Dear Dentisoft user,
 
Dentisoft is pleased to announce the release of a substantial upgrade to its appointment book module.  The new Dentisoft Office appointment book takes ease of use to the next level by utilizing the latest in web technology-called "AJAX" (part of what is commonly referred to as "Web 2.0".)  Its goal is to provide users with a next -generation "near-desktop" experience, but with all the capabilities of a web-based application. This technology is a big leap forward and is being championed by Microsoft and others to increase the use of internet-based applications. 

 

While sophisticated, you will notice that it is slightly slower than Dentisoft's current appointment book. It will also be slow when first loading the appointment book each morning. This occurs because the module is using more of the computational power of your desktop computer than a traditional website, and because Internet Explorer is slower to handle AJAX than its competitors. Microsoft will be updating Internet Explorer soon, and the appointment will become speedier as a result. 

 

Once loaded, using the appointment book should feel more like a desktop application; however, the more rooms you display, the slower the appointment book will be. As the new appointment book allows for "double-booking" you can now consider eliminating some rooms which currently serve this purpose. 
 
As a guiding principle, we have added or augmented current functions, but did not remove any functions of the current appointment book.  Wherever possible, we have added intuitive capabilities which should make scheduling in Dentisoft easier than ever.  This is a substantive change however, so please allow yourself time to get used to the new screens. Be assured that the current appointment book has not been removed or changed in any way, and you will be able to access both appointment books as you see fit (changes in either book will be reflected in both simultaneously.)
 
As part of this upgrade we have incorporated feedback from several Dentisoft users who have been working with us over the past few months to make this release possible-we want to thank those offices for their participation in our beta testing program.  The new appointment book now adds many new and long-requested features, for example, it will allow you to view appointments over periods of time, click-drag to move an appointment, and to double-book appointments (if necessary).
 
Please be aware however, that it is not uncommon for there to be unintended "glitches" from time-to-time with enhancements of this scope--so we ask your patience and feedback if you experience such a scenario. 

 

Most offices have already done so, however if you have not upgraded to Internet Explorer v.7 or higher, please do so at this time. Click here for the link. Several of the new features in the appointment book (e.g. zoom in/out) require the latest versions of Internet Explorer.
 

 
Sincerely,
 
 
Jeff Ulanet, CEO
Dentisoft Technologies

 

 

 
New Components
 
·         The "Calendar" - Click on the small calendar icon on the left of the screen to display the calendar. Use the red "push-pin" to lock it in place if so desired. Click on a date or click/drag to stretch across multiple dates to display appointments for this time period. Click on the Year to display multiple months or years.
·         The "Views" - Choose different rooms to display at a time, based upon the "Set-up" you have chosen.
·         The "Room Widths" - Choose "Fit to screen" small, medium, or large room sizes.
·         The "Icons" - 14 icons representing all major functions (Today's calendar, Go to Patient Page, New Appointment, Print, Cut, Paste, Delete) as well as appointment utilities (Reports, Reserve Time, Auto-Schedule, Re-Schedule, Email Reminders, Set-up, and Search). The function names will appear when holding your mouse over the icon.
 
New Functionality
 
·         Key Status indicators:  The appointment book will reflect any changes made to any appointment, at any workstation, every 10 mins.  You can also click the "Refresh" button at any time (just like the current appointment book). The small "side-bar" on every appointment is now the Key Status Indicator for an appointment.  The side bar will change color accordingly:  Green = "Checked In", Red="Missed", and Yellow = "Completed", Blue="Posted", Grey="Reserved". 
·         Drag,  drop, elongate: Move appointments between rooms or days by grabbing the small side-bar on the left of each appointment and dragging it to a new time/date. Or, you can also use the Cut/paste icons to move appointments around as well (even between days or weeks). You can also make an appointment longer or shorter by dragging the bottom of an appointment cell (up or down).
·         Multi-day views:  Click on the Calendar, choose a day and drag your mouse across multiple days. This gives you the ability to drag/drop appointments between these days.
·         Double-book an appointment:  You can schedule and see two (or more) overlapping appointments without using a second treatment room.  Right-click on any open space next to an appointment and choose "New Appointment" to book the appointment. Once saved, the two appointments will appear side-by-side.
·         Change displayed time units:  Right-click on the left time clock area (8:00, 9:00, etc) to choose  10, 15, 20, 30, or 60 minute time intervals in order to see more on every screen.   Please note, these cannot conflict with your office settings. You can also Zoom in/out by using the [CTRL] -/+ keys
 
Please note: Moving and elongating an appointment, as well as double-clicking are more sensitive than usual and can take a bit of getting used to.
 
To access the new appointment book, just click the "Appointments (new)" button on the left side of Dentisoft's main screen.