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TV Waiting Room

Show a real-time patient queue, doctor profiles, and clinic branding on a TV screen in your waiting room.

Show a real-time patient queue, doctor profiles, and clinic branding on a TV screen in your waiting room. This guide covers registering a TV device, managing the patient queue, and editing doctor TV profiles.

What Is the TV Waiting Room Display?

The TV Waiting Room Display is a full-screen view designed to run on a television or large monitor in your clinic's waiting area. It provides a professional, informative experience for patients while they wait.

The display shows:

  • Patient queue -- A live list of checked-in patients with their current status (Waiting or In Chair).
  • Doctor profiles -- A rotating carousel highlighting each doctor's photo, quote, education, experience, and certifications.
  • Clinic branding -- Your clinic's name, logo, and visual identity.
  • Feature promotions -- Highlight clinic services and special offers to patients in the waiting room.

The display updates in real time. When a receptionist checks in a patient or a doctor starts a visit, the TV screen reflects the change within seconds -- no manual refresh needed.

What You'll Need

  • An active Dentare subscription
  • A TV or large monitor in your clinic's waiting area
  • A device to drive the display (smart TV browser, Android TV stick, Chromecast, mini PC, or any device with a web browser)
  • A stable internet connection for the TV device

Register a TV Device

  1. Log in to Dentare as an account admin
  2. Go to Settings > TV Displays (or navigate directly to /clinic/tv_devices)
  3. Click Register Device
  4. Enter a name for the device (e.g., "Waiting Room TV", "Reception Display")
  5. Click Save
  6. The system generates a unique display URL -- copy this URL
Each TV device gets its own unique URL. You can register multiple devices if your clinic has more than one waiting area.

Open the Display on Your TV

  1. On your TV device, open a web browser (Chrome, Firefox, or the built-in smart TV browser)
  2. Navigate to the display URL you copied in Step 1
  3. Set the browser to full-screen or kiosk mode:
    • Chrome: Press F11 on a keyboard, or use the browser menu to select full screen
    • Smart TV: Most smart TV browsers open in full screen by default
    • Android TV / Fire Stick: Use a kiosk browser app for always-on display
  4. The TV auto-connects and begins showing the waiting room display

Tips for a reliable setup:

  • Bookmark the display URL so you can quickly restore it if the browser restarts
  • Disable screen savers and sleep mode on the TV device
  • If using a mini PC or stick, configure it to auto-start the browser on boot
  • Use a wired ethernet connection if WiFi is unreliable

How Patients Appear on the TV Queue

Patients appear on the TV waiting room display through the check-in process. Here is how it works:

  1. A patient has a confirmed appointment for today
  2. The receptionist opens the appointment and clicks the Check In button
  3. The patient appears in the waiting queue on the TV with a status of Waiting
  4. When the doctor starts the visit, the patient's status changes to In Chair
  5. When the visit is completed, the patient is removed from the queue
Starting a visit automatically checks in the patient if they have not already been checked in. You do not need to check in separately before starting the visit.

Patient Queue Lifecycle

The following table summarizes how a patient moves through the TV display:

ActionTV Display Status
Appointment confirmed for todayNot shown (not yet checked in)
Receptionist clicks "Check In"Waiting -- patient appears in queue
Doctor starts the visitIn Chair -- status updates on screen
Visit completedPatient is removed from queue
Visit cancelledPatient is removed from queue

All status changes are broadcast in real time. The TV display updates automatically without any manual refresh.

Editing Doctor TV Profiles

Each doctor can have a TV profile that appears in the rotating doctor carousel on the display. This gives patients useful information about the doctors while they wait.

Setting Up a Doctor's TV Profile

  1. Log in to Dentare as an account admin
  2. Go to Settings > Members
  3. Find the doctor you want to edit and click Edit
  4. Scroll down to the TV Profile section
  5. Fill in the available fields:
    • Quote -- A short personal or professional quote (e.g., "Your smile is our priority")
    • Education -- Degrees and institutions (e.g., "DDS, University of Ss. Cyril and Methodius")
    • Years of Experience -- Number of years practicing dentistry
    • Certifications -- Professional certifications and specializations
    • Fun Fact -- A light personal detail to help patients connect (e.g., "Speaks 3 languages")
  6. Click Save

The doctor's profile will appear in the TV display carousel within a few seconds after saving.

Tips for Doctor Profiles

  • Keep the quote short and professional -- one sentence works best
  • List the most relevant certifications first
  • The fun fact is optional but helps create a welcoming atmosphere
  • All fields support multiple languages if your clinic serves multilingual patients

Troubleshooting

TV screen is not connecting or shows an error Verify that the display URL is correct and that the TV device has an active internet connection. Try opening the URL on a phone or laptop first to confirm it works.

The display is blank or not loading Clear the browser cache on the TV device and reload the page. If using a smart TV browser, try a different browser or use an external device (Chromecast, mini PC).

Patients are not showing on the queue Make sure patients have been checked in. Only patients with a confirmed appointment for today who have been checked in will appear on the TV display. Verify the check-in was completed by looking at the appointment status.

Patient status is not updating Check the internet connection on the TV device. The display requires a stable connection to receive real-time updates. If the connection dropped, refresh the page.

Doctor profile is not appearing or not updated Make sure the doctor's TV profile has been saved with at least one field filled in. After saving, wait a few seconds for the update to broadcast to the TV display.

TV display keeps disconnecting This is usually caused by the TV device going to sleep or the browser being closed. Disable screen saver and sleep mode on the device. If using a smart TV, check its power-saving settings.

I registered multiple devices but only one works Each device has a unique URL. Make sure you are using the correct URL for each device. Go to Settings > TV Displays to see all registered devices and their URLs.

WhatsApp Messaging

Send automated WhatsApp messages to your patients - confirmations, reminders, cancellations, and reschedule notifications.

Kiosk Mode & Login PIN

Secure shared clinic devices with a lock screen. Staff select their profile and enter a PIN to unlock.

On this page

What Is the TV Waiting Room Display?What You'll NeedRegister a TV DeviceOpen the Display on Your TVHow Patients Appear on the TV QueuePatient Queue LifecycleEditing Doctor TV ProfilesSetting Up a Doctor's TV ProfileTips for Doctor ProfilesTroubleshooting