Main Menu Screen:

1. When the Main Menu loads the cursor is already flashing in the ID search box so you can straight away start typing the patients ID or Job number and press enter to go to the patient. No need to click in the ID box first.
2. Click on the date in the top left corner to see how many “Live” (not removed/archived) patients you have.
3. Insert a date far in the future 01/01/2030 in the box below “Outstanding Jobs”. Then click on the “Outstanding Jobs” button to view ALL jobs on order.

Diary:

1. Click in any time box to change a time slot.
2. Change a time to any time ending in 3 eg. 11.43, to blank out a time.
3. Double click on a patient’s name to go to their patient details (same as clicking on Px).
4. Double click on the notes column for an appointment to clear the notes.
5. Put ~~ in the notes box to block out the time. You can put just ~~ or follow it with text eg.~~ Lunch
6. Put “No Testing” (without the quote marks) in the Optom box to clear that days testing.
7. Click in the box between the Name and Notes to add extra notes for an appointment or to note down that you have confirmed the appointment with the patient.
8. If you are using the triple/Quad diary and there is no X to delete a row, then you can click in the Notes box on a specific row and then press the Ctrl button together with the Minus button on the keyboard. That will delete that row.
9. Booking an existing patient in is easiest by doing a patient search, confirming their details are still the same and that they are due, then click “Diary” from the patient details or the “Diary button” (far left) on the Px search screen and then just click on the number 2 next to the time in the diary that the patient wants to book in for.
10. Booking a new patient in is easiest by going to the Main Menu, then click on “Patient details”, if a blank patient screen is already there then fill it in with the patient details or Click “Add New Patient” on the right to create a blank patient and then fill the details in. Next click on “Diary” at the top and then just click on the number 2 next to the time in the diary that the patient wants to book in for.

Patient Details:

1. The Dates button next to the ID number will show you when a patient has an appointment booked for.
2. Double clicking the box to the right of the DNA button will show you which appointments a patient “Did Not Attend” or “Cancelled last minute”.
3. The C and P buttons next to the address will Copy the address, you can then go to another patient to Paste it.
4. The “Family” button shows patients who have the same 1st line of the address and postcode.
5. Names and Addresses auto capitalize the first letters.
6. General Notes box should be used by clicking on the button “Add Note” as that will add the note along with the date to the top of the list of notes already there.
7. The I.I. button is for important information. Eg. Walk in only. Make sure you also put a reason in case the patient sees the note. The note then pops up whenever you go to that patient’s details screen.
8. Top right of screen shows a list of dates. Yellow is a sight test. Green is a CL check. Orange is an Extra Visit (Supp exam in Scotland). Double clicking on the date will take you to that exam.
9. The number under the right and left arrows in the navigation area shows the patient’s average spend/ST.

Exam: (Clinical Opticabase only)

1. Double clicking in any Cover Test box will insert Ortho.
2. Double clicking in motility inserts “Full, Smooth, no pain or diplopia”.
3. Double click in the Medication box for easier inputting.
4. Default values for History and Symptoms etc can be set up in Lists/Check Defaults.
5. Double click in any of the Ocular Health boxes to make inputting easier.
6. Exam screen is locked – see bottom of Clinical Exam page: click here
7. There is a button at the top right of the screen called “Temp Notes”. This is for recording notes during an examination to remind you to do something later. eg. You may not usually test colour vision, but during history and symptoms you are alerted to something that makes you want to test colour vision. Writing a Temporary note can help you remember. (This is the same on the CL exam screen)

Dispenses:

1. If you need to change the dispense date then just click on the button above the date in the top right corner and type in the new date.
2. If you forget to click on GOS1 before putting the glasses dispense on then click “NHS” to the right of the Exam amount, top right.
3. Click on the small button to the right of the “Discount Reason” box to see which Optom is connected to that dispense.
4. If you use passwords for staff dispenses (Set up in “Practice Details” and “Staff” in Lists) then you need to click on the key in the top left corner under “Add Dispense” button to unlock the dispense.
5. If you click GOS1 in error then you can remove it by clicking in the box where it says “GOS1” and then use the delete key and/or backspace key on the keyboard to delete the word “GOS1”.
6. If a patient is paying a specific amount eg £20 after they use their voucher, just double click on the GOS 3 Amt box after ticking which voucher they are using (1st or 2nd) and enter the amount that they are paying.

Banking:

1. Use the “All payments” button to view who made which payments in case you need to analyse where the money came from because the banking doesn’t match the money you have in the till. You can also look at the outstanding payments from the main menu to see if any patient’s names on there jog your memory of having paid.
2. The Main Dispense report in the analytic area gives you a big report on various different sales figures.