Simplybook.me $100/year ( basic plan) combined with Mopensoft Google Calendar plugin $139/yr , from Mopensoft. They offer 30 days free trial period. Or you can use Accuity Scheduling with Mopensoft Plugin
Simplybookme scheduling, they have multiple scheduling templates ready for you to pick from,
HERE ARE SOME EXAMPLES
https://santamonica.simplybook.me/sheduler/manage
http://www.drhaber.net/contact.htm
Cost of simplybook.me appointment service:
"FREE" for less than 50 booking per month, $100/year for basic plan for a small office
$600/year for all large offices
( multiple calendars available for one single price)
1- Mopensoft Google calendar plugin will allow OD to sync to Google Calendar
2- Google Calendar will sync to simplybook.me or other commercial calendars (Accuity Scheduling, etc....)
3- Now your patients can make their appintments online with simplybook scheduling service, real time scheduling
- if you are an iternational OD user, this works in all countries.
Simplybook , Accuity Scheduling, offer a FREE trial for all these features when you first sign up
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Updated June 10, 2016
1- Patients can schedule their appointments online
2- Me and my hygienist can check our schedules, with the patients names, phone numbers and emails, and at any time, by just logging in Google Calendar.
Here are many scheduling apps with free scheduling options.
They sync with Google Calendar, and Google Calendar sync with OD calendar by using Mopensoft Aus plugin
https://blog.hubspot.com/sales/best-scheduling-app
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INSTALLATION
I - Sync OD Appointments with Google Calendar :
Plugin trial version and instructions available here: http://www.mopensoft.com/google-sync
instructions: http://mopensoft.blogspot.com.au/2016/0 ... ental.html
Backup your data first, and try it on your home computer first.
1- Create Calendars:
in your google calendar account, create calendars with the "same name " as your operatories --- MUST BE THE SAME SPELLING
2- Download the plugin:
a- download the "Required DLLs", unzip them and place them in your OD folder (C / program files (x86)/OpenDental)
https://www.dropbox.com/sh/6mqklvxpbii9 ... 0DLLs?dl=0
Very critical
1- What version of OD are you using?
2- Be sure you are picking, from Mopensoft webpage, the right version of the plugin that matches your OD version, otherwise you will get an error message
b- download the "Plugin File" that matches your OD version, or the closest one:
https://www.dropbox.com/sh/6mqklvxpbii9 ... Files?dl=0
+ delete the version number at the end of the plugin, it means rename the plugin to: mopensoft.odplugins.apptsync.dll
+ and place it again in your OD folder (C / program files(x86)/OpenDental)
if you have an older version of OD , try this one : mopensoft.odplugins.apptsync15.4.52.dll
(it did work with OD version 15.3) I am not sure if it will work with much older versions.
UNBLOCK the dll file
right click on mopensoft.odplugins.apptsync.dll and UNBLOCK, otherwise Windows will give you an error message.
The same, right click on it, and in Security allow read and write
3-Setup the Plugin:
in OD go to Setup > Program Links> Add , and follow the instructions in the manual
Additional Properties will not show up when you first add the plugin. You need to restart OpenDental to be able to see and edit "Additional Properties"
After you quit Open dental and come back to Set up / Program links / Mopensoft/ , now you can enter the properties, etc...
Parameters and Auto-sync
· sync.auto.anychange: this specifies whether any change to the appointment will automatically sync to Google Calendar; including add new, delete, update, move, etc... . Value "0 " is do not sync and "1" is sync automatically. This feature may cause a tiny delay when you make any appointment changes. Currently, it’s implemented but not used. Hooks need to be added to OpenDental first.
· sync.auto.frequency.minute: this specifies the frequency of the auto-sync. For example, the default value is "30" which means the sync is triggered every 30 minutes automatically.
· sync.interval.day: this specifies how many days from today, the appointments are synced. For example, the default value is "30" which means the appointments between today and the next 30 days will be automatically synced to Google Calendar.
The setting shown in the screenshot above specifies that every 30 minutes, all appointments between today and the next 30 days will be synced to Google Calendar.
NOTE: to test the auto sync, you can change the frequency to 1 minute instead of 30 minutes.
Manual sync
When you click the plugin button "gcSync" in OD main menu, a pop-up dialog will appear and will ask you to enter the time period that you want to sync with Google Calendar. Here you can modify the default preset value ( sync.interval.day) from 30 days to any time period that you need.
Click “Sync OD -> Google” button to sync appointments.
4- First time sync (this will happen one time only):
(be sure that no other google account is open in the background OR IN A DIFFERENT BROWSER)
Log out of OD and login again. Now when you rerun Open Dental, it will connect to your default browser (internet explorer in my case..) and will ask you to login into YOUR google account, and as you enter the correct username and password of the google account that has the correct calendars created in it, it will ask you for permission, just click on "ALLOW"
DONE !
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Mopensoft Google Calendar plugin is always maintained with ALL NEW and OLD OD versions you can download the trial, and test it for 30 days. Minh at Mopensoft ( Australia) keep it updated with all OD Newsest version. ,
When you click on the download option, you will see multiple versions that correspond to many of OD versions, old and new, be sure you pick the right one that matches your OD version or the closest one.
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UNINSTALL
If your license expire, OD will stop working
1- On your workstation, go to C/program files (x86)/OpenDental
look for this plugin: mopensoft.odplugins.apptsync.dll
just delete the plug in or rename it, and Open Dental will work without any problem.
