Session 2 Front Desk Tasks

Session 2 Front Desk Tasks

Agenda Front Desk Activities: Patient Search Manage Appointments Patient Registration Manage Recalls Patient Charts Manage Schedules Eligibility Checking

Front Desk Screen Overview The Front Desk Screen (ACPM home screen) is comprised of the following Panes: Front Desk Activities Patient Search Manage Appointments Outstanding Recall Summary

Patient Search Pane The Patient Search Pane: To locate a patient, first use the By drop-down to select the search option. By default, Auto will be selected and that will search all available fields. If you wish to narrow the search, select any of the available options (e.g. SSN, DOB, Name). In the Search for field, type your search information. The asterisk (*) can be used as a wild card for names or numbers. When searching by name, always search by the last name. If using a first name as well, enter a comma and space, for example: Smith, John or Smith, J.

Manage Appointments Pane All appointments for the selected date are listed in the Manage Appointments pane. The default view will show appointments for the current date. To view another date, enter a date in the Date field and click Search. To filter the list of appointments by Resource or Location, select the desired filters from the drop-down menus and click Search. To sort the order of the list, click on the column headers. Links under Action are shortcuts to tasks. Example: Click the Chart link to view the patient s Chart.

Outstanding Recall Summary Pane Outstanding Recall Summary Pane: Outstanding recalls are used to track follow-up activities for patients. All outstanding recalls will be sorted into categories by age. To view the details for the recalls, click the link (e.g. 1 under the Past Due category for the Recheck visit type) New recalls can be added here or from within the patients chart. Recall types are added in Administration>Appointment Scheduling>Recall Reason

Outstanding Recall Summary Pane Recall Reports Recall List Report can be filtered by provider, recall date range, recall status and recall reason.

Outstanding Recall Summary Pane Recall Status Report (Reports>Appointment Reports) Recall Status Report can be filtered by provider, recall date range, and recall reason.

Patient Registration Overview The Patient Registration screen is comprised of three sections Patient Demographics Financial Account Insurance To get started, click the Patient Registration link under the Front Desk Activities Pane.

Patient Registration - Demographics Patient Demographics stores all personal identification information. Name, Gender, and DOB are the only required fields in order to complete a mini registration. Patient number and chart number: auto generated when the patient is saved. In the address field a user can enter the zip code in the city field. If the zip code is found in the zip code table the city and state will auto fill. Deceased and DOD: pulls over from AC Usual provider/usual service location: If multiple locations & providers select the one the patient will be assigned to. Note/Custom: Free text fields The Expiration date: used to deactivate a patient.

Patient Registration Financial Account Financial Account stores the responsible party information for the patient, insurance balances, patient balances and insurance details. Each patient must have an active account in order for the charge to transmit from AC when the provider sign off. A patient may have more than one account. For example, one account may hold the patients medical insurance, BC/BS, and another account may hold Workers Compensation insurance information. Visits will be tied to the appropriate account for billing and tracking purposes.

Patient Registration Financial Account Required fields: Account Type Relationship to responsible party Responsible Party Name Note: If the responsible party is already in the database click the connect to responsible party link at the bottom of the screen and the Responsible party field becomes a search. Additional fields: Acct number- Auto generated Family/consolidated billing- Select Y if the responsible party should get 1 statement for all patients they are connected to. Additional set up required. Billing Status -Used to track different billing scenarios i.e. hold statements, collection statuses. Reports can be generated by status. Billing Statuses are added under Administration. Default Charge program-select Sliding Scale if applicable. Charge Programs and Sliding Scales are set up under Administration>Billing Admin.

Patient Registration Insurances Required Fields: Plan, Policy Type, Subscriber Name, Relationship to Subscriber, Policy ID. Plan-Select a plan from the drop-down list in the Plan field. If the plan has not been added to the Plan table, it cannot be used on a patient chart until it has been added. Under Administration. * Addresses are required for all plans Policy ID-Do not use spaces or dashes. Group name and Group Number- If patient insurance plan has a group name/number. Effective Dates -Should be left blank until the insurance is no longer active.

Patient Registration Insurances Release Info Authorization : This gives the practice permission to release needed medical information in order to get the claim paid. Set to Yes, Release Allowed in order to generate a claim. Assignment Authorization determines who the payment will be sent to and must be answered Yes to generate a claim. If No is selected, the balance owed will be sent to the patient Cross-over Coverage should say NO for all primary insurances. * It should ONLY be set to Yes on the secondary insurance when the primary insurance will cross-over a claim to the secondary insurance. When this is set to YES on a secondary, a claim WILL NOT be generated. Patient Signature Source Select B Signed forms for block(s) 12&13. Indicates signed consent form on file Copay/Coinsurance/Annual deductible/deductible balance: Patient responsibility (if applicable)

Patient Chart - Overview Patient Demographics, Account Information, and all other patient specific details are stored on the Patient Chart screen. Panes will not be exposed until the patient has information applicable to the area. Example: If a patient has no referrals or prior authorizations then those panes will not display.

