#17 How to do a Mail (or label) Merge with Microsoft Word?

This FAQ explains how to perform a mail-merge using Microsoft Word rather than the built-in ClinicOffice Word Processor.

We would usually recommend using the ClinicOffice Word Processor for creating mail-merge letters, but if you need to use the more advanced features of MS Word then ClinicOffice still makes it pretty easy!

Firstly, a word about mail-merging with MS Word and where ClinicOffice fits in to the process. According to Microsoft’s website, there are four steps to performing a mail-merge in MS Word…

• Step 1: Choose a document type and main document

Step 2: Connect to a data file and select records

• Step 3: Add fields to the main document

Step 4: Preview the merge and then complete it

ClinicOffice comes in at Step 2 by making it easy to create the data file that can be used by MS Word.

• – Firstly go to the patient screen

• – Now you need to make sure that the patients to be included in the mail merge are on the screen. (If you want to merge all patient records then click the

“Show All”

• button, otherwise perform whatever search is necessary to retrieve the desired patient records for the merge.)

• – Click

“Export Grid”

• (under Common Actions) then click MS Excel

• – Click “All Displayed Records” on the Export Options screen, then click

OK

• – Select the folder and filename for the data file. (If you’re unsure then we recommend saving the file to your

Desktop

• which makes it easy to retrieve later on)

• – Click

OK

The file that we have just saved can now been used in the Word Mail-Merge process.

If you want to print address labels, then we highly recommend downloading the AVERY Wizard, a FREE utility which is available from the Avery website. It makes the mail-merging process onto labels really easy. Click the following link…