Discover just how easy it is to refer procedures in the Dentrix Patient Chart.
Have you ever needed to find the date when a referred procedure was completed? For example, you have a patient in the chair, and the doctor needs to know when the patient’s implant was placed, or their root canal was completed. Charting referred procedures in the Dentrix Patient Chart can help in several ways. You know the patient’s chart information is accurate, and it quickly provides the information you need without having to search through a paper chart or the patient’s Document Center files.
When you chart referred procedures, you can also help to generate production. Because the referred procedures are recorded in the Patient Chart, your doctor can easily see that an implant was placed three months ago and is ready to restore. You can go ahead and schedule the patient’s appointment for the implant restoration while the outstanding treatment is still fresh in their mind. Or if your schedule permits, you can provide treatment the same day.
How to Chart Referred Procedures
When a procedure is treatment planned in the Patient Chart, the letters “TP” appear in the Status column. Double-click the procedure to open the Edit or Delete Procedure dialog box. Under Related Referral, click the search icon next to Referred. Make sure Referred To Doctor is selected, and click OK. In the Select Referred To dialog box, select the referral doctor, and then click OK, The referral doctor now appears under Related Referral. Click OK again.
In the Patient Chart under the “R” column (for Referral), an “R>” symbol is added next to the procedure to show that it has been referred. The Amount column also changes to 0.00 for this referred procedure. The referred procedure still prints on the patient’s printed Treatment Plan Case. I like this because it communicates to the patient that that procedure needs to be completed. Also, if you have set visits in their treatment plan, the patient knows in what order the treatment should be completed.
Once the treatment has been completed by the referral doctor, you can mark the procedure as completed in the Patient Chart. Because it was done by another provider, the procedure will have an Existing Other status in the Patient Chart and will appear as Existing Other in the graphic chart.
I like the visual reminder of seeing the unrestored endo tooth in the Patient Chart because it reminds me that the crown still needs to be scheduled.
Printing a Referral Slip
Did you know you can print a referral slip right from the Patient Chart to give to your patient? This can save time having to hand write a referral and then scan that referral into the Dentrix Document Center. After you have marked a procedure as Referred To Doctor in the Patient Chart, from the File menu, point to Print, and then click Referral Slip. The date range will default to today’s date, but you can change the date range as needed to include the date of the referred procedure.
You also have the option to write an additional note on the bottom of the referral if there is something you need to communicate to the referred to doctor. Charting referred procedures in the Patient Chart can save you time. You no longer have to search for referral information—it will all be in one place. Furthermore, the Patient Chart will be more accurate with a record of all procedures, including those that were referred out to another doctor.
Learn More
To learn more about referring procedures in Dentrix, see the Editing Treatment topic in Dentrix Help.
By Charlotte Skaggs
Certified Dentrix Trainer and The Dentrix Office Manager columnist
Charlotte Skaggs is the founder of Vector Dental Consulting LLC, a practice management firm focused on taking offices to the next level. Charlotte co-owned and managed a successful dental practice with her husband for 17 years. She has a unique approach to consulting based on the perspective of a practice owner. Charlotte has been using Dentrix for over 20 years and is a certified Dentrix trainer. Contact Charlotte at [email protected].
