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Caller ID is a HotDoc feature that shows you who's calling before you pick up. When a patient calls your practice, HotDoc matches their number against your patient records and displays their details directly in the HotDoc Sidebar — including:
- Name, Date of Birth & Address
- Their practitioner, as well as past and upcoming appointments
- Any communications sent to the patient via HotDoc
This guide covers the essentials of setting up Caller ID. If you are doing this for the first time, you will be required to complete all sections below.
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In this article |
1. What is Caller ID?
Caller ID works by integrating with your practice's PBX phone system. When a call comes in, HotDoc matches the number against your patient records to identify the caller before you answer. This helps you:
- Identify patients quickly and accurately
- Instantly access key patient information
- Provide a personalised patient experience
2. How to set up Caller ID
You can set up Caller ID in the Dashboard using our easy step-by-step guide. Go to the Dashboard, then click the Caller ID tab to get started. From this page, you will be guided through each step of the setup process.
3. Training Video
This video will give you an overview of how Caller ID works after you have completed the setup steps in the Dashboard:
4. How to view a caller's details in the Sidebar
| Before you can use Caller ID, you will need to ensure that you've downloaded the Sidebar on your reception computers. |
Learn how to download the HotDoc Sidebar
Once your setup is complete, you will receive notifications in the Sidebar when patients call your practice. The notification will include:
- The number being called from
- The number of matching patients found; and
- The name of the oldest the matching patients (if any)
1. When a patient calls, click on the notification on the left hand side of the screen.
Note: If your clinic uses multiple phone lines, you will need to cross-check the number in your phone system with the number calling in the Sidebar.
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2 matches found |
No matches found |
2. You will be redirected to your Recent Call Log. The incoming call will be at the top of the list:
3. Click on the call to view the matched patients:
4. Once you answer the call and determine which patient is relevant, you can click View next to their name. From here you can view Upcoming appointments and recent Communications
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Upcoming Appointments: |
Communications: |
5. You can even cancel an upcoming appointment by selecting the Cancel button
6. To access the patient's file, click the name in the Sidebar to copy this and paste this into a patient search in your own software.
| Before you can use Caller ID, you will need to ensure that you've downloaded the Sidebar on your front desk computers. |
Learn how to download the HotDoc Sidebar
Once your setup is complete, you will receive notifications in the Sidebar when patients call your practice. The notification will include:
- The number being called from
- The number of matching patients found; and
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The name of one of the matching patients (if any)
1. When a patient calls, click on the notification on the left hand side of the screen.
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2 matches found |
No matches found |
2. You will be redirected to your Recent Call Log. The incoming call will be at the top of the list:
3. Click on the call to view the matched patients:
4. Once you answer the call and determine which patient is relevant, you can click View next to their name. From here you can view Upcoming appointments and recent Communications.
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Upcoming Appointments: |
Communications: |
5. You can even cancel an upcoming appointment by selecting the Cancel button or open up the appointment in the Calendar by clicking View:
6. To access the patient's file, click the name of the patient in the Sidebar to copy this and paste this into a patient search in your own software.
5. How to view your Recent Call Log in the Sidebar
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You can view your Recent Call Log in the Sidebar via Menu > Caller ID. This can be helpful if you miss a call or need to callback a patient as you can easily see their details and the approximate time they called. |
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In the Sidebar, click on Menu > Caller ID
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Recent calls will display in chronological order with the most recent call at the top of the list:
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If you would like to remove a call from your recent call log - hover over the call with your mouse and click the X button:
6. What does each Call Status mean?
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If your phone provider is 3CX, you will see the following four call statuses in your Sidebar. If you are using another phone provider, you will only see the Incoming status Note: There may be instances where some other providers who have integrated directly with the HotDoc Generic API can access all four call statuses. Please contact them directly to resolve any issues here. |
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Incoming: The call is waiting to be answered |
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Answered: Reception is currently speaking to this patient |
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Ended: The call was answered and has since ended |
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Missed: The patient hung up before the call was answered |
7. Additional resources
To see more information on Caller ID, you can view the following resources below:
- Caller ID FAQs
- If you have added a patient alert for patient, this will appear in the Sidebar when they call. You can see what this looks like here. To add a patient alert, please see How can I add a Patient Alert to stop someone from booking at my practice?