ClienTrax Veterinary Practice Management Software

Working for You…2002

When our clients talk, we listen! We would like to recap some of the things you asked for in 2002 that we feel have really helped ClienTrax grow with the changing needs of veterinary practices in today’s computer oriented business world.

In order to help add a personal touch to reminders, we added the ability to print patient pictures and your clinic logo on reminder cards and letters.

We have added many features to help make communications with your clients easier.

The most praised addition is the ability to enter quantity and price ranges on estimates so you can have the possible costs detailed for them in black and white while helping them make decisions for the care of their pet.

Custom letter features include being able to design and print Welcome letters for new clients, Thank You letters for previous clients who have referred new clients, and Referral letters to communicate with other veterinarians who have referred patients to you.

You can now share more information with clients by being able to have Rx Instructions print on receipts, and to have individual Item Notes print on receipts and statements.

The integration of LifeLearn client handouts has also been quite popular for getting more information to clients so they can better assist in the care for their pets.

A boarding facility in Georgia asked for some great additions to the Boarding module that others have appreciated for tracking feeding schedules, grooming, training, treatments, and other activities to be done while an animal is boarding.

Suggestions have been implemented for new controls for post-dated checks and controlled substance logs, and detailed tracking reports have been added for deleted clients and appointments.

Please keep those great ideas coming! We look forward to the same cooperative relationship with all of you in the coming year!

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Upcoming Events...

During the 1st quarter of 2003, we will be exhibiting at the following veterinary conferences:

North American Veterinary Conference
Orlando, FL
January 18th-22nd
Booth #507

Western States Conference
Las Vegas, NV
February 17th–20th
Booth #1252

Midwest Veterinary Conference
Columbus, OH
February 20th–23rd
Booth #745

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Heartworm Reminders

Would you like to create reminder cards for heartworm tests, even if the patients do not already have a heartworm reminder record? This can be done with an extended transaction QBE.

If you want to print heartworm reminder cards for all patients who have not had a heartworm test within the last year, when you are at a client card, click on the Query Win button on the tool bar. At the Query window, click on the Ext Trans button. This will open the Patient Extended Transaction Search window. From here, you can search for patients who have NOT had a heartworm test within the last year.

To perform this kind of search, click on the Insert button on the tool bar, then set the patient information. If you want to search for just dogs or just cats, set the radio button to Canine or Feline, or leave it set to All for all patients. If you only want the search to find animals over a year old, leave the DOB set to <= and enter the date one year ago. Enter the date in simple digits, such as 123101 for Dec 31, 2001. At the Received section, select No, then enter the date (Since) of one year ago. Make sure there is a check mark in the No Purged Pets check box. If you only want to include animals whose owners have been in at least once within the last 3 years, enter 010199 in the Client Active Since field.

In the item box, enter the first item number for a heartworm test that you want it to search for, then click on the OK button on the tool bar or press the <Enter> key on the keyboard. ClienTrax will then search for all animals over a year old who have not had that heartworm test within the last year, but whose owners have been in within the last three years.

Once the search is complete, the animals matching the search will be listed in the bottom section of the window, and it will display the number of matching records found. Click on the Insert button again, then go to the item field and enter an item number for another heartworm item you may want to exclude (for example first running the search for canine tests, then feline tests), and click on OK. ClienTrax will then search through the list of animals who have not had the first service to narrow it down to animals who also have not had the second service either. You can keep adding item numbers to the search until you narrow the list to animals who have not had any heartworm tests within the last year.

After you have finished searching for each item number, close the Patient Extended Transaction Search window. The search results will now be handled through the Query Window. It is very important that you do not close the Query window. If you do, your search results will be cleared, and you will need to perform the search again. At the Query window, click on the Print button on the tool bar, then select either Item Reminder or Text Reminder.

Selecting Item Reminder will open the Item QBE Reminders window. At the Item QBE Reminders window, enter the item number for the service you would like to have printed on the card, then enter the due date for that service. Next, set up the text messages that you want to be printed on the reminder cards. Click on the Test Page button on the tool bar to make sure things are set up the way you need them. If this is okay, put your blank reminder cards in the printer, then click on the OK button on the tool bar or press the <Enter> key on the keyboard. Your reminder cards will then be printed.

