When you create alternate cases with shared treatment, the alternate case is automatically linked to the original case. If you have created cases that are all alternate cases for each other but are not linked, you can link them manually. You can link up to four treatment plan cases together as alternates for the same treatment decision; however, if you want to link several cases together, make sure each case is functioning as an alternate treatment plan being offered to a patient.
Additionally, linking cases can be beneficial for updating statuses. For example, if a case is applied an Accepted status, the other linked cases are automatically given a Rejected status.
Notes:
If you need to link more than four cases together, each linked case can be part of a group of up to four cases. However, a case that is linked to one group of cases cannot be linked to another group of cases.
Completed cases cannot be linked.
Linking alternate treatment plan cases requires the "Treatment Plan, Edit" security right.
To link alternate cases
In Treatment Planner, in the Treatment Plan Case Setup section on the Navigation panel, do one of the following:
Right-click a case that is already linked to other cases, and then click Link Alternate Cases.
Right-click a case that you want to be the recommended case and link to other cases, and then click Link Alternate Cases.
If applicable, do one of the following:
If the Password - Treatment Plan, Edit dialog box appears, user verification has been assigned to the "Treatment Plan, Edit" task. Do one of the following:
If your user account has been granted the "Treatment Plan, Edit" security right, enter your credentials in the User ID and Password boxes, and then click OK.
If your user account has not been granted the "Treatment Plan, Edit" security right, have a user with permission temporarily override this restriction so you can link alternate treatment plan cases this one time. The overriding user enters his or her credentials in the User ID and Password boxes and then clicks OK.
If a message appears, informing you that you do not have rights to this operation, your user account has not been granted the "Treatment Plan, Edit" security right. To have a user with permission temporarily override this restriction so you can link alternate treatment plan cases this one time, do the following:
On the message, click Yes.
In the Password - Treatment Plan, Edit dialog box, the overriding user enters his or her credentials in the User ID and Password boxes and then clicks OK.
The Linked Cases dialog box appears and displays all cases that have been created for the patient.
Note: When the dialog box opens initially, if you right-clicked a case that is already linked to other cases, the Recommended Case list is available; otherwise, the list is unavailable and displays the name of the case that you right-clicked.
In the Linked Cases list, select the cases that you want to link. At least two cases must be selected.
To change the recommended case, select a different case from the Recommended Case list.
Click OK to link the cases.
Notes:
Linked
cases have link icons (
or 
) after them. The background color of the icon varies,
depending on how many sets of linked cases exist for the patient; for
example, you could have two cases linked together and two other cases
linked together, and the background color of the link icon for both of
those sets will be different.
When linked treatment cases exist, the recommended case will appear in Chart.