In the PbN Form Editor, Custom Data Sources can be enabled for Radio Button Blocks and Yes/No Blocks. This allows you to link patient responses directly to fields in your Practice Management Software (PMS) — currently supported for Open Dental and Eaglesoft.
By activating this feature, the values patients select on their forms (e.g., "Yes" to a treatment option or "No" to a medical history question) are automatically transferred to your PMS, reducing the need for manual entry and ensuring accuracy. users.
Why We Offer Custom Data Sources
Every practice may collect slightly different types of information or organize patient data uniquely in its PMS. Custom Data Sources allow each practice to:
Decide exactly what should be written back to their PMS.
Maintain control and flexibility in aligning forms with their clinical or operational needs.
Streamline workflows by reducing manual data transfers or note-taking.
This customization ensures that you can design forms that mirror your clinical workflows while still benefiting from automation and PMS integration.
How Data Writebacks Work
When Custom Data Sources are enabled:
Data collected from the selected form blocks is written back to the corresponding field in the PMS.
You map each response to a specific destination field, ensuring seamless transfer.
The integration respects the unique structure of your PMS (especially in Open Dental, which does not provide predefined writeback targets).
Supported Practice Management Systems
Currently, Custom Data Sources for PMS writebacks are available for:
Open Dental
Eaglesoft
💡 Note: Dentrix is not currently supported for this feature.
Key Benefits
Streamlined Data Collection
Patient responses are captured digitally and routed directly to your PMS, reducing repetitive tasks and clerical errors.Improved Workflow Efficiency
Eliminate manual entry. Use form responses to update patient charts, health histories, or other custom fields automatically.Flexible Customization
Tailor how Radio Button and Yes/No inputs are interpreted and recorded, depending on your practice’s protocols.
How to Enable Custom Data Sources
Open the PbN Form Editor by selecting the form you want to edit.
Add or select a Radio Button Block or Yes/No Block.
Enable the Custom Data Source option by checking the box.
Specify the writeback target field (especially critical in Open Dental).
Once enabled, the data from those fields will be integrated into your PMS based on your mapping.
Important Notes for Open Dental Users
Manual Field Mapping Required:
Open Dental does not offer a set of predefined fields for writebacks. You must manually enter the exact field name you want data to be written to.Restrictions Apply:
Some fields (like Appointment Notes) are not eligible for writebacks. In these cases, you must route the data to an alternative allowed field, such as a patient-level note or a custom field.Test Thoroughly:
Before rolling out new forms, test the writeback configuration to ensure accuracy and avoid overwriting important information.