Selecting Text Reminder will open the Text QBE Reminders window. At the Text QBE Reminders window, set up the text that you want to be printed on the reminder cards. Click on the Test Page button on the tool bar to make sure things are set up the way you need them. If this is okay, put your blank reminder cards in the printer, then click on the OK button on the tool bar or press the <Enter> key on the keyboard. Your reminder cards will then be printed.

This same type of search can be used for other mailings as well. For example, use your item numbers related to dental services in place of heartworm tests in the search, and you can then send reminder cards for dentals, even if the animal has not had a dental service or reminder for a dental created within the last year.

You can also use this type of search using spay and neuter item numbers to find all animals over a certain age who have never been spayed or neutered. Then use the search results to print letters you designed through Custom Documents to explain why this is an important procedure for the welfare of their pet.

Note: These expanded search capabilities are not a part of ClienTrax Basic. This article explains features available in ClienTrax Standard or ClienTrax Premium. If you are not able to access the Query window, check to see which level of ClienTrax you are running.

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A Word on Bar Code Scanners

After reading our newsletter article on bar code scanning last year, several of you decided to give them a try. Some of you have had some problems with the scanners, so we thought we would cover what you need to use the bar code scanning features of ClienTrax.

If you are planning to print bar code circle sheets from ClienTrax so that items “circled” on the sheet can be scanned, you will need the correct bar code fonts, which can be purchased directly from us for a one-time charge of $125.

If you are planning to print bar code labels from ClienTrax to stick on inventory items that do not already carry their own bar code, you will need the correct bar code fonts and a label printer (preferably a CoStar or Dymo which can be purchased at many places such as www.warehouse.com) and address labels for the label printer (which can be purchased from Para-Medical Labels at 1-800-622-7009).

For scanning bar codes, there is no one scanner that we can recommend that everyone should get. We can tell you that the one we found that works for us, and that we take to demonstrate at conferences is a hand held Wasp scanner. You can check out the product information for it at www.waspbarcode.com/barcode_scanners/ccd_barcode_scanner.asp. We like this one because, for us at least, it fits what we recommend our clients look for. Find a scanner that YOU are comfortable with using, and that simply plugs into the computer and off you go. No additional software required.

If you got a scanner that you thought was comfortable for you to use, but are having trouble with it, see if it will scan the code into another program such as a word processor or spreadsheet program. Go into File/Administration/Setup in ClienTrax, then click on the accounting button on the tool bar. Check your settings in the Inventory block at the lower right corner. Correct them if necessary. Then go to File/Administration/Update Menu and click on Set Category Connections, then click Yes to run that function. If your scanner wasn’t working because these settings were wrong, it should now work. If it doesn’t, please give us a call.

If the scanner won’t even scan into another program, check to see if the lens is dirty or loose from its proper position. If the scanner appears to be clean and properly assembled, try working with it a little bit to see if you just need to get familiar with how it “wants” to be pointed at the code. If you still can’t get it to work for you, find out if there is a model at a store that you can try there to see if yours is defective or if you might want to try another model.

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Humor Is Healthy…

This month’s chuckle

Beware of Dog

Upon entering the little country store, the stranger noticed a sign saying "DANGER! BEWARE OF DOG!" posted on the glass door. Inside he noticed a harmless old hound dog asleep on the floor beside the cash register.

He asked the store manager, "Is THAT the dog folks are supposed to beware of?"

"Yep, that's him," he replied.

The stranger couldn't help but be amused. "That certainly doesn't look like a dangerous dog to me. Why in the world would you post that sign?"

"Because," the owner replied, "before I posted that sign, people kept tripping over him."

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Vultures On Vacation

As migration approached, two elderly vultures doubted they would be able to make the trip south, so they decided to go by airplane.

When they checked their baggage, the attendant noticed that they were carrying two dead raccoons. "Do you wish to check the raccoons through as luggage?" she asked.

"No, thanks," replied the vultures. "They're carrion."

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