Getting Started

Welcome to ClinicDiary

Your digital practice management companion. Say goodbye to paper diaries and hello to efficient, organised patient care.

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Smart Scheduling

Book appointments, manage your daily calendar, and never double-book again.

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Patient Records

Store and search patient details, medical aid info, and contact information.

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Visit Notes

Document treatments, track progress, and maintain complete patient history.

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Works Everywhere

Access from desktop, tablet, or phone. Your data syncs automatically.

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Quick Tip

ClinicDiary works best on modern browsers like Chrome, Firefox, Edge, or Safari. Keep your browser updated for the best experience.

Logging In

Access your practice dashboard securely.

1

Open ClinicDiary

Navigate to your practice's ClinicDiary URL in your web browser.

2

Enter Your Credentials

Type your email address and password provided by your practice manager.

3

Stay Signed In (Optional)

Check "Keep me signed in" on your personal device to skip login next time.

4

Click Sign In

You'll be taken straight to your Dashboard.

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Security Reminder

Using a shared computer? Always log out when finished. Patient data must stay protected.

Two-Factor Authentication (2FA)

For extra security, your practice may require 2FA. If enabled:

  1. After entering your password, you'll see a verification code prompt.
  2. Open your authenticator app (Google Authenticator, Microsoft Authenticator, etc.).
  3. Enter the 6-digit code shown in the app.
  4. Click Verify to complete login.

User Roles

Different team members have different access levels to protect patient data.

Receptionist

Front Desk

The primary day-to-day user of the system.

  • Book & manage appointments
  • Add & edit patient records
  • Record visit notes
  • Export WhatsApp schedule
  • Manage waiting list
Practitioner

Physiotherapist / Doctor

Clinical staff viewing patient information.

  • View daily schedule
  • View patient records
  • View visit notes & history
  • Cannot modify records
Practice Manager

Oversight & Verification

Management access for practice owners.

  • View all appointments
  • View all patient records
  • View dashboard statistics
  • Verify daily activity

Dashboard

Your command centre. See everything happening at a glance.

📊 Live Statistics

The dashboard shows rotating statistics for:

  • Today: Appointments scheduled, patients seen, cash collected
  • This Week: Weekly summary of activity
  • This Month: Monthly overview

Stats update automatically as you work throughout the day.

⚡ Quick Actions

One-click access to common tasks:

➕ Book Appointment 👤 Add Patient 🔍 Search Patient 📅 View Calendar

📋 Today's Schedule

See a preview of upcoming appointments for today. Click any appointment to view details or make changes.

👥 Recent Patients

Quick access to patients you've recently viewed or treated. Saves time when following up.

Appointments & Calendar

The heart of your practice. Manage your daily schedule efficiently.

Viewing the Schedule

The Calendar page shows your daily appointment list. Navigate using:

  • Arrow buttons: Move forward or back one day
  • Date picker: Jump to any specific date
  • Today button: Return to the current day

Booking an Appointment

1

Click + New Appointment

2

Search for a patient (or create a new one)

3

Select the date and time

4

Choose Medical Aid or Cash

5

Add any notes, then Save

Appointment Statuses

Scheduled

Booked and waiting

Completed

Session finished

Cancelled

Patient cancelled

No Show

Patient didn't arrive

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Billing Reminder

Completed appointments without an invoice show a "NO INVOICE" warning. Don't let revenue slip through!

📱 WhatsApp Export

Share today's schedule with your practitioner via WhatsApp:

  1. Click Export to WhatsApp button
  2. A visual snapshot of the day's schedule appears
  3. Click Copy Image to paste into WhatsApp, or Download to save

Much clearer than photographing a paper diary!

📋 Waiting List

When the schedule is full, add patients to the waiting list:

  1. Look for the Waiting List section in the sidebar
  2. Click + Add to Waitlist
  3. Select the patient and preferred date
  4. Mark as Urgent if needed

When a slot opens up, you'll see who's waiting for that day.

Patient Management

Your complete patient database. Find anyone in seconds.

🔍 Searching for Patients

Use the search bar to find patients by:

  • First name or surname
  • ID number
  • Phone number

Results appear as you type — no need to press Enter.

🏷️ Filtering Patients

Use the filter buttons to show:

All Patients Medical Aid Cash

You can also sort by name, recently added, or last visit.

➕ Adding a New Patient

Click + Add New Patient and fill in:

Personal Info

  • Title, First Name, Surname
  • Date of Birth
  • ID Number / Passport
  • Gender

Contact Details

  • Phone Number
  • Email Address
  • Physical Address

Medical Aid (if applicable)

  • Medical Aid Name
  • Member Number
  • Plan Type

👤 Patient Profile

Click on any patient to open their full profile, showing:

  • Personal details — Contact info, ID, medical aid
  • Appointment history — All past and upcoming visits
  • Visit notes — Clinical documentation over time
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Mobile Friendly

On phones, the patient list switches to a card view for easier tapping and scrolling.

