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Calendar Sync

Clayton
Clayton
  • Updated

Overview

You can sync your Cerbo calendar to an external calendar (for example, Google Calendar or Apple/Mac Calendar). This is a one-way sync of information from Cerbo to the external calendar.

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Details

Each user can access an iCal calendar sync URL via Scheduling > Calendar Sync URL. This creates an iCal feed that you can “subscribe” to in an external calendar, such as Google Calendar, Yahoo! Calendar, Microsoft Outlook, or the iOS (Apple/Mac) Calendar. Once you’re subscribed, appointments added to your Cerbo calendar will automatically sync to the external calendar.

Be sure to subscribe to the iCal feed rather than import it. Importing is a one-time transfer of information that won’t stay up to date as appointments are added, edited, or removed in Cerbo.

Sync timing: different external calendar systems sync at different intervals. iOS calendars tend to sync very frequently (every few minutes), and some systems let you set the sync interval yourself. Google Calendar’s sync timing, in particular, can be less frequent and unpredictable, sometimes taking up to 24 hours. If this is causing headaches, there’s a third-party script you can use to force Cerbo to sync with Google Calendar more frequently (see the Troubleshooting section below for a link).

Important: each user only has access to their own calendar sync URL, and only their own appointments will sync via that URL. If you’d like to sync a calendar other than your own, reach out to the staff member whose calendar you’d like to subscribe to.

Reach out to support@cer.bo if:

  • You’re a practice administrator (or otherwise assist multiple users) and would like access to several staff members’ calendar sync URLs
  • You need access to a resource calendar

Keep in mind that the iCal feed is a one-way sync from Cerbo to the external calendar. You can view your Cerbo schedule in the external calendar, but any edits made there won’t show up in the EMR, and may be overwritten by the next sync (or you may be prevented from editing on that end at all).

Note: most calendar programs aren’t HIPAA-secure, so keep this in mind when syncing appointment information to an external calendar. The information transmitted via the sync includes the appointment title, type, day/time, and the patient’s name or initials. The patient identifier that syncs (name vs. initials) is configurable, so reach out to support@cer.bo if you’d like to change how patient names sync.

To get a link to your personal iCal feed, go to the Scheduling dropdown menu in the EMR and click Calendar Sync URL. This generates a link to your personal Cerbo calendar. Copy this link and provide it as the calendar source when prompted by your calendar program.

Sync to iOS/Mac Devices (iPad, iPhone, etc.)

On current versions of iOS/iPadOS, you can subscribe directly from the Calendar app:

  1. Open the Calendar app
  2. Tap Calendars at the bottom of the screen
  3. Tap Add Calendar, then tap Add Subscription Calendar
  4. Enter your Cerbo calendar sync URL, then tap Sign In (or Subscribe)
  5. Give the calendar a title and color, then choose iCloud next to Account if you’d like it to sync across all your Apple devices
  6. Tap Done

For the full walkthrough, including how to unsubscribe later, see Apple’s guide: Use iCloud calendar subscriptions.

Older iOS

  1. Launch the Settings app
  2. Tap Calendar, then tap Accounts
  3. Choose Add Account
  4. Select Other
  5. Under Calendars, tap Add Subscribed Calendar
  6. Paste your calendar link into the Server field (tap and hold the field, then select Paste)
  7. Tap Next
  8. Use the Description field to give the calendar a recognizable name, if you’d like
  9. Enter a server username and password if required (usually not required)
  10. Tap Save

Android/Google Calendar

Google Calendar only supports adding a calendar by URL from a web browser, not from the Android or iOS app. To add your Cerbo feed to the Google account associated with your phone or tablet:

  1. On a computer, go to Google Calendar and sign in with the same Google account you use on your phone or tablet
  2. On the left side of the page, next to “Other calendars,” click the plus sign, then select “From URL”
  3. Paste in the URL of your personal calendar feed (see Getting a Link to Your iCal Feed above) and click Add Calendar

Once added, the calendar will sync to the Google Calendar app on your phone or tablet automatically.

Note: Google Calendar doesn’t sync as often as other calendars, so new appointments and edits made in the EMR may not show up in Google Calendar for up to 24 hours.

Troubleshooting Google Calendar Sync

Issue: no new appointments are showing up.
This usually means the iCal file was imported rather than subscribed to. Importing only pulls a one-time snapshot. Try again, making sure to use the Subscribe option instead.

Issue: the calendar was syncing, but updates have stopped.
If appointments loaded correctly before but haven’t updated in more than 24 hours, Google Calendar may have dropped the resync setting. You’ll still see previously loaded appointments, but you’ll need to remove and re-add the calendar subscription in Google Calendar to restart it.

Issue: it’s taking too long for edits to show up.
Google Calendar sets its own sync schedule for iCal feeds, and it isn’t always fast. Officially it shouldn’t take more than 12 hours (and it’s usually much quicker), but longer delays have been reported. There’s a workaround that has helped some users force more frequent syncing; reach out to support@cer.bo for details.

Adding Your iCal Feed to macOS Calendar

In the Calendar app, go to File > New Calendar Subscription and paste in your Cerbo Calendar Sync URL.

Adding Your iCal Feed to Microsoft Outlook

Steps vary by Outlook version. Reach out to support@cer.bo if you need help locating the subscribe option for your version.

Adding Your iCal Feed to Yahoo! Calendar

  1. Go to calendar.yahoo.com and sign in with your Yahoo! username and password
  2. Click the gear icon next to “Subscribed” in the bottom left of the screen
  3. Select “Subscribe to Other Calendars”
  4. Give the calendar a name (for example, “Cerbo Calendar”) and paste in the URL of your iCal feed

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