Open Dental Forum

Any further thought regarding merging of a-z folders.

The following happened recently:

Message left from prospective new patient, Allison Green, requesting an appointment ASAP.
Pt call was returned resulting in voice mail.
Pt returned call at lunch time accepting an appointment.
A basic chart was made for Allison Green.
Patient arrives for appt.
Turns out her name is Alyson Greene.
Unfortunately, now Alyson Greene's images will for ever be in Green, Allison image file.

This is one of MANY examples where patient charts don't match up to patient image file.

How can this be fixed?

go to the actual folder and copy all the images and paste them in the other one, or if only a couple, click the copy button in the images module and paste it in the other chart. Not automatic, but that should do the trick.

That may get images into the correctly named file, but the wrongly named file is the one that is associated with the chart.

Correct A-Z File is GreeneAlyson

A-z file path:
C:\OpDentImages\G\GreeneAlyson1863\GreenAllison2.jpg

I want to change C:\OpDentImages\G\GreeneAlyson1863\GreenAllison2.jpg to C:\OpDentImages\G\GreeneAlyson1863\GreeneAlyson2.jpg

It is an issue because we have nonTWAIN scanners which require us to find the A-Z folder in which to save the document.

We find it much easier to create a network shared folder very easy to find (I call mine "~save and import" the my network my documents so it is at the top of an alphabetically sorted list). Then you always save scans and downloaded files from email etc. in this folder. Once saved there, go to the pt's images and import the scanned file using the button. Much simpler than navigating to the pt's A-Z folder from your scanning program I think.

That still fails to address the fact that your chart is associated with a misnamed image file.
It simply allows one not to notice that the folder name is wrong...
Assuming I follow your explanation correctly.

yes, that does not address the misnamed folder issue... I was just saying it is easier to use a non twain scanner or saving documents from email, etc doing it the way I described rather than having to navigate to the actual folder.

The patients folder name is stored in the database. There is no way to change it within the program (unless you do something like creating a new patient with the correct spelling and then merge the patient). If you only needed to change the one patient, I'd say call in and we would probably be able to change it for you quickly. Since you mentioned it was one of "many" that need changing, you'll probably have to talk with the conversion department.

There are lots of reasons why chart and A-z folder might not match.
Maiden name to married name change.
Married Name to maiden name due to divorce.
Name change due to sex change (yeah this happens)
Common name to formal name (ie: Caleb Jones finally gets insurance, however insurance name is Jonathan C Jones)
Misspelling
etc

I'll bet this is more common than anyone knows and it won't be a problem until it becomes a problem.

Instead of digging around in the a to z folders, cant you just take the scan and click the import button in the images module? Then you don't ever have to care what the folder name is.