Set up and manage client records

Create new clients as needed for scheduling, invoicing and patient ownership transfer purposes. Enter and update contact information, notes, referral and financial details using the Client Information window. Information should be entered as you want it to display in windows, reports and when printed. Entered information also populates client bookmarks that can be used in document templates.

Setup a new client

Navigate by going to any of the following;

• Toolbar > Client > New or Update
• Patient Clipboard > right-click Client ID > New or Update
• Search Clients/Patients > Client search tab > New or right-click card > Client Information

Information tab

Client name and contact details are entered and maintained on this tab.

Some information may display automatically based on the client default settings. Examples: Classification, postal code, area code

You can also set up patients from the Client Information window. Adding a patient from Client Information automatically sets up the client as the patient’s owner.

1. Client ID: Do one of the following when starting a new client record:
   • Press TAB to accept the auto-generated ID.
   • Manually enter a Client ID and press TAB.
2. Status: Modify the status as needed.
3. Classification: Select the appropriate classification. Classification settings determine if there is an alert for the client, and/or if they receive reminders or statements.
4. Type: Select Trainer or Barn, if applicable and if using the trainers and barns feature.
5. Name and Address:
   • Enter information in the corresponding fields.
   • Up to 30 characters/spaces can be used for names and up to 40 characters/spaces for street addresses.
   • Special character use is not recommended, as they can cause database errors.
6. Email address: Enter the email address.
   • The field will remain highlighted in yellow and missing email alerts will display, if using until an email address is entered, or Email declined is selected.
   • The date you enter the declination is recorded.
7. Email reminders: Select to have client receive reminders via email.
8. Secondary Names Click to add another name on the account that is searchable in the client list and can be set to print on invoices and statements.
   • Enter the name in the fields. Repeat for each name as needed.
   • Click Print to include one secondary client’s name on invoices and statements.
   • Click OK and return to the Information tab.
9. Phones: Double-click or right-click > New within the information box.
   • Enter Phone Number and Extension, if applicable.
   • Select a Location. This can also be free typed.
   • Enter Notes, if needed. Example: availability for calls
   • Select Primary phone number for the appropriate number, for reporting and display purposes.
   • Click OK.
   • Repeat steps as needed for additional number(s).
   • To modify: Double-click number or right-click > Update.
   • To delete: Right-click phone number > Delete. Click Yes or No on the confirmation message.
10. Select one of the other tabs to enter or update additional information or click OK to save and close the client record. 

Prompts/Notes tab

Prompts are customized information fields that can also be set as client alerts.

• Enter information to answer the prompts. The entered information, populates the prompts/notes client tab on the Patient Clipboard.
• Use the user defined client bookmarks in documents, to pull the prompt information into correspondence documents.
• Notes entered in the free type Notes area, can be included on the Check-in report.

1. Prompts: Enter or select the answer to each prompt as applicable.
2. Notes: Enter any notes concerning the client.
3. Select one of the other tabs to enter or update additional information or click OK to save and close the client record.

Referrals tab

Track how a client was referred and who a client has referred. Use this referral information to:

• Identify your best clients to thank them accordingly.
• Track key media sources for getting the most from advertising budgets. Example: Google, Yelp

1. Referred by: Enter the referring client ID or F2 to search and select from the Client List.
2. Has Referred: This information automatically updates as this client refers other clients.
3. Select one of the other tabs to enter or update additional information or click OK to save and close the client record.

A/R Information tab

Modify credit code, tax status, monthly charges, appropriate discounts, and home practice affiliation (Multi-location single database only).

Some information may display automatically based on client default settings. Example: credit code, finance charges

1. Tax Exempt: Select or clear the check box, if applicable.
2. Credit Code: Update the credit code, if necessary. Allowable payment types are indicated in credit code settings.
3. Finance Charge: Select or clear the check box, if applicable.
4. Billing Charge: Select or clear the check box, if applicable.
5. Discounts: Select any Discounts to apply to this client.
   Note: Petly Plan subscribers using the automated discounting cannot select the Petly Plan 100% Discount for a client.
6. Home practice: Modify the primary practice, if needed. Defaults to logged-in practice. This setting will only be present on this tab for practice configured with Multi-location single database (MLSD).
7. Practice affiliation: Select the appropriate designation for this client, if they are a staff member or doctor.
   • This information will print on IDEXX Reference Lab requisition forms when ordering via Cornerstone.
   • For more details on the IDEXX Reference Laboratories program, call your IDEXX Veterinary Diagnostic Consultant.
8. Select one of the other tabs to enter or update additional information or click OK to save and close the client record.

