Messaging Buttons

Messaging buttons appear in left vertical toolbar below the module buttons. Like Messaging, they send messages between computers with light, sound, and/or text. They are a shortcut that is the equivalent of clicking a sequence of messaging elements in the Manage module. Messaging button functionality and colors are completely customizable.

The example shows how messaging buttons might be setup for Op 1. If the doctor needs the assistant, he clicks the top button (Asst Op 1), which causes the Op 1 button to turn pink on all computers in the office. Likewise, if the assistant needs the doctor, he clicks the second button (Dr Op 1), which would cause the Op 1 button to turn blue on all computers. This is a great way to comminicate without screaming down the hall.

Note that clicking the button doesn't necessarily light it, though you can set it up to do so. In the example, when the user clicks Asst Op 1, Op 1 (row 3) lights up. The initial instinct is often to click the Op 1 button to turn it on. This does not work for two reasons:
1. You want to light the Op 1 button based on who you are calling. If you click the Op 1 button, the program will not know who you are calling.
2. You usually want to call a person to the room you are in. Using this process, you only have to know who you are calling, not which room you are in.

Clicking a button does not need to trigger any light at all, or it can trigger multiple lights. To acknowledge a lit message button, click on it.

Preset Buttons
A few messaging buttons are preset to help you get started.
Op 1 – Operatory 1
Op 2 – Operatory 2
Op 3 – Operatory 3
PtReady: Intended to be used by the front desk when a patient is ready to go back to the room. Click the button to toggle it on/off. The light color is attached to the message element Pt Ready.
PhAssist: Intended to be used when the person answering the phone is on the phone. If the phone rings again, someone can click this button to request help from a backup person. A sound is attached to the message element PhAssist.

Messaging Button Setup
Messaging button setup determines button position, name and messaging elements. To setup message elements, and the light and sound attached to elements, see Messaging.

From the Main Menu, click Setup, Messaging Buttons.

All of the computers in the office are listed in the left column. The computer that you are currently on is indicated by (this computer). If there are extra computers listed that are no longer used, it doesn't hurt anything. To remove them, in the Main Menu, click Setup, Computers.

You can setup buttons for All computers or for individual computers. Most buttons will be the same for all computers, but buttons can be setup to react differently depending on the room you are in. Remember, you can change how buttons react on each computer, but lights react the same on all computers.

On the right is a list of all buttons in the order of their location in the button toolbar. If no message button has been setup for a toolbar row, the row number (-1-, -2-, etc.) appears instead. To move a button up or down in the toolbar, click the up/down arrows. To define a button's functionality, double click it.

Applies to all computers and Only applies to one computer:  These options cannot be changed here. The selection is dependent on the computer selection on the previous screen (All or individual).

Text:  The exact label that appears on the button in the toolbar.

Synch Icon:  Refers to one of the cells in the 3 x 3 grid in the main program icon.   The cells are numbered 1-9, right to left, starting with the top row and working down. So the top row is 1-3, second row is 4-6, and bottom row is 7-9. You can set one of the cells to light up when a message button is clicked. Then, if Open Dental is minimized, or covered up by another program, you can still see the light in the taskbar. It's small, but it's still visible. The light color is the same as the light in the normal grid.

To User, Extras and Message:  Attach Messaging elements that define how the button will react with sound and/or light.
Location buttons (Op 1): Typically do not assign a user.
User Button ( Dr 1): Typically assign a user and message.