Backup

PPS provides the ability to backup your data from within the software. The backup of data can be used in conjunction with the “Restore” option if a systems data ever needs to be restore after a computer failure or malfunction.

It is important to note that when dealing with client information, there are often legal requirements to save a daily copy of your data which is stored offsite, whether this be a secured via an safe online storage facility or kept offsite via a removable hard drive or memory stick.

Each backup can be configured to save specific areas of PPS - These include the main DATA folder, your Letters folder, Charts folder, etc. Running the Back up option produces a single file – this is a ZIP file which is a common type of “compressed” file.
 

You can select to encrypt the file which automatically issues a password with the file, so that the data contained within the file cannot be accessed except by the PPS restore program (this password is also specific to your own PPS system). You can select to copy the back up file to an external hard disk or USB drive, CD-R or DVD-R.

Backup
A Back up is a simply a copy of your data. It is very important to back up your data. PPS provides you with an option to make a back up copy of your data. The back up of your data can be used in conjunction with the “Restore” option if your data ever needs to be restore after a computer failure. It is quick and easy to make a back up copy of your data. It is your responsibility to make a back up copy regularly – at least EVERY DAY - and store this AWAY FROM YOUR COMPUTER. To run the back up option in PPS, select from the PPS Menu: Tools – Back up. This screen has options to include data from the various folders as part of your PPS database. These include the main DATA folder, your Letters folder, Charts folder, etc. You can select to back up all of these folders, or as many as you want for each back up copy. Running the Back up option produces a single file – this is a ZIP file which is a common type of “compressed” file. You can select to encrypt the file which automatically issues a password with the file, so that the data contained within the file cannot be accessed except by the PPS restore program (this password is also specific to your own PPS system). You can select to copy the back up file to an external disk or drive. You can copy the back up directly to a CD provided that you have formatted the CD correctly first. To copy to a CD, you must use your CD Writer software to format the CD in such a way that you are able to simply “drag and drop” files in windows explorer (or my computer) directly onto the CD.

Charts
You can incorporate charts, diagrams and pictures into your clinical notes using PPS Custom Forms. These charts are graphical images that can be a variety of Windows graphics formats including bitmap (BMP), JPEG (JPG) and TIFF (TIF) file formats. The idea of using a chart as part of your clinical notes is that you can make annotations on the chart on screen using a variety of annotation tools and markers. This can assist in the clinical note taking process. You can either use your own charts, scanned images, x-rays, digital photographs or scanned-in diagrams, or you can use one of a range of standard body charts that are provided with PPS as standard. When using PPS Custom Forms, Charts are a specific “question type” on your form. You can incorporate more than one chart on a form if required. If you want to simply attach a chart, diagram or picture to your clinical notes without annotating it, then this can be done using the “attach document” facility – see: Document Library for more details.

Client
Client records are the hub of your PPS database. PPS refers to these records as “Clients” rather than “Patients” because PPS is used across a variety of business and clinical disciplines, some of whom use the term “client” and others use “patient”. A client record can have either minimal details entered, such as first name and surname, or can be a comprehensive range of details including full address/contact details, alternative addresses, DOB, sex, “known as”, full profile details including “source of introduction”, occupation (plus a range of entries you can set up yourself). In addition you can associate a variety of third-parties to clients such as doctors, insurance companies, etc. The more comprehensive the details you store for each client, the greater the opportunities to use these details in your reports and mail-merge operation. For example, by recording the “source of introduction” for each client (such as yellow pages, local advert, recommendation, etc.) you can run almost any report in PPS to show a breakdown by “source of introduction”, for example “practice revenue” by “source of introduction” will show where you earn the most money from – thus where you should concentrate most on your advertising!

Copy
When entering text into any field, you can highlight the text and use the standard Windows™ “Copy” option to place the text on the Windows clipboard. You can then paste the text back into any similar field. See also: Appointment – Copy.

Data
Data is a general term that refers to all your records. In computer terms, data is any piece of information that you can change, so this includes your normal records (client records, billing, appointments, etc.) and other information such as letter layouts, invoice templates and so on. PPS allows you to “back up” your data, which means to make a second copy of all your data. See: Back Up; Database for more details.

Important
You can flag information as “important” while recording your clinical notes. For more details see: Consultation – Important information.

Include
This is a term used in the PPS Reports Wizard – on step 3 of the selections for your report. On most reports you can select to “include” a selection of details on the printed report. You can un-tick any items that you do not want to include. The “Include” options only apply when the report is printed or previewed – if you are exporting the report to a file or mail merge, then the “include” options do not apply.

Letters
Letters are an activity type in PPS. You can select at any time to send a letter to either a client or a third-party. You can send a letter either by selecting from the PPS Menu: Activities – Send a Letter, or by selecting “Send a Letter” from the PPS Task Bar. In addition you can also select to send a letter as part of your clinical notes recording. When you send a letter, you have the choice of either selecting a standard letter from your list of standard PPS letters (see: Standard Letters), or by simply typing your letter using the PPS letter editor before printing and sending. Letters can either be sent now or scheduled to be sent in the future. If you are using Microsoft® Word to print your letters, then your list of standard letters (which can include very simple templates that simply have the client’s address/salutation details at the top) will include letters that you have set up in Word. If you are sending a letter as part of a Mail Merge output from a PPS Report, then this will be a PPS letter. To do a mail merge using a Word letter, you will have to produce a “File” output from the PPS mail merge output screen, and do the mail merge separately and completely in Word.

PPS
PPS is the acronym for “Private Practice Software”.

Restore
You should Back Up your PPS data regularly. This means that if your computer breaks down, or you have a power cut and your PPS database is damaged, then you can restore from your most recent back up. It is not un-common for PPS users to forget to back up their data, then have a problem with their computer which can mean that their data is lost forever. If you back up your data at least once per day, then the most information you can lose is just one day’s work. If you need to restore your data, and you have used the PPS Back Up option to back up your data, then you can use the PPS Restore option to restore your data from your most recent back up. You can access the PPS Restore option from the PPS Menu: Tools – Restore. This screen allows you to select a previous back up file, check its contents and restore the information. Be warned that you should ONLY use this option if you have to, as this option WILL OVERWRITE YOUR CURRENT RECORDS with the records saved to the back up.

Save
PPS Uses a <Save> button on many screens. This will save the updates that you have made to this screen and store them permanently in your database. One some screens the <Save> button will also close the screen.

Select
A term used when you choose something on the screen. Some PPS screens have a <Select> button, this normally means that you pick an option, or entry in a list, then click the <Select> button. This will “select” your chosen entry and proceed to the next screen, or return to the previous screen with your chosen entry selected.