Client communications tab

View a record of emailed invoices, estimates and documents sent from Cornerstone for this client. A larger view of this information is available on the Client Communications tab on the Patient Clipboard.

Delete Clients

Delete a client record from the Client List if the record was created in error, such as a duplicate. The record can be deleted if the client has no activity (appointments, invoices, etc.). If the client has a patient, the patient must be deleted first.

1. Navigate to Toolbar > Client.
2. Search for the client record and click Delete.
3. Click Yes or No on the confirmation message.

Additional information

General

• When using F2 in client ID fields, the Client List’s New button is available to add a client on the fly from other workflows. Example: Scheduling an appointment
• Adding a client will populate the New Client reports and increment new client IDs, and client counts for both new and active status. This is regardless of if the client has any activity, such as scheduled appointments or invoices.
• If adding a patient during a new client setup, you may have to complete required fields on other tabs of the client information window, before proceeding with patient information setup.
• Updating a client may entail addressing missing information that is now set as required. Example: referral information
• Access phone notes on the Client Phones tab of the Patient Clipboard.
• Special character use is not recommended in client fields, as it can cause database errors.
  • This includes these special characters: % $ ^ ( ) [ ] { } ; : ! @ # $ % ^ & *
  • Name specific characters such as ‘ or – are acceptable.

Inactive clients

• When marked as Inactive, the client name displays with an (I) in the Client List, and displays in red on the Patient Clipboard with an (I).
• Inactive clients can be invoiced and scheduled; warnings will display, but not impede these activities.
• Inactive clients will still receive statements if their classification is set to receive them.
• Reminders are not sent to clients marked as Inactive.
• All active patients will automatically be marked Inactive when the client is inactivated. Reactivating the client does not automatically reactivate their patients.

Postal Codes

• Entering a postal code, that is set up in the Postal Code List, will:
  • Populate the corresponding city and state in client and referral hospital/doctor windows.
  • Enable F2 in any postal code box in Cornerstone.
• To add a postal code (security access required):
  • Lists > Postal Codes.
  • Click New.
  • Type the Postal Code, City and State.
    • Only one city and state can be selected for a postal code.
    • If multiple cities exist in a single code, use + 4 formatting such as 94608-xxxx, 94608-yyyy.
  • Click OK.

Secondary names

• Additional names is useful if the pet belongs to two or more people with different last names or if the client wishes to designate another person to be responsible for the pet in their absence. You can search by any of the names on the client record.
• Once a client is set up with one or more secondary names, three dots appear on the Secondary Names button.

Client Referrals

• A client’s Referred by information can be changed as needed.
• For nonspecific client referrals, create referral source clients within a specific client classification.
  Note: Create a client classification of Marketing and use as the class for referral source clients. When purging clients, filter out this classification to ensure the marketing clients do not get purged.

Alert information

• Classifications, prompts and credit codes can be set as alerts. Select the alert check box in the respective setup windows.
  
  
• Credit codes setup as alerts, display in red on the Patient Clipboard and Client Account windows.
  
• Alert default selections will also display corresponding information when accessing the client and appear in the Alerts client tab of the Patient Clipboard.

Multi-Location Single Database (MLSD)

The client’s home practice is used to print on the client’s monthly statement, and defines reports by practice, such as New Clients and Accounts Receivable.

Delete clients

• While unused client records can be deleted from the Client List, there may be times when a client requests their record be deleted, based on local Personally Identifiable Information laws.
  • In these cases, the Delete Client tool can be used: Tools > Delete Client.
• Consider all data retention laws for your state for medical, financial, prescription, and controlled substance records before deleting a client.
• Purge outdated client and patient records by going to Tools > Purge data.
  • The timeframe allowed for data to be purged is set up in Controls > Defaults > Practice and Workstation > Alerts (Security access needed).
  • These settings should be in accordance with your state’s record retention requirements.

Related reports

• New Client reports
• Client A/R Information report
• Client Discounts report
• Client Master Report
• Client Prompts report
• Referral Report
• Snapshot Practice reports (New Clients, Active/Inactive Clients)
• Initial Client Setup Report