🚨 Important: You may see the "new" details screen, which displays the data in horizontal rows, or you may see the "old" details screen, where details are displayed in three vertical rows. Most fields are the same but we recommend using the "new" details screen (you can opt in using the toggle at the top) for enhanced functionality, and screenshots in this article reflect the new screen.
How do I find the patient details screen?
In a patient record, click the 'Details' tab.
In the patient details screen, you will see:
Identity and personal details (eg name, date of birth).
Contact information (eg address, email address, phone number).
Practice details (eg preferred site, acquisition source, recall info, payment plan/fee schedule).
You can edit any details as needed. Ensure at a minimum you complete the required fields, which include first and last name, date of birth and address.
🚨 Important to remember: Whenever you make changes to any fields, ensure you click 'Save' before closing or navigating to a different page, otherwise your progress may be lost.
💡 Top tip: Along the bottom of the patient’s 'Details' tab, you will see who last updated the record and when, along with the option to view the update history.
How do I update information in the patient details screen?
💡 Top tip: You can add custom fields in your settings. This allows you to include fields for all of your patients, for data that is important to your practice. If you add more than two, they will appear in the top right-hand corner of the 'Details' screen.
You can update the majority of patient details from the patient details screen, but here are some tips to help you understand certain fields:
Family - Link family members' accounts, by using the link 🔗 icon and selecting the correct patient from the dropdown. You can also hide the full list of linked family members if there are a lot.
Marketing consent - Indicate whether the patient has opted in or out of marketing communications (such as practice news), or whether this is unknown. When you mark that they have opted in or out, the date will be noted and can be viewed by clicking the ℹ️ icon.
Communication methods - Tick whether the patient is happy to be contacted by email and/or SMS. If a text or email is undeliverable due to the number or email being unavailable, the preference is automatically set to not use that contact method.
Location - This field will only show for multi-site practices and is used to identify the patient's preferred site.
Recall method - The patient's preferred contact method for routine appointment reminders.
Dentist/Hygienist - Select the patient's main dentist/hygienist. Adding the dentist/hygienist ensures continuity of care and automatically assigns the patient to that practitioner for recalls.
Dentist/hygienist recall interval - This is set at the end of each course of treatment by the dentist or hygienist. If it is not set, it is automatically changed to 6 months for a new patient, but can easily be edited here.
Next dentist/hygienist recall - Updates automatically or can be changed here.
Acquisition source - How the patient found your practice. The dropdown list is configured in your settings.
NHS details - If applicable to your practice, you can add an NHS number here. This can be used to search for patients in Dentally - start by typing a % symbol, followed by the NHS number, to find patients.
📝 Please note: SMS messages will only be sent if there is a phone number in the 'Mobile phone' field.
You can also use the 'More...' button in the top right corner of the 'Details' screen to:
Merge patient - This allows you to merge two patient records if a duplicate has been created. This is available for users with Permission Levels 3 and 4 only.
Archive patient - This allows you to archive a patient's record and provide a reason (eg the patient is lapsed). Their information will be stored in Dentally, and they can be unarchived if required.
Delete record - This allows those with Permission Level 4 to delete the patient record.
