering batch insurance payments, option to filter outstanding claims by patient last name and first name. Batch Insurance Payments
• IsScanned column added to Batch Insurance Payments window. Batch Insurance Payments
• New Definitions category for claim payment tracking. Definitions

Patient Information

• Set certain fields as required on the Edit Patient Information and Add Family windows. Required Fields
• Set specific conditions for required fields. Required Fields
• Medicaid State field added to Edit Patient Information window. Edit Patient Information
• Referred From field added to Edit Patient Information and Add Family windows. Referral Lists
• Validate the number of digits in a Medicaid ID by state. Required Fields
• Preference to set the default primary provider as "Select Provider" instead of defaulting to the default practice provider. Family Module Preferences
• "Email" label changed to "Email Addresses" on Edit Patient Information window. Edit Patient Information
• Illogical combinations for race/ethnicity are not allowed. Edit Patient Information
• Double click a name in the Family Members list to open the Edit Patient Information window. Family Module
• New display field to indicate the number of broken appointments in the Chart module Patient Info area. Display Fields

Program Bridges

• Build your own output file (e.g. .txt or .ini) for custom program bridges. Custom Bridges
• Add an image to program link toolbar button. Set Up a Program Link/Bridge
• Scanora bridge. Bridge - Scanora

Security: Permissions

• Backup permission shows in audit trail.
• Complete Appointment Edit permission allows editing of completed appointments. Permissions
• UserLogOnOff permission tracks when a user clocks in and out of the timeclock.
• New permissions for Medication Merge, Provider Merge, and Referral Merge and RequiredFields.
• Insurance Payment Create or Insurance Payment Edit permission is required to access batch insurance payments (Batch Ins button in Manage module) and Send Claims window.

Tools

• Globally move subscribers of one insurance plan to another. Move Subscribers
• Merge patient referrals. Merge Referrals
• Merge providers. Merge Providers
• Merge medications. Merge Medications

Treatment Plan

• Design custom treatment plans using Sheets. Customize Treatment Plans Using Sheets
• Create multiple treatment plans (active/inactive). Treatment Plans
• Show a Treatment Plan view in the Chart module. Chart Module - Show Tab
• Chart procedures to multiple treatment plans in the Chart module. Treatment Planning from the Chart Module
• Preference to automatically save signed treatment plans as a PDF. Treatment Plan Module Preferences
• A signature must be cleared before a signed treatment plan's description, responsible party, or procedure priorities can be edited. Edit Treatment Plans
• Show procedure code abbreviation in the Treatment Plan module. Display Fields

Other

• Search all tasks using various parameters. Searching for Tasks
• Preference to search for patients by preferred name instead of first name. Miscellaneous Setup
• Preference to store language and region for the practice. Miscellaneous Setup
• Preference to turn on composition typing for those using IME keyboards. Miscellaneous Setup
• Preference to turn on/off automated summary of care WebMails. EHR Settings
• New list contains two-character state abbreviations that are used to validate state IDs when state information is required. State Abbreviations
• Progress indicator shows when updating, backing up databases, running check table commands, and optimizing/repairing from Database Maintenance.
• Increased text area for queries. Run a Query
• Option to disable monthly backup reminder. Security
• New command line argument (Show="SearchPatient") opens the Select Patient window. Command-line Arguments
• Refresh while typing checkbox on the Select Patient window is now a computer specific setting. Selecting Patients
• Preference to set the default setting for the refresh while typing checkbox on new workstations. Miscellaneous Setup
• Copy dental school course requirements from one semester to another. Student Requirements
• Message element sound recorder enhanced.Messaging Element Setup
• Custom ID field added to Provider Setup window for informational purposes. Providers
• Primary keys show on the Edit Clinic, Edit Provider, Edit Carrier, Edit Insurance Plan windows. Clinic Setup, Providers, Carriers, Edit Insurance Plan
• Preference to show seconds on time cards. Time Card Setup
• Enhanced interface for xml import/export of sheets. Sheet Tools: Import/Export
• New eRx users connect to the LexiComp account instead of First Data Bank. NewCrop eRx Troubleshooting
• For e-bills using DentalXChange, select different practice and remit to addresses. Billing Defaults
• ODA 2016 Fee Guide. Canada Fee Schedules
• Enhancements to public health screenings. Public Health Screenings