Patient Chart Demographics Links To update Patient Demographics information, click the More link in the Patient Demographics pane. The Demographics screen will open. Information can be added, edited, and deleted for the patient. Click the Save button or F2 after making any updates.

Patient Chart Demographics Links The Add Account link in the Patient Demographics Pane opens the account screen where a user can add a new account and also manage existing accts.

Patient Chart Demographics Links Free Care Form: N/A Add Referral: Use this to add an incoming referral to a patient s chart. Can also manage existing referrals. Add Prior Auth: Use this to add a prior authorization. Can also manage existing authorizations. Add Treatment Plan: N/A Patient notes: Use this to access the patient notes screen to add or edit a patient note. Add a note- Click Add and select a pre populated note from the drop down menu. Enter not in content field and color code (optional) You may also add custom notes under Admin>Advanced>Note Patient Notes will display in a patient alert pane Add Recall: Use this to access the patient recall screen where a patient recall may be added. Can also mange existing recalls.

Patient Chart Account Links Users can edit an existing insurance, by clicking on the insurance name link in the account. Note: Never overwrite an insurance once it has been linked to a charge. If an insurance is no longer active, expire the existing plan, add the new plan and enter the effective date for the new insurance. The effective date and deactivate date can not be the same date. The deactivated insurance plan should be moved down to the bottom of the list.

FYI Inactivate duplicate patients in AC EHR prior to install so there are no duplicates created in ACPM during install. Insurances that don t migrate will display as null in the patients chart. These will need to be manually linked to correct plan. Existing Patients in AC EHR that do not have a responsible party selected in their AC chart will get linked to a responsible party in ACPM called no guarantor on file. For these patients the user will need to add a new responsible party for patient.

Patient Chart Account Links More -Opens Manage Accounts screen Charge Entry: Use this to access the Charge Processing to begin the manual charge entry process. Patient payment entry: Use this to access the payment screen. Only patient payments are entered here. Ledger: Use this to access the patients financial transaction history. Account notes: Opens the account notes screen to add and edit notes on a patient account. Add insurance: Opens the manage insurance screen, where you can edit an existing insurance or add a new insurance. Demand statement: Use this to launch a patient statement in a separate printable window. Receipt: Use this to launch a receipt in a separate, printable window. Check eligibility: Use this to access the eligibility inquiry screen to Check Eligibility.

Patient Chart- Patient Payment Entry 1. Click on Patient Payment Entry link under the applicable Account. 2. Select Payment Type.

Patient Chart- Patient Payment Entry 3. Payment Amount: Enter amount. Payment Date: Defaults to today. Responsible party: Defaults to the resp party for the account Print Receipt and Payment Note: Optional. 4. Save. If print receipt Y was selected the receipt will display to be printed. At the end of day run the Deposit Slip report to reconcile payments. Reports>Reconciliation Reports>Deposit Slip.

Appointment Scheduling The Appointment Scheduling application is accessed from the Front Desk screen under the Front Desk Activities pane. The current date appears on the blue header.

Scheduling - Calendar To adjust the date on the Schedule: Click on any day of the current month to view the schedule for that date. Use the left and right black arrows to move backward or forward a day. To move forward or backward a month, click on the small up or down arrows next to the name of the month. You may also click on the month for a drop-down list of months. You can change the year by clicking the up or down arrow next to the year, or by clicking on the year and entering it manually. Use the Prior day, Next day, or Today buttons at the bottom of the Scheduler pane for quick shortcuts.

Appointment Scheduling The toolbar above the calendar controls the line height and time block intervals. The expand and shrink icons increase and decrease the height of the lines on the schedule. The zoom in and zoom out icons increase or decrease the time intervals of the schedule. The white down arrow opens a list of different schedule views to choose from.

Scheduling Resource views The resource schedule can be changed from a single day to a 5-day, 7-day, or month view: Right-click anywhere on the schedule, and select either View 5-day week or View 7- day week Return to the standard view by clicking on the white double arrows that now appear on the right end of the appointment book header. Users can also access pre-defined views for the schedule: Click the drop-down arrow that appears to the right of the resource column s heading. From the drop-down menu, choose a view using the radio buttons. These are created in Administration> Appointment Scheduling> View Templates

Scheduling Book an Appointment To book an appointment from the book screen: Double-click on an appointment time block. The Book Appointment window opens. Search for the patient. Select the patient or click on registration to register a new patient. The Location, Date, Time and Resource fields will automatically populate the fields based on the slot you chose on the Schedule, but these can be modified if needed. Select a Reason for the appointment. Once the reason is selected, the Duration field automatically populates based on practice settings, but can be edited if necessary. User can Print out a appointment reminder for the patient when the appointment is saved. The Note field is optional. If a note is entered, it will appear on the schedule. Click the Save button to save the appointment. You will be returned to the scheduler, and the appointment is booked.

Scheduling Search Search allows a user to pull up patient and either open their chart, register a new patient and book an appointment.

Scheduling Advanced Search Booking appointments using Search and Advanced Search Search also allows a user to use the filters to find multiple open appointment slots. Duration is the only required field Click Show Advanced Search for more options Search from/to: Today s date defaults in the Search from and 2 months from today defaults in the to field. A user can change the dates or use the date tool to the right. Day after: Populates the day after the from date. 1 2 3 4 5 Weeks: Adds the number of weeks. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 Months: Adds the number of months. 1 2 3 Years: Adds the number of years.

Scheduling Advanced Search Best Time: Populate this field with an actual time (i.e., 9am or 10:15am). If an exact time is not required, one of the general time tools may be checked off. If any appointment time is acceptable, leave this area blank. Best Day: To only see appointment availability for a particular day or days, check off days. Multiple days may be selected. Leave this field blank if any day is acceptable. Recurrence: To search for multiple appointments with a specific number of days or weeks between the visits. Enter number of visits in the Recurrence field and type the number of days or weeks between the appointments in the corresponding fields. Select either days or weeks. Click Search after all criteria has been entered

Scheduling Advanced Search Open times that meet the selected criteria will display below the calendar in the white box When a date is selected, the calendar automatically displays the date and time span on the schedule highlighted in blue. Double click on the chosen appointment slot to open the Book Appointment window. Patient: Search for the patient if they weren t already in the search field. Reason: Select the Reason for the appointment. Print (optional): print out an appointment reminder for the patient. Date, Time and Status: auto populate Referral (optional): If required link to the appointment if it was previously entered in the patients chart. Prior authorization (optional): If required link to the appointment if it was previously entered in the patients chart. Account: This will auto populate if there is an active account on the patients chart Encounter Form Case: Not applicable Note (optional): Enter appointment specific notes. Example: Cough, headache.

Appointments Patient Chart Once an appointment is booked, it will be visible on the schedule, and will also display on the patient chart under the Appointments pane. Upcoming (the default view) displays the patients upcoming appointments History displays both upcoming and past appointments. Include or exclude Rescheduled or Cancelled appointments in the list by using the checkboxes. The Actions column: Appt Book: Opens the Appointment Scheduling screen. Details: Opens the Modify Appointment screen.

Scheduling Reschedule an Appointment To reschedule an appointment: Cut and paste the existing appointment to a new time slot Drag and drop the existing appointment to a new slot To cut and paste the existing appointment: Right-click on the appointment, then choose Cut. Find a new date and time for the appointment and Rightclick on the time slot then choose Paste. Verify the changes on the appointment screen and click the Save button to save the updates. To drag and drop the existing appointment: Click on the appointment and drag to the new appointment time. Verify the changes on the appointment screen and click the Save button to save the updates. Note: The Drag and drop option will only work when both the time of the original appointment and the time it is being moved to are both visible on the Scheduler. Each time a change is made to an appointment, a pop-up asks who originated the change. Your selection is saved in the patient history.

Scheduling Cancel an Appointment Locate the appointment to be cancelled and double-click on the appointment slot. The Modify Appointment screen will open. In the Status field, use the dropdown and change it to Cancelled. Optional: Enter cancel reason in the Note field. Click the Save button to save the updated status. Every time a change is made to an appointment, a pop-up asks who originated the change. Your selection is saved in the patient history.

Scheduling Cancel an Appointment Locate the appointment to be cancelled and double-click on the appointment slot. The Modify Appointment screen will open. In the Status field, use the dropdown and change it to Cancelled. Optional: Enter cancel reason in the Note field. Click the Save button to save the updated status. Every time a change is made to an appointment, a pop-up asks who originated the change. Your selection is saved in the patient history.

Scheduling Appointment Statuses Other statuses may be viewed and selected from the drop down menu. Checked in: Indicate the patient completed the check in process with the front desk. Seen: Indicates the patient completed the check out process. Missed: Used to indicate the patient did not show up for their scheduled appointment

Scheduling Multiple Appointments It is possible to book multiple appointments in the same appointment time cell. To the right of a booked appointment is a space in the column. Double-click in that space to access the Book Appointment details screen. Continue to make the appointment and click the Save button. A popup box will notify you this is overlapping another appointment. Click Yes to continue.

Scheduling Unavailable Time Slots An appointment may be scheduled on a closed appointment time cell, if needed. Double-click on the unavailable time slot and book the appointment. A pop-up box will notify you this is on a closed time slot. Click Yes to continue.

Scheduling Blocking and Unblocking Slots Overrides can be done on the schedule to change the availability of time slots. To