(or Cut it and Paste it into another folder)
2- Or if any other computer is working, in Open Dental, just go to SETUP/Program Links
find the plugin name, click on it, and disable it
To buy a license, follow this link, provide your info, and you will be contacted
http://www.mopensoft.com/contact
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I have no affiliation with Mopensoft. I am just a user that has been using many of his plugin for few years now, and I have received a very affordable and good service.
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III - ONLINE SCHEDULING with Simplybook.me
Now I want to share with you how I am using the ONLINE scheduling with http://www.simplybook.me
(or you can use any other similar service)
- Mopensoft plugin will allow OD to sync to Google Calendar (automated and manual sync options available)
- Google Calendar will sync to simplybook.me (or any other provider) - ..... simplybook.me offer 2 ways sync with google calendar and not just integration with google calendar.
- Email is sent from simplybook.me to the provider informing the office that a booking is made.
- In OD, you get a pop up that an appointment was made online
- Front office enter the appointment in OD,
- and Mopensoft plugin autosync, will sync OD to Google Calendar again
All done automatically once these setups are done
Multiple calendars available for one single price
http://www.simplybook.me offer one month free trial to test their services.
Through http://www.simplybook.me I was able to create these options
DONE!
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IV - Telling your patients about THIS ONLINE BOOKING is always the missing part.
1- We sent an email to all of our active patients telling them about the "New Online Scheduling" that is available to them now
Subject: NEW Online Scheduling - Book Online your next dental appointment!
We are happy to inform you that you can now book your appointment online with our office 24/7. This option is available on our webpage http://www. {URL}
Call our office (123) 456-7890 if you are having any difficulty finding the right time to schedule your appointment.
We will do our best to accommodate your schedule.
We look forward to seeing you at your next appointment.
2- In all of the recall template Email messages we added this message too:
"New Online Scheduling is available now 24/7 on our webpage {URL} "
from the main Menu, go to Setup/ Appointments/ Recall
We mainly sent it to those patients who are overdue for recall,
3- we added that also to the Text messaging and Email "CONFIRMATIONS" templates
so patients will know that online scheduling is available to them now
"New Online Scheduling is available now 24/7 on our webpage {URL} "
4- we added it to the message that is sent on the recall reminders post cards too
(if we do not have a patient email or cell phone number)
5- we added it at the bottom of our signature in any email sent to patients:
The office of john Doe DDS
12345 street
City CA 98765
Tel: (123) 456-7899
http://www.doctor.com
***Book your next dental appointment online 24/7 by going to our webpage http://www.doctor.com/online.htm or call our office Tel: (123) 456-7899
.
6- " I " tell every patient that comes to our office that next time they can try it and give us their feed back
7- Made a special appointments options on our contact webpage mainly for NEW PATIENTS to use it (photo above)
Easier for the new patients to schedule their appointment
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We have been using the ONLINE scheduling for 3 months now. It is a slow process to get our patients to use this service.
But we have another use too for the plugin, me and my hygienist can check our schedules, with the patients names, phone numbers and emails, and at any time, by just logging in Google Calendar. You can try it. It is for FREE now. http://www.mopensoft.com/others
We are still using the http://www.simplybook.me free account because we do not have more than 50 patients per month making their appointments online yet.
We started by getting less than 5 patients per month from our online scheduling page, but that grew to about 10 on the second month, and to about 20 patients per month now.
- Most of our older patients still call the office, they like to speak to a person.
- Our Older ADULT patients a little different. I will say most of them call for an appointment, but few make an appointment online. 10-20% of the users
Those few are mainly the busy people who can not have access to us after hours or when they have time over the weekend.
So when they receive our Email RECALL reminders, that guide them to our online scheduling webpage, they do it.
- Our Younger ADULT patients are a little better. 50% of the users
they use it sometimes to change their existing appointments, if they made it 4-6 months in advance.
So when they receive our Email RECALL reminders, they go online and change it.
- But it helps mainly to get NEW PATIENTS. 30%-40% of the users
The new young adult patients are the ones WHO LIKE USING IT FOR NOW.
Those who are looking online for Special Services for their special problem, and the new comers to our neighborhood.
We are starting to get about 7-8 new patients per month
It is a slow process, and I think it will take a ONE RECALL cycle until most of the patients will become aware of that option.
If you have a bigger office, or multiple offices, where access to your hygienists or to your doctors is harder, your patients probably will like this option.
One of my patient, who is a nurse at a college, told me that they get 60% of their students patients appointments online now.
It is working, but slowly. Telling your patients about it in all of your communication forms is the way to improve it
BUT WE HAVE ANOTHER GREAT USE FOR THE PLUGIN
me and my hygienist can check our schedules, with the patients names, phone numbers and emails, and at any time, by just logging in Google Calendar:
- We can see who is our first patient for the next day and at what time, and contact that patient if needed
- We can see the day before schedule, with the patients names, phone numbers and emails, and follow up with theses patients
So we, doctors and hygienists, had a better use of this plugin than our patients did.
I use it on a daily basis whenever I am out of the office, I can check my schedule through the internet and on any device
The same , my hygienist use it for the same purpose.
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I have no affiliation with Mopensoft. I am just a user that has been using many of his plugin for few years now, and I have received and I have received a very affordable and good service.