Scheduling

Scheduling - Overview

INSight's Scheduling module for managing patient appointments allows you to single, double, or even triple book appointments. It is flexible, providing for the unique requirements of each physician. This allows your practice to more effectively service the needs of your patients and ultimately provide better patient relations.

Scheduling builds a comprehensive history file that tracks each patient's appointment history, including the reason and frequency of cancellations. Rescheduling is easily accommodated and allows you to move individual appointments, or you can move entire blocks of appointments at once.

For additional information, click More.

Tips:

To use Scheduling, your Operator ID must be setup in Scheduling Operator Maintenance.
Because you can tailor the features and the display of scheduling, your scheduling display may not match the documentation. For more information, please contact NDS Technical Support.
Depending on how parameters are set for your practice, the following windows can appear when you load a different patient into Scheduling:
Patient Entry - Alert Message Window
Scheduling - Referral Authorization Search Window
Scheduling - Appointments Exist Notice
Patient Appointments Window
Scheduling - Floating Appointment Detail Window

Scheduling Features:

View schedules for multiple doctors, resources, and multiple locations.
Customize and color-code time schedules by provider, by appointment type, and incrementally such as every 15, 20 or 30 minutes.
Use the Patient Summary Inquiry to view comprehensive patient information including insurance data and co-pays, visit & treatment history, pharmacy phone number & email, and other user-definable data.
Search and schedule same-day multi-visit appointments and resources, such as exam rooms, labs and special equipment.
Search for appointments by the next available time slot, by increments of time – days, weeks or months, or by groups of related appointments.
Schedule recurring appointments.
Reschedule appointments by drag & drop.
Display the appointment history of current, future, and canceled appointments.
Track workers’ compensation and other personal injury situations, patient referrals, no-charge appointments, & patient check-in.
Highlight & flag reschedules and overrides for instant visual recognition.

Directions:

To see directions for...

Opening Scheduling, click More.

Scheduling a new appointment, click More.

Canceling a patient appointment, click More.

Rescheduling a patient appointment, click More.

Understanding the field values for the following areas, click the section name in the table below:

Scheduling Window - Field Details by Area

Tip: To see more information about an area of the Scheduling Window, click the hyperlink for that area.

Side Panel

Note: The Scheduling Side Panel makes up the left side of the INSight Scheduling window when you open Scheduling. The Side Panel contains three major sections described below - the INSight Toolbar, Patient Reference Panel, and Parameters Panel.

Tips:

To hide the Scheduling Side Panel, click Shrink Menu on the INSight Toolbar.

To shift the Side Panel to the right side, use the Flip Control Menu.

INSight Toolbar

Contains rows of buttons depicting the most commonly used programs in the module.

Patient Reference Panel

Contains the patient demographics and the Account Number prompt.

Scheduling Parameters Panel

Contains the parameters to determine how time slots are displayed in the Appointment Book Area.

Tip: From the Parameters Panel, you can launch the Parameter Selection Window, which is used to predefine, store, and retrieve sets of parameters.

Scheduling Window (Data Panel)

Note: The Scheduling Window makes up the right side of the INSight window, when you are in Scheduling. The Data Panel contains three major sections described below - the Scheduling Toolbar, Appointment Book Area, and the Detail Panel.

Scheduling Toolbar

Contains the buttons to control the schedule display and to perform certain scheduling functions.

Appointment Book Area

Displays columns for each day, for each provider, with the unreserved and reserved appointment time slots.

Detail Panel

Displays one of the following areas, depending on your selection:

Appointment Detail Area: Displays additional information about the time slot currently highlighted in the schedule.
Recalls List Area: Displays the list of recalls for the patient, which are ticklers to schedule an appointment for a specific purpose.
Reschedule Appointments List Area: Displays the list of appointments waiting to be rescheduled.

Other Windows for Scheduling

Note: The following windows can be launched while in Scheduling and usually display on top of the main Scheduling Window.

Amend Layout

Changes the format of the Appointment Book Area on the "fly". You can change the Appointment Type for the time slots, the Location for the time slots, and the length of day by adding time slots.

Appointment Cancel Window

Cancels an appointment.

Appointment Override Window

Schedules an appointment that has a disallowed appointment type, exceeds referral limits, or is with a provider whose state license or insurance is inadequate.

Appointment Scheduler Window

Books patient appointments and maintains associated information about the appointments.

Appointments Exist Notice

Alerts you when you select a patient who has pending rescheduled appointments on the Reschedule List or recalls on the Recalls List.

Audit Trails

The following inquiries display the history of changes to appointments:

Calendar Pop-Up

Displays the calendar for one month at a time, where you can quickly select dates.

Check In Status Window

Checks in patients for their appointments and maintains the status or phase of their appointment during the visit.

Floating Appointment Detail Window

Conveniently focuses on specific time slots in the schedule and displays the date, provider, availability, allowed appointment types and duration.

Force Appointment Window

Schedules an appointment in a time slot already reserved with an appointment.

