What syncs with your PMS, and what doesn't

When Valian connects to your practice management software (PMS), Amy shares only a narrow slice of it: the scheduling data she needs to answer, book, and confirm appointments. She never reads or writes your clinical records. This article lays out exactly what moves between Valian and your PMS, which direction it flows, and how quickly.

What syncs

From your PMS into Valian (so Amy can see)

• Your real openings and provider or operatory availability
• Existing appointments for today and the days ahead
• Patient contact records — name, phone, and email — so Amy matches each caller to the right person
• Appointment types and how long each one takes
• Provider hours and days off

From Valian back into your PMS (so your book stays the source of truth)

• New appointments Amy books
• Reschedules and cancellations
• New patient records Amy creates when a caller isn't in your system yet

Appointments and patients sync both ways: Amy reads them, and she writes her changes straight back so your front-desk team always sees the same book she does.

What doesn't sync

Amy is a front desk, not a clinical system. The following stays entirely inside your PMS — Valian never reads or writes any of it:

• Clinical charts and treatment plans
• X-rays, images, and perio charting
• Clinical and progress notes
• Your ledger, patient payments, and PMS billing
• Insurance claims and claim history

How fast it syncs

The link is near real-time. When Amy books, the appointment appears in your schedule within seconds. When you or your team change something directly in the PMS — move an appointment, block an afternoon — Valian picks it up usually within about a minute, so Amy is always looking at the current book, not a stale copy.

Coverage varies a little by system

The direct and secure-connector systems — Open Dental, Dentrix, and Eaglesoft — support full two-way sync: Amy reads your openings and writes bookings straight in. Some cloud systems share reading fully but handle writeback a little differently. In those, Amy may capture a booking and drop it into What needs to get done (your Tasks tab) for your team to confirm with one tap. Your onboarding contact tells you exactly how yours works. See Connecting a cloud PMS.

What happens if the connection drops

Nothing is lost. If the link to your PMS goes down, Amy keeps answering, holds each new request safely, and everything syncs the moment the connection returns. Walk through the fix in Reconnecting your PMS if it disconnects.

Frequently asked questions

Can Amy see my patients' clinical history? No. Charts, treatment plans, images, and notes never leave your PMS. Amy only works with scheduling data and contact details.

If I move an appointment in my PMS, does Amy know? Yes. Changes you make directly in your PMS flow back to Valian, usually within about a minute, so Amy books around them.

Does Amy create duplicate patients? She matches on phone number and name first, and only creates a new record when a caller genuinely isn't in your system yet.

Where do I see the insurance Amy verified? On the patient's timeline and the Insurance tab in Valian — not in your PMS, since Amy verifies eligibility through the payer, not your software.

Does my ledger or billing sync? No. Your PMS billing stays in your PMS. Valian's own usage billing is completely separate and lives in the Billing tab.