Visit Notes

Document patient treatments and track progress over time.

Adding a Visit Note

1

Open a patient's profile

2

Scroll to Visit Notes section

3

Click + Add Note

4

Fill in the details and Save

What to Record

Chief Complaint

What the patient came in for — their main concern or symptom.

Assessment

Your clinical findings, diagnosis, and analysis.

Treatment

What was done during the session — therapy, exercises, etc.

Additional Notes

Follow-up plans, homework for the patient, or anything else relevant.

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History at a Glance

Previous notes are listed chronologically below the form. Quickly review past treatments before the current session.

Pro Feature

Practice Settings

Configure your practice, manage branches and practitioners. Available when Multi-Practice mode is enabled.

Pro Feature

Branch and Practitioner management is available on the Pro plan. Contact support to upgrade.

🏥 Practice Profile

Configure your practice's core information:

  • Practice Name & Trading Name — Your official business name
  • BHF Practice Number — Required for medical aid claims
  • Contact Details — Phone, email, website
  • Addresses — Physical and postal addresses
  • Banking Details — For patient invoices and EFT payments
  • Business Hours — Default operating hours

🏢 Branch Management

If your practice has multiple locations, manage them all from one place:

1

Go to Settings → Branches

2

Click + Add Branch

3

Enter branch name, address, contact details

4

Set operating hours (can differ per branch)

One branch is marked as Primary — this is your main location and the default for new appointments.

👨‍⚕️ Practitioner Management

Add and manage practitioners who provide services:

Professional Details

  • HPCSA Registration Number
  • Individual Practice Number
  • Specialty / Discipline
  • Qualifications

Calendar Settings

  • Calendar Color (for visual identification)
  • Default Appointment Duration
  • Branch Assignments

📅 Using Multi-Practice in Appointments

When Multi-Practice is enabled, the appointment form includes:

  • Branch selector — Choose which location the appointment is at
  • Practitioner selector — Assign to a specific practitioner

The calendar shows appointments color-coded by practitioner, and you can filter to see just one practitioner's schedule.

🎨 White-Label Branding

Customize ClinicDiary to match your practice's brand identity. This feature allows you to personalize the look and feel of the application.

Practice Logo

Upload your practice logo to display in the application:

  1. Go to Settings → Practice
  2. Scroll to the Branding section
  3. Click Choose File to select your logo image
  4. Click Upload Logo

Supported formats: PNG, JPG, GIF, SVG. Maximum size: 2MB. Your logo will appear in the sidebar and on the login page.

Brand Colors

Set custom colors to match your practice branding:

  • Primary Color — Main accent color used for buttons, links, and highlights
  • Secondary Color — Supporting color for hover effects and secondary elements

Use the color picker or enter a hex code (e.g., #2563eb) to set your colors. Changes apply immediately across the application.

Email Branding

Configure how your practice name appears in outgoing emails:

  • Email Sender Name — The name shown in the "From" field (e.g., "Sunshine Physio")
  • Email From Address — The email address shown (e.g., "bookings@sunshinephysio.co.za")

Email branding ensures appointment reminders and notifications come from your practice name, not a generic address.

Profile & Security

Manage your account settings and keep your login secure.

Accessing Your Profile

Click on My Profile in the sidebar menu to view your account details.

🔑 Changing Your Password

  1. Go to My Profile
  2. Click Change Password
  3. Enter your current password
  4. Enter and confirm your new password
  5. Click Update Password
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Password Tips

Use at least 8 characters with a mix of letters, numbers, and symbols. Avoid using the same password you use elsewhere.

📱 Setting Up Two-Factor Authentication

Add an extra layer of security to your account:

  1. Go to My Profile
  2. Click Enable 2FA
  3. Download an authenticator app if you don't have one (Google Authenticator or Microsoft Authenticator work well)
  4. Scan the QR code with your app
  5. Enter the 6-digit code shown in your app
  6. Save your recovery codes somewhere safe!

Tips & Shortcuts

Work faster with these helpful hints.

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Quick Search

Start typing in any search box — results appear instantly without pressing Enter.

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Auto-Refresh

The dashboard and calendar update automatically. No need to refresh the page.

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Mobile Access

Add ClinicDiary to your phone's home screen for app-like quick access.

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Click Outside

Click outside any popup or modal to close it quickly.

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Recent Patients

Use the dashboard's recent patients list for quick follow-ups instead of searching.

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Invoice Warnings

Check the calendar daily for "NO INVOICE" warnings to ensure all sessions are billed.

Need More Help?

We're here to assist. Reach out anytime.

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