Tip: This is also called double-booking.

Patient Appointments Window

Contains information about patient appointments, including both scheduled and cancelled appointments.

Provider Status Inquiry Window

Quickly see one or more providers' work status for a specific day.

Recurring Appointment Scheduler Window

Books patient appointments for multiple dates and maintains associated information about the appointments.

Reschedule Appointment Window

Schedules an appointment for another day, another time, or another provider.

Searches

The following special searches can be launched from Scheduling:

New Patient Appointment Search: Searches for new patients. There are two versions of the search - the classic version and the semantic version.
Referral Authorization Search: Searches for existing referrals for a patient . You can use this search to attach a referral to an appointment.

Shortcut Menus

Shortcut menus (launched by right-clicking) let you quickly launch programs and commands.

Scheduling Shortcut Menu: Displays options for the Appointment Book Area.
Scheduling Appointments Shortcut Menu: Displays options for the Patient Appointments Window - Scheduled Appointments List Area.

Zoom View Window

Changes the font size in the Appointment Book Area for easier viewing.

Scheduling Window - Field Details by Area Tip: To see more information about an area of the Scheduling Window, click the hyperlink for that area.
Side Panel Note: The Scheduling Side Panel makes up the left side of the INSight Scheduling window when you open Scheduling. The Side Panel contains three major sections described below - the INSight Toolbar, Patient Reference Panel, and Parameters Panel. Tips: To hide the Scheduling Side Panel, click Shrink Menu on the INSight Toolbar. To shift the Side Panel to the right side, use the Flip Control Menu.
INSight Toolbar	Contains rows of buttons depicting the most commonly used programs in the module.
Patient Reference Panel	Contains the patient demographics and the Account Number prompt.
Scheduling Parameters Panel	Contains the parameters to determine how time slots are displayed in the Appointment Book Area. Tip: From the Parameters Panel, you can launch the Parameter Selection Window, which is used to predefine, store, and retrieve sets of parameters.
Scheduling Window (Data Panel) Note: The Scheduling Window makes up the right side of the INSight window, when you are in Scheduling. The Data Panel contains three major sections described below - the Scheduling Toolbar, Appointment Book Area, and the Detail Panel.
Scheduling Toolbar	Contains the buttons to control the schedule display and to perform certain scheduling functions.
Appointment Book Area	Displays columns for each day, for each provider, with the unreserved and reserved appointment time slots.
Detail Panel	Displays one of the following areas, depending on your selection: Appointment Detail Area: Displays additional information about the time slot currently highlighted in the schedule. Recalls List Area: Displays the list of recalls for the patient, which are ticklers to schedule an appointment for a specific purpose. Reschedule Appointments List Area: Displays the list of appointments waiting to be rescheduled.
Other Windows for Scheduling Note: The following windows can be launched while in Scheduling and usually display on top of the main Scheduling Window.
Amend Layout	Changes the format of the Appointment Book Area on the "fly". You can change the Appointment Type for the time slots, the Location for the time slots, and the length of day by adding time slots.
Appointment Cancel Window	Cancels an appointment.
Appointment Override Window	Schedules an appointment that has a disallowed appointment type, exceeds referral limits, or is with a provider whose state license or insurance is inadequate.
Appointment Scheduler Window	Books patient appointments and maintains associated information about the appointments.
Appointments Exist Notice	Alerts you when you select a patient who has pending rescheduled appointments on the Reschedule List or recalls on the Recalls List.
Audit Trails	The following inquiries display the history of changes to appointments: Appointment Audit Trail Window Recall Audit Trail Window
Calendar Pop-Up	Displays the calendar for one month at a time, where you can quickly select dates.
Check In Status Window	Checks in patients for their appointments and maintains the status or phase of their appointment during the visit.
Floating Appointment Detail Window	Conveniently focuses on specific time slots in the schedule and displays the date, provider, availability, allowed appointment types and duration.
Force Appointment Window	Schedules an appointment in a time slot already reserved with an appointment. Tip: This is also called double-booking.
Patient Appointments Window	Contains information about patient appointments, including both scheduled and cancelled appointments.
Provider Status Inquiry Window	Quickly see one or more providers' work status for a specific day.
Recurring Appointment Scheduler Window	Books patient appointments for multiple dates and maintains associated information about the appointments.
Reschedule Appointment Window	Schedules an appointment for another day, another time, or another provider.
Searches	The following special searches can be launched from Scheduling: New Patient Appointment Search: Searches for new patients. There are two versions of the search - the classic version and the semantic version. Referral Authorization Search: Searches for existing referrals for a patient . You can use this search to attach a referral to an appointment.
Shortcut Menus	Shortcut menus (launched by right-clicking) let you quickly launch programs and commands. Scheduling Shortcut Menu: Displays options for the Appointment Book Area. Scheduling Appointments Shortcut Menu: Displays options for the Patient Appointments Window - Scheduled Appointments List Area.
Zoom View Window	Changes the font size in the Appointment Book Area for easier viewing.