Introduction

Before exploring this in-depth guide to using OpenVPMS and getting the most out of its functions, please take a moment to read about the product's key concepts:

Key concepts

• Customers/Clients
• Patients
• Supplier
• Workflow/Schedule
• Products/Inventory
• Reporting
• Administration

How it works

Use the OpenVPMS interface to:

• Manage your electronic animal health records (EHR)
• Manage your customers estimates and payments records.
• Manage your appointment schedule
• Manage your suppliers and referrals
• Manage your inventory
• Get reports

So, those are the basics. Now we'll begin the detailed guide to getting the most out of OpenVPMS. Let's get started!

Module: Customers/Clients

The purpose of this module is to handle all the interactions you might have with the customer.  They range from information about the customer to developing estimates to invoicing to notes about the customer.

Workspace: Information

This workspace display the details about the customer. Manage all aspects of the highly detailed Customer profiles.

Workspace: Documents

This workspace generates documents and stores files that are related to this customer record. Attachments of any file, completed forms or letters.

Workspace: Estimates

This workspace generates estimates for the customer. An "estimate" can be easily converted to a "charge" by pushing the buttom on the bottom of the screen. Estimations are saved and can be used for direct invoicing.

Workspace: Charges

This workspace invoices the customer.   A "charge" can be finalized. Manage invoices, credits or counter sales (non-patient associated billing).

Workspace: Payments

This workspace applies payments on customer invoices.  They are applied in the order of oldest invoice to newest invoice. Manage payments, receipting and refunds.

Workspace: Account

This workspace display the account status of the customer. Summarise all Charges and Payments. View statement history. Alter accounts (if you have the correct permissions).

Workspace: Notes

This workspace display and stores notes about the customer.

Module: Patients

The purpose of this module is to handle all the interactions you might have with the patient (animal).  They range from information about the patient to the electronic health record history of the patient.

Workspace: Information

This workspace display the details about the patient. Manage all aspects of the Patient profile (eg.Account types, contacts, billing types, etc).

Workspace: Medical Records

This workspace stores the medical records history of the patient. Allows management of case records, problem based histories, reminders, alerts, investigations (eg. lab results) and attachments (images, documents or files).

Module: Supplier

The purpose of this module is to handle all the interactions you might have with suppliers (product) and referrals. 

Workspace: Information

Manage the supplier profile. Apart from contact and billing details, suppliers can also be associated with specific products they might supply.

Workspace: Documents

Attach any type of file, completed forms or letters.

Workspace: Orders

Currently allows generation of invoice style orders using the product database. These orders can then issued using pre-existing templates.

Workspace: Deliveries

This is used to acknowledge the receivership of orders.

Workspace: Charges

Manage invoices or credits.

Workspace: Payments

Manage payments, receipting and refunds.

Workspace: Account

Summarise all Charges and Payments. View statement history. Alter accounts if you have the correct permissions.

Module: Workflow/Schedule

The purpose of this module is to handle appointment scheduling.

Workspace: Scheduling

Date-based lists for appointments.

Workspace: Work Lists

Contains lists of tasks relating to a particular Patient. eg. Consultations in a Waiting Room List)

Workspace: Messaging

Allows messages relating to a patient to be left for other users.

Workspace: Investigations

Lab results, digital imaging imaging studies and other scheduled tests are managed here.

Module: Products/Inventory

The purpose of this module is to handle all the interactions you might have with suppliers (product) and referrals. 

Workspace: Information

Considerable detail beyond just pricing information can be stored in the Product profiles which are managed here.

Workspace: Stock Inventory

Information about stock.

Module: Reporting

The purpose of this module is to deliver reports on your veterinary business. 

Workspace: Till Balancing

Tools for clearing and balancing the Till(s). Previous balances can be examined in detail.

Workspace: Deposits

Till balances can be deposited to any number of accounts which are managed here. Deposit slips for banking can be generated.

Workspace: Debitors

Till balances can be deposited to any number of accounts which are managed here. Deposit slips for banking can be generated.

Workspace: Work in Progress

Till balances can be deposited to any number of accounts which are managed here. Deposit slips for banking can be generated.

Workspace: Patient Reminders

Reminder runs with capacity for various posting methods is managed from a similar rich interface as statements.

Workspace: Reports

Running reports and report results are accessed here.

Module: Administration

The purpose of this module is to administer the OpenVPMS application.

Workspace: Organization

Organizations are entities such as Deposit Accounts, Schedules, Practice Locations, etc. Organization objects are what allows the program to be uniquely configured for each different practice.

Workspace: Types

Types are special lists which relate to the organization objects. Examples include; Appointment types (Schedules), Product types, Reminder types and Task types (Worklists).

Workspace: Templates

All documents created the various Document workspaces (ie. Customer, Patients) are based on templates which can be customized here.

Workspace: Lookups

The contents of the various List Boxes are managed here, allowing addition of new items and entries.

Workspace: Users

Managing users accounts within the system.

Workspace: Roles

Managing the group role of users within the system.

Workspace: Authorities

Managing permissions of users/groups within the system.

Workspace: Archetypes

Managing the relationship of data types within the system

Modules & Workspaces

The Open VPMS application is divided into Modules and Workspaces. After logging into the application, the Modules are listed across the top of the screen. From left to right, they are:

Modules

Customers

All accounts are based in Customers as well as some documents.

Patients

Animals associated with Customers.

Supplier

Supplier profiles can be kept as well as correct ordering and supplier account management.

Suppliers don't have to be just product suppliers. They can be veterinarians or veterinary practices as might be the case in a referral practice.

Workflow

The day to day operations of the clinic +e.g.+Scheduling, In-patients, staff communications tools.

Financial

Fully documented Till management and banking.

Products

Product profiles and inventory management.

Reporting

Reminder & Statement system and report generation.

Administration

The Implementers domain - unprecedented customization options including list management, practice structure configuration, etc.

Workspaces

Each module has a set of sub-sections called Workspaces. These are listed on the application tree which maps out the structure of the application in broad terms but a detailed reference manual encompassing all areas is beyond the scope of this handbook. We hope that the missing elements will be contributed by the user and implementor community.