Left Hand Column.
Insert the patient’s personal details in the boxes in the left hand column.
Names and Addresses are automatically made into uppercase so only lower care letters are required while inputting information.
If you sign up for postcode finder you can find an address from the postcode (by clicking Find next to the postcode) or by inserting the first line of the address and city (by clicking on the find button next to the 4th address line where you insert the city).
The last exam date can be filled in by either clicking on “Copy” if a there is the previous exam date in the Exam date box, or click on “1st” if it is their first exam, or by choosing the number of years since their last examination from the dropdown list.
The “Dates” button next to the patient’s ID will show a list of any appointments that the patient has.
(Opticabase Clinical): If you cannot get in to the exam screen as it says that it is open on another PC – If you are sure that it is not open on another PC – you can double click on the ID label to the left of the patient’s ID number and it will unlock the exam screen.
Middle Column.
The Dispensing notes and Contact Lens notes boxes are automatically filled in from the Rx and CL pages respectively. The general notes box can be used for anything specific to that patient.
SMS and Email messages can be set up from the Lists page and can then automatically be sent to a specific patient.
The lower 3rd of the middle column is to print out NHS forms and Record Cards. The “GOS18+” is in case you wish to save a specific template that you often use as a referral. However the GOS 18 is printed from the Final Exam screen if you are using Opticabase Clinical. See GOS 18 for more info.
Right Hand Column.
The I.I. button is for important information which you want to pop up every time you go to that patient, such as “Ring PM only as works nights”.
The record navigation area helps you to search for a patient. To search by ID, just type in the ID number and press “Enter” on the keyboard”. To search by name, just enter the surname followed by a space and then the first name. (You can just type in the surname and initial and then just press enter on the keyboard a few times until you reach your patient).
To remove a patient, you just click on the “bin”, that will stop them getting any reminders/Letters etc.
Eyecare Plan: Tick the box and enter the details. You must have an End date even if it is 31/12/2100.
To print out letters to the GP or to a specific patient, you can use the dropdown box and then click on the print letter to GP or Patient button. These letters are set up through the letters screen (bottom right on the Letter Body page) from the main menu.
Px Folder will open a folder specific to that patient where you can save photos/referral letters etc.
Payments buttons shows payment history for a patient.