Medical histories are a type of Sheet that can be customized. Patients can fill them out on a computer (e.g. in an operatory), via a Kiosk, or online using an internet browser (see Web Forms). If InputFields are setup on the medical history, then entered data can be imported into the database.

• Generating Forms for a Patient
• Importing Patient Forms and Medical Histories

Before use, review internal sheets carefully and customize for your practice. Medical history sheets use special input and checkbox fields for medications, allergies, and problems. The internal sheets are only examples and may contain allergies and problems that do not exist in your Open Dental lists.

Three internal sheets have a type of MedicalHistory.

• Medical History Simple: Patients enter information in text fields. Staff enters into Open Dental.
• Medical History New Patient: Patients check boxes and enter text in input fields that can be imported into the database.
• Medical History Update: Patients check boxes and enter text in input fields that can be imported into the database and compared to current values.

It is important that your master Medication, Allergy, and Problem lists do not contain duplicates. Each input field and checkbox on a medical history sheet corresponds to a specific item in the master list. When importing, spelling is compared to find matches. If exact matches are not found, import will not work properly. For example, if the allergy on the medical history is attached to 'Penicillin', but the patient's medication list contains Pen, the allergies will not match and the import will not work.

1. In the Main Menu, click Setup, Sheets.
2. Copy a medical history sheet or create a new one.
   • Highlight an internal MedicalHistory and click Copy. Double click the custom sheet.
   • Click New to create a new custom sheet with a MedicalHistory type.
   • Double click an existing custom MedicalHistory to edit.
   • Highlight an existing custom MedicalHistory, then click Duplicate to copy it.
3. Change the sheet as needed.

   General Sheet Properties

   Sheet Elements.

   Note: Medication, problem, and allergy input fields and checkboxes require special setup. See below.

4. Click OK to save.

Below is an example of a Medical History for a New Patient.

Medications

Input fields and checkboxes fields can be used independently or together for medications.

Patients will enter medication names in InputFields (inputMed##). Up to twenty inputMed fields are allowed on a sheet. Each inputMed# can be only used once on a single sheet. Also see Sheets: Input Fields.

• For new medications: Patients can type any new medications into the input field.
• For medication updates: If a patient's medication list contains a medication that matches an inputMed# field value, the field will automatically populate with the current medication. Patients can overwrite the entry if desired.

To add an input field:

1. On the Edit Sheet Def window, click InputField.
   
2. Select an inputMed# field that is not currently in use, enter its properties, then click OK. Each inputMed field can only be used once on a sheet.
   Note: Web Forms will not populate inputMed fields automatically.

Checkboxes can be used with InputFields as No indicators. This is useful for Medical History Updates so a patient can indicate if they are no longer taking a medication. Since current medications automatically populate the input field, patients just need to indicate if they are no longer taking the med. See Sheets: Checkboxes and Radio Buttons.

Make sure the static text instructs the patient that the checkboxes indicate No.

To add a checkbox:

1. On the Edit Sheet Def window, click Checkbox.
   
2. Click on the checkMed# field that corresponds to an inputMed# field (e.g. checkMed1 corresponds to inputMed1).
3. Click OK.

Importing: When you Import medications into the database, medications manually typed in by the patient are always treated as new medications, regardless if the checkbox is marked.

Allergies and Problems

Checkboxes can be used as yes/no indicators for allergies and problems. If allergies are already entered in a patient's record, the checkbox will automatically be marked on the medical history form.

1. On the Edit Sheet Def window, click Checkbox.
   
2. Select the allergy or problem field name. The Allergies or Problems list will update to reflect items entered in your master Allergy List and Problem List.
3. Click on the allergy or problem this checkbox applies to.
4. On the right, select whether the checkbox indicates yes or no. You can create all yes boxes, or, typically you will create both a yes and a no box for each allergy/problem, and they will be linked together. This will cause them to toggle as a radio button, meaning there can be only a yes or no answer, not both.
5. Click OK.
6. Add a static text field next to the checkbox to label it.

Important: If a problem or allergy is renamed in the master Allergy or Problem lists, make sure to change all medical history sheets that use the allergy/problem. Simply open each medical history sheet, double click on the pertinent check boxes, and select the new allergy/problem. If spelling is inconsistent, then importing will not work properly.