1. CHAPTER
© 2011 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved.
3
Introduction to
Medisoft

2. © 2011 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved.
Learning Outcomes
When you finish this chapter, you will be able to:
3.1 List the six databases Medisoft uses to store
information.
3.2 List the menus in Medisoft.
3.3 Explain the function of the Medisoft toolbar.
3.4 Explain how to enter, edit, save, and delete data in
Medisoft.
3.5 Describe how to change the Program Date in
Medisoft.
3.6 Discuss three types of help available in Medisoft.
3-2

3. © 2011 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved.
Learning Outcomes (Continued)
When you finish this chapter, you will be able to:
3.7 Explain how to create and restore backup files in
Medisoft.
3.8 Describe the functions of the file maintenance
utilities in Medisoft.
3.9 Describe the Medisoft security features used to
ensure compliance with HIPAA and HITECH
regulations.
3-3

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Key Terms
• Access rights
• Auto Log Off
• backup data
• database
• knowledge base
• Medisoft Program Date
3-4
• MMDDCCYY format
• packing data
• purging data
• rebuilding indexes
• recalculating balances
• restoring data

5. © 2011 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved.
3.1 The Medisoft Databases
3-5
• Medisoft is a Practice Management Program
• A database is a collection of related pieces of
information
• Medisoft stores six major types of data:
1. Provider data
2. Patient data
3. Insurance carriers
4. Diagnosis codes
5. Procedure codes
6. Transactions

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3.2 The Medisoft Menus
3-6
• Medisoft actions are found in menus:
File Menu Edit Menu Activities Menu

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3.2 The Medisoft Menus (Continued)
3-7
• Medisoft actions are found in menus:
Lists Menu Reports Menu Tools Menu

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3.2 The Medisoft Menus (Continued)
3-8
• Medisoft actions are found in menus:
Windows Menu Help Menu

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3.3 The Medisoft Toolbar
3-9
• The toolbar contains a series of buttons with
icons, used as shortcuts to select actions

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3.4 Entering, Editing, Saving, and
Deleting Data in Medisoft
3-10
• Medisoft offers the following capabilities for data
management:
– Entering Data
– Editing Data
– Saving Data
– Deleting Data

11. © 2011 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved.
3.4 Entering, Editing, Saving, and
Deleting Data in Medisoft (Continued)
3-11
• Entering Data
– All data entered through the menu bar or toolbar
– Selecting an option opens a dialog box
– Tab key moves between boxes within a dialog box
– Data entered through keying or by selecting an item,
such as from a drop-down list
• Editing Data
– Follow steps used to enter data to edit it
– Newly entered data will overwrite old data

12. © 2011 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved.
3.4 Entering, Editing, Saving, and
Deleting Data in Medisoft (Continued)
3-12
• Saving Data
– Click the Save button that appears in most dialog
boxes
– Select a location to save the data
• Deleting Data
– Click the Delete button offered in some dialog boxes
– If there is no Delete button, select the information and
click the Delete key on the keyboard or right-click the
mouse and select the Delete option from the shortcut
menu

13. © 2011 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved.
3.5 Changing the Medisoft Program Date
3-13
• The Medisoft Program Date is the date the
program uses to record when a transaction
occurred
• In most Medisoft dialog boxes, dates must be
entered in the MMDDCCYY format
– MM = month
– DD = day
– CC = century
– YY = year

14. © 2011 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved.
3.5 Changing the Medisoft
Program Date (Continued)
3-14
• The Medisoft program date must be correctly set
by the user
Pop-up
Calendar
Calendar month
pop-up list
Calendar year
Pop-up list

15. © 2011 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved.
3.6 Using Medisoft Help
3-15
• Medisoft offers three types of help:
1. Hints displayed as the cursor moves over certain
fields
2. Built-in help feature
3. The Medisoft corporate website at:
http://www.Medisoft.com
• Offers a searchable knowledge base, a collection of up-to-
date technical information about Medisoft products

16. © 2011 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved.
3.7 Creating and Restoring Backup Files
3-16
• Backup data is an extra copy of data made at a
specific time
• To create a backup file:
1. Click File > Backup Data
2. Click OK in response to the Backup Warning
message
3. Confirm the backup file’s destination path and file
Click the Start Backup button
4. When the Backup Complete box appears, click OK
5. Close the Medisoft Backup dialog box

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3.7 Creating and Restoring
Backup Files (Continued)
3-17
• Backup data can be used in the event the
database file is damaged
Backup dialog box
Shows where the data
will be stored

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3.7 Creating and Restoring
Backup Files (Continued)
3-18
• The process of retrieving data from backup
storage devices is referred to as restoring data
• To restore data in Medisoft:
1. Start Medisoft
2. Insert the media that contains the backup file in the
appropriate drive
3. Click File > Restore Data
4. When the Warning box appears, click OK
5. Confirm the path and file name of the backup file to
be restored
6. Click the Start Restore button

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3.7 Creating and Restoring
Backup Files (Continued)
3-19
6. When the Confirm box appears, click OK
7. When the Restore Complete message appears, click
OK
8. Close the Restore dialog box

20. © 2011 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved.
3.7 Creating and Restoring
Backup Files (Continued)
3-20
• Restore data to load previously saved files and
overwrite the current database
Restore dialog box
Verify the data file
Is correct here

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3.8 Medisoft’s File Maintenance Utilities
3-21
• Medisoft includes four utilities for maintaining the
database:
1. Rebuild Indexes
2. Pack Data
3. Purge Data
4. Recalculate Balances

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3.8 Medisoft’s File Maintenance
Utilities (Continued)
3-22
• The Rebuild Indexes
utility checks and
verifies data and
corrects any internal
problems that may
exist

23. © 2011 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved.
3.8 Medisoft’s File Maintenance
Utilities (Continued)
3-23
• The Pack Data utility
deletes data that
has been marked for
deletion in the
program. This
process is similar to
emptying the
Recycle Bin in
Windows.

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3.8 Medisoft’s File Maintenance
Utilities (Continued)
3-24
• The Purge Data
utility removes data
that has been
marked for deletion
in the program, but
does not delete it
from the program

25. © 2011 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved.
3.8 Medisoft’s File Maintenance
Utilities (Continued)
3-25
• The Recalculate
Balances utility
updates balances in
patient accounts

26. © 2011 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved.
3.9 Using Medisoft Security Features to
Ensure HIPAA and HITECH Compliance
3-26
• Access rights determine what a user can
access, view, enter, and edit
• Medisoft requires users to input a Login Name
and a Password
• The Auto Log Off feature automatically logs the
user off Medisoft due to inactivity