Review Session - Scheduler

Agenda

• Demo Scheduler
• Overview
• Scheduler
  • Tabs
    • Views
    • Wizards
    • Schedules
    • Waiting List
• System Configuration
  • Schedule Resources
  • Schedules
  • Appointment Types
    • Durations
    • Colors
    • Default Encounter Type
    • Print Definitions
  • Cancellation Codes
  • Waiting List
  • System Settings
  • My Settings and Security Role Permissions
• Resources

Overview

The Enterprise Health Scheduler is easily configured to organize multiple clinicians, locations, and resources. Editors are available for clients to load appointment types, cancellation codes, and schedules, as needed. Custom configuration of appointment types, cancellation codes, schedules, email templates, or automated business rules by Deployment Specialists or MIE staff is available as an add-on service, if interested.

Standard functionality includes:

• Customizable views and user preference options
• Multi-location/centralized scheduling
• Appointment Waiting List
• Appointment Types editor
• Schedule editor
• Cancellation editor
• Self-scheduling via the portal
• Pre-loaded standard email templates
• Appointment reports for missed, canceled, or no-show appointments

Scheduler

The appointment and schedule management module, also known as the Scheduler, features a customizable, robust scheduler that makes it easy to set up and organize multiple physicians, locations, and resources (e.g., CT scanner, MR magnet, Surgery Suite, etc.). The appointment calendar features an easy-to-use appointment wizard, intuitive interface, color coding option, and multiple views, including daily and weekly views. The scheduling module allows users to check in patients, print charts, enter vitals, and add dictation through the scheduling screen.

Tabs

Given the foundations of the Enterprise Health system, almost every module and page will have tabs at the top. These are designed to assist with navigation, customizations and configurations, as well as general functionality.

Views

There are three available views for the Scheduler: List View, Multi View, and Week View. Each of these provides a different look at the schedule resources, which may be more or less conducive to the organization’s prescribed workflows. It is important to note that appointments cannot be scheduled from the List View.

Wizards

There are two tabs dedicated to assisting users with quick registrations and appointment scheduling. The Wizard tab, or Add Appointment Wizard, allows users to schedule appointments for already established users or patients in the system. The Pat/Appt Wizard, or Patient Registration/Appointment Wizard, is similar to the Add Appointment Wizard; it simply prompts the user with a patient registration page, where all of the new patient information can be entered, prior to scheduling the appointment. Once the information is saved, the Add Appointment Wizard immediately loads, and the appointment(s) can be scheduled, as needed. Simply put, the Pat/Appt Wizard allows new patients to be registered and scheduled for their first appointment(s), at the same time.

Schedules

The Schedules tab allows users with the proper security permissions to add, edit, and remove any established schedules and schedule resources, as needed. In order to schedule appointments, establish appointment durations, and ensure the preferred scheduling times are available, use the Schedules tab. Here, users will be able to determine the number of available appointments, specify the types of appointments open to be scheduled, search for and view existing schedules, and manage any resource schedules needed for the organization.

Waiting List

The Waiting List tab can be used to view all appointments placed on the Waiting List. When clicked, the Waiting List will automatically display appointments for the defaulted Resource, shown in the Show Waiting List For search section, at the top of the page. To view the entire list, set the Resource to Select Resource and Location to Any Location, and the results will update, automatically.

The Waiting List displays patients in ascending order of when they were scheduled on the waiting list. For example, the top-most appointment on the list is the first person scheduled on the waiting list; and the last appointment on the list is the most recently added appointment.

System Configuration

The Scheduler ****  module in Enterprise Health allows offices to interface with a Practice Management (PM) system, as well as account for any varying schedules the organization may need. Depending on the workflows and necessary schedule resources, varying degrees of configuration are needed to begin scheduling appointments in Enterprise Health .

In order to add or manage schedules and appointments in Enterprise Health , the proper security permissions must be provided. For instance, in order to create and manage resource schedules, the security role setting Edit Schedules must be set to Yes. Similarly, to add appointments, the Add Appointments setting must be Yes. If the My Settings preference of Force Default Resources is set to Yes, the Scheduler will show all resources that have an added or edited appointment by you. To view only one resource at a time, ensure this setting is set to No. For more information on some the various settings, review the Security Role Settings documentation.

Once schedules are configured, adding an appointment is as simple as navigating to the Scheduler , locating the necessary day on the proper resource’s schedule, and clicking the appropriate time slot needed. This will automatically open the Wizard tab, which allows users to detail the scheduled appointment, as needed. When the Appointment Wizard opens, it will show the Patient section, where the user types in the last name of the patient, or searches by date of birth, medical record number, or social security number. If the Add Appt link is clicked from anywhere in a chart, the Patient field will automatically populate the name of the patient. To reduce alerts and ensure everything on the Scheduler works fluidly, the following areas may need additional configuration:

Schedule Resources

As noted, schedule resources are schedulable entities, such as physicians, technicians, devices, or departments, to name a few. For example, a schedule resource can be Dr. John. A. Doe, CT Scanner, MR magnet, Lab, Surgery Suite, etc.

Resources are set up as users, configured or pre-loaded in the Enterprise Health system. Each resource must belong to the specified department to be considered a resource. Most systems utilize the default Scheduling Resources department; however, the Physicians department may be a preferred alternative. To specify the preferred department from which scheduling resources will be pulled, ensure the System Setting (Scheduler, Settings, Scheduling Realm) is set to the specific department being used.

Schedules

Creating schedules is quick and easy in Enterprise Health systems. After creating and/or customizing a schedule, it can be saved as a template or copied, to make for fast creation across multiple scheduling resources. Additionally, scheduling resources can be limited, or restricted, if necessary, to assist with efficiency and security. To create a schedule for a scheduling resource:

1. Navigate to the Scheduler sidemenu .
2. Click on the Schedules tab .
3. Click the Add link .
4. Fill in all of the appropriate fields.
5. Assign specific, allowed appointment types, when applicable.
   Tip

   Leaving this field blank will allow all appointment types to be scheduled for the resource in context.