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Healthcare service

Explain with AI

This section describes how to define and manage Healthcare Services within 4Geeks Health. Healthcare Services represent the specific medical services offered by your organization, and they are essential for scheduling appointments, ordering procedures, billing, and reporting.

What is a Healthcare Service?

A Healthcare Service in 4Geeks Health represents a billable or trackable medical service provided to patients. Examples include:

  • Consultations: General consultations, specialist consultations, follow-up consultations.
  • Procedures: Surgical procedures, diagnostic procedures (e.g., endoscopy, biopsy), therapeutic procedures (e.g., injections, wound care).
  • Therapy Services: Physiotherapy sessions, occupational therapy sessions, speech therapy sessions.
  • Laboratory Tests: Individual lab tests or panels of tests. (Note: These are often managed separately in the Laboratory module, but can be linked to Healthcare Services).
  • Imaging Studies: X-rays, CT scans, MRIs, ultrasounds. (Note: These may also be managed separately).
  • Vaccinations: Specific types of vaccinations.
  • Other Services: Any other billable or trackable service your organization provides.

Accessing Healthcare Services

You can typically access and manage Healthcare Services through:

  1. Navigation Menu:
    • Look for a “Healthcare Services,” “Services,” “Procedures,” “Service Catalog,” or similar option in the main navigation menu.
    • Click this option.

Creating a Healthcare Service

1. Initiate the Process

  • Navigate to the Healthcare Services section.
  • Click a “New Service,” “Add Service,” “Create Service,” or similar button.

2. Fill Out the Service Form

The form will likely include the following fields:

  • Service Name *: A clear and descriptive name for the service (e.g., “Initial Consultation - Cardiology,” “Physical Therapy Session - 30 minutes,” “Appendectomy”). Mandatory.
  • Service Code (Optional): An internal code for the service. This may be used for billing or reporting purposes. It could also be linked to standard coding systems (see below).
  • Service Category (Optional): Categorize the service (e.g., Consultation, Procedure, Therapy, Lab Test, Imaging). This helps with organization and reporting.
  • Department (Optional): Assign the service to a specific department within your organization (e.g., Cardiology, Radiology, Physiotherapy).
  • Is Billable *: Indicate whether the service is billable. Mandatory.
  • Standard Rate (Price): The standard price for the service. This may be used for billing purposes.
  • Currency: The currency for the standard rate.
  • Duration (Optional): The typical duration of the service (e.g., 30 minutes, 1 hour). This is important for scheduling.
  • Description (Optional): A more detailed description of the service. This could be used for internal reference or displayed in the Patient Portal.
  • Medical Coding (Important):
    • CPT/HCPCS Codes (US): If applicable, link the service to the appropriate CPT (Current Procedural Terminology) or HCPCS (Healthcare Common Procedure Coding System) codes. These codes are used for billing in the United States.
    • ICD-10 Codes (International): You may also link the service to relevant ICD-10 (International Classification of Diseases) codes, which describe diagnoses. This is not typically done at the service level, but rather at the encounter level when a diagnosis is made. However, some systems allow pre-linking services to possible related ICD-10 codes.
    • Other Coding Systems: Depending on your region and specialty, you may need to link the service to other coding systems.
  • Practitioner: Practitioner related to this service.
  • Inpatient Service: Set if it is an Inpatient Service.
  • Is Appointment Required: Set if it is required to have an appointment to execute this service.

3. Saving the Service

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

Managing Healthcare Services

  • View: You can view a list of all defined Healthcare Services.
  • Edit: You can edit existing services to update their information (e.g., change the price, add a CPT code).
  • Deactivate/Activate: You may be able to deactivate services that are no longer offered or temporarily unavailable. Avoid deleting services if they have been used in the past, as this can cause problems with historical data.
  • Search and Filter: The system should allow you to search and filter the list of services to find specific ones.

Using Healthcare Services

Healthcare Services are used in various parts of 4Geeks Health, including:

  • Appointment Scheduling: When scheduling an appointment, you select the appropriate Healthcare Service.
  • Outpatient Visits and Inpatient Encounters: When documenting a visit or encounter, you select the Healthcare Services provided.
  • Orders: When creating orders (e.g., for procedures, lab tests), you select the relevant Healthcare Service.
  • Billing: The selected Healthcare Services are used to generate billing charges.
  • Reporting: You can generate reports on service utilization, revenue by service, etc.

Important Considerations

  • Standardized Naming: Use clear and consistent naming conventions for your services.
  • Accurate Coding: Ensure that services are correctly linked to appropriate medical codes (CPT/HCPCS, ICD-10) for accurate billing and reporting.
  • Regular Updates: Keep your list of Healthcare Services up-to-date. Add new services as needed, and deactivate services that are no longer offered.
  • Pricing: Regularly review and update the prices for your services.
  • User Permissions: Different user roles may have access to this features.
  • Training: Provide proper training to staff.

This documentation provides a comprehensive overview of managing Healthcare Services in 4Geeks Health. Remember to adapt any specific field names, coding systems, or steps to match your organization’s customized configuration and local regulations.