Appoiments

This section describes how to manage patient appointments within 4Geeks Health. Efficient appointment management is crucial for smooth clinic operations and patient satisfaction.

Accessing the Appointments Page¶

You can access the Appointments page in several ways:

1. From the Dashboard:

   • Look for an “Appointments,” “Calendar,” or similar link/button on the main 4Geeks Health dashboard.
   • Click this link/button.

2. From the Navigation Menu:

   • Find the “Appointments,” “Scheduling,” or “Calendar” option in the main navigation menu (often on the left side of the screen).
   • Click this option.

3. From a Patient Record:

   • While viewing a patient’s record, there may be a button or link to “Schedule Appointment” or “View Appointments.”

The Appointments View¶

The Appointments page typically displays a calendar view, showing appointments for a specific day, week, or month. You may be able to:

• Change the View: Switch between day, week, month, and potentially list views.
• Navigate Dates: Use arrows or a date picker to move to different dates.
• Filter Appointments: Filter by practitioner, department, appointment type, or other criteria (depending on your system’s configuration).
• View Appointment Details: Click on an appointment in the calendar to see its details (patient, time, practitioner, status, etc.).

Scheduling Appointments¶

1. Accessing the Scheduling Form¶

There are a few ways to initiate the appointment scheduling process:

• From the Appointments Page:
  • Click an empty time slot on the calendar.
  • Click a “New Appointment,” “Schedule Appointment,” or “+” button.
• From a Patient Record:
  • Click a “Schedule Appointment” button while viewing a patient’s record.

2. Filling Out the Scheduling Form¶

The appointment scheduling form will require you to enter the following information:

• Patient *: Start typing the patient’s name or ID, and the system should provide suggestions. Select the correct patient. This field is mandatory.
• Practitioner *: Select the healthcare provider for the appointment from a dropdown list. This field is mandatory.
• Healthcare Service: Select a service to be executed on the appointment.
• Appointment Type: (Optional) Select a pre-defined appointment type (e.g., Consultation, Follow-up, Procedure). This helps categorize appointments.
• Date *: Select the date for the appointment. The calendar view should visually indicate available time slots. This field is mandatory.
• Start Time *: Select the start time for the appointment. This field is mandatory.
• Duration/End Time: Either enter the appointment duration (e.g., 30 minutes) or select the end time. The system might automatically calculate one based on the other.
• Status: You may be able to set the initial status (e.g., Scheduled, Tentative). The system may automatically update the status as the appointment progresses.
• Notes: Add any relevant notes about the appointment (e.g., reason for visit, special instructions).

3. Saving the Appointment¶

• Review: Double-check all the entered information.
• Save: Click the “Save,” “Create Appointment,” or similar button.

4. Confirmation¶

• You should see a confirmation message that the appointment has been scheduled.
• The appointment should now appear on the calendar view.

Managing Appointments¶

Once an appointment is scheduled, you can manage it in various ways:

• View Details: Click on the appointment in the calendar to view its full details.
• Edit:
  • Click on the appointment.
  • Look for an “Edit” button or icon.
  • Modify the appointment details (date, time, practitioner, etc.).
  • Save the changes.
• Cancel:
  • Click on the appointment.
  • Look for a “Cancel,” “Delete,” or “Remove” button or icon.
  • Confirm the cancellation (the system may ask for a reason).
  • The appointment may be removed from the calendar or marked as “Cancelled.”
• Reschedule:
  • Often, editing the appointment and changing the date/time is the way to reschedule.
  • Some systems may have a dedicated “Reschedule” option.
• Check-In/Check-Out:
  • Some systems have features to mark patients as “Checked In” when they arrive and “Checked Out” when they leave. This helps track patient flow.
• Start Consultation: * Clicking this button the appointment status changes to In Progress and the consultation can begin.

Appointment Reminders¶

4Geeks Health can be configured to send automated appointment reminders to patients. This helps reduce no-shows and improves patient adherence.

1. Reminder Settings (Configuration)¶

• Administrator Access: Reminder settings are usually configured by system administrators.
• Reminder Methods: Choose the methods for sending reminders:
  • Email: Send reminders to the patient’s email address.
  • SMS (Text Message): Send reminders to the patient’s mobile phone. Requires SMS gateway integration.
• Reminder Timing: Specify when reminders should be sent (e.g., 24 hours before, 2 hours before). You may be able to set multiple reminders.
• Reminder Content: Customize the message content for reminders (e.g., include appointment date, time, practitioner, location, preparation instructions).

2. Enabling/Disabling Reminders (Per Appointment)¶

• While scheduling or editing an appointment, you might have the option to enable or disable reminders for that specific appointment. This provides flexibility.

3. Reminder Status¶

• The appointment details may show the status of reminders (e.g., “Sent,” “Failed,” “Pending”).

4. Manual Reminders¶

• Even with automated reminders, you may still want to manually contact patients in some cases (e.g., for high-risk appointments or if a patient has a history of no-shows).

Important Considerations¶

• Double-Booking: Be careful to avoid double-booking appointments. The system should have mechanisms to prevent this, but always visually check the calendar.
• Practitioner Availability: Ensure that the selected practitioner is available at the chosen time. The system may have features to manage practitioner schedules.
• Time Zones: If your organization operates across multiple time zones, ensure that the system is correctly handling time zone conversions.
• User Permissions: Different users may have different levels of access to appointment scheduling and management features. Make sure users have the appropriate permissions.

This documentation provides a comprehensive overview of appointment management in 4Geeks Health. Remember to adapt any specific field names, button labels, or steps to match your organization’s customized configuration.