Setting up a workstation
This chapter has the following sections
- The PracticeMaker5 Workstation Folder
- Turning on Drag
and Drop for the first time
- Starting PracticeMaker on a workstation
- Available settings for Macintosh OS9 workstation
- Additional setting for Macintosh OSX and Windows workstations
- Connecting
into PracticeMaker
The only PracticeMaker® file that goes on guest or workstation machines is PracticeMaker Client. Each machine, however, must have a properly installed copy of FileMaker Pro 5.5 and our FileMaker Pro plug-ins. PracticeMaker® will not function unless all of the required plug-ins are in the right place. The installation of FileMaker Pro 5.5 is the same on the Host/Server computer as on the workstation.
On the PracticeMaker® CD is a folder called PracticeMaker5 Workstation. Inside this is a Read Me file and another folder called PracticeMaker5. This entire folder is copied on the root directory of your workstation computer. It should not be buried inside any other folder (For Windows users there is an installer to do this for you).
Inside the PracticeMaker5 folder, as seen below for Windows and OSX, is the file called PracticeMaker Client.fp5. This folder is not put on the Host/Server computer!!
On the workstation for Macintosh OS9 or OSX that will transmit electronic claims via a dial-up connection (such as to Medicare), the application folder Zterm is put in the PracticeMaker5 folder as shown above right. On PCs the program ComNet32 is installed at the root directory (Local Drive C:) by its own installer!
Turning on Drag and Drop
Before starting PracticeMaker® on a workstation, or even the host, for the first time you MUST turn on some functions to make FileMaker Pro work properly. Under the Edit-->Prefernces-->Applications menu selection across the top in OS9 or Windows, or as shown below in OSX. Then make sure that Enable Drag and drop text selection is checked.
Starting a PracticeMaker® Workstation
To get started from a workstation make sure that the Host/Server computer has its proper software running. Then double click on the PracticeMaker Client file. This file is preset to open PracticeMaker® with the lowest level password.
Macintosh OS9 Workstation
On Macintosh OS9 the screen below appears when you first first open the workstation.
- If this workstation wants to set its default view of the Appointment scheduler, select either List, Full or Single view (circled on red)!
- Click the Logon to
PracticeMaker® Network button (pointed to by the blue arrow).
Macintosh OSX and Windows Workstations
In addition to the ability to see the default appointment scheduler view as described above with Mac OS9, workstations using Macintosh OSX and Windows have the ability to have the office automatically change between different printers. This comes in especially handy when you use a small label printer, like the Dymo LabelWriter, to print chart and address labels. To setup a workstation do the following..
- Click the pink Workstation Printers button as shown with the red arrow below.
- On this screen click into the field for the Computer's Main Printer. A list appears of all available printers for this computer. Select the one printer that this computer usually uses. As we learn next, this may not be the one you want PracticeMaker to use. Here Brother HL-1470N series was selected.
- The next field selects the printer you want PracticeMaker to use to print full pages. This could be the same printer as selected above, or it could be a located connected Parallel or USB printer. We will select NEC SuperScript 860 for this printer.
- The field PracticeMaker Label Printer selects the label printer you want to use. LabelWriter 315 is our eventual choice.
- The last field, Half Sheet Printer, selects that
printer used to print A7 half sheets of paper for printing
prescriptions (either eye glass or medication). Here we make no
selection.
The final
selections are shown below. When completed click Done.
To log onto the PracticeMaker® network, click the blue Logon to PracticeMaker® Network. Once you are connected to the network you get one of the log-on dialogs below (OSX and Windows, respectively, with a user pop-up list). In Select User choose your name and enter the correct password. Once successfully logged in all databases will open and you will presented with the Patients Module Main Menu.
Click Quit if you want to quit before you log-in!
If your practice has elected to require the user to actually type in both their User ID and Password, the dialog you get is like the one below. This feature adds one more level of complexity to the security system.
If you are having trouble getting this workstation to see the network click the Troubleshooting button at the upper left. You can read more about troubleshooting on the Network considerations section!