Advanced Scheduling and Template Features

1. Advanced Scheduling and Template Features Angela Jarrett CPC. CMPA Implementation and Training Consultant

2. Redesigning the Schedule • Establish a visits-per-day target • Determine duration of Appointment Types • Create a Chart- Short>Medium>Long visits • Define time increments that work • Experiment on paper! • Take time to train • Put the scheduling scheme into operation

3. Alternative Scheduling Approaches Modified Wave Scheduling Fixed Wave Scheduling Efficiency is key Simultaneous schedules Appointment types are not priority First Come – First Served Fixed time slots Longer waits for the late patient • Overlapping appointments • Create heavier volume in the AM and PM start • Decrease volume as end of blocks • No more patient delays or long wait times • See more patients with fewer frustrating waits

4. Double Booking Like Visits Together Continuous workflow and process speed Eliminates set-up time “Assembly Line” scheduling Scheduling by patient categories Straight-forward vs complex time Group scheduling concept • Minimize down time • Jumpstart the AM/PM • Increased Productivity • Modulate time imbalances • Catch-up time • First come/ First Served • Interspersing Established with New Patients

5. Staggered Starts Group Scheduling Supportive atmosphere for the chronic condition patient Productivity is not lost for no show patients Primarily used for larger staff-model, Nutritional, Flu Clinics or Behavioral Health visits. • Staggering visits in 5/10 minute intervals • Helps avoid gaps when patient arrives late • 9:00 am- Patient A … 9:05 Patient B = Only loosing 5 minutes vs. 15 minutes. • Allows for flexibility with work in or walk in patients • Allows catch-up for unpredictable patient visit types.

6. 10 or 15 Minute Increments • 15 minutes or 10 minutes • Scheduled time VS. Actual Visit Time Gaps • Using appropriate appointment type is critical • 10, 20, 30 and 40 • Trade-off of loosing that 5 minutes

7. Clogging up the Patient Flow • No Shows • Late Arrivals • Waiting room bottleneck • Irrational Scheduling • “Walk-Ins” • Provider Capacity • “Oh by the way….” • Overwhelming patient volumes • Training, training, training!

8. Appointment Search Considerations As effective as the Schedule Templates allow. Appointment Search allows searching for multiple resources and multiple appointment types on any given day. Using Delay and Rules can help streamline the search process even further. Default criteria can be set as a Preference Appointment Search criteria can be saved for commonly used appointment searches. Appointment Search criteria can work in conjunction with appointment chains to find a series of recurring appointments over time.

9. Appointment Search Criteria Criteria may be saved within the Search for Appointment Window The Schedule Component>Edit Menu>Appointment Search Criteria allows easy access to building common criteria. Search Criteria is saved globally, for all users. It is recommended to set security permissions appropriately to Create, Modify, Delete Search Criteria.

10. User and Group Preferences Schedule Preferences may be set at a user and group level. User Preferences are found within the Options>Preferences menu of any CPS Component. Group Preferences are found within Administration>Edit Menu>Shortcut to User Management>User Group Preferences The username must have a preference group assigned within user management.

11. Appointment Sets versus Chains Appointment Sets Appointment Chains Recurring appointments Multiple appointments at once for the same patient but on different dates. No impact to the Billing module. A separate visit will be created for each booked appointment. • Multipleappointments for the same patient on the same day. • Used for visits that have multiple parts. • Displays Single Visit in Billing module • Appointments must have identical • Company • Facility • Responsible Provider • Appointment Date

12. Appointment Sets Considerations Always schedule the Responsible Provider’s appointment first. This will be the visit that is created first in Billing. If any one of the four items do not match, the appointment set will still work, however, there will be multiple visits in Billing. The set must be created prior to previewing or printing a superbill or modifying a visit. You may cancel all of the appointments associated with the Appointment Set at one time.

13. Appointment Chain Considerations If you do not need to use the Appointment Search feature to find available appointments, simply book the first appointment and double click in the Chain field and name this chain. If you do not know which future time slots are available, you can use the Appointment Search feature to both schedule and chain those appointments. When cancelling an appointment that belongs to an Appointment Chain, you have the option to cancel ALL appointments within the chain, or several appointments within the chain.

14. Wait Status The Wait Status View is designed to give the user a complete view of appointments in a list format based upon the user’s selection of Date Facilities Resources The view gives the ability to sort by: Appointment Time Patient Name Resource Check-In Time With Provider Time Checked Out Time Appointment Status.

15. Schedule Reports • Manage “Blocked” Appointments • Allocated, unallocated and scheduled slots • Catch the Expired Authorization for Case Management • Keeping the patient on track and productivity measurements met!

16. Scheduling an Appointment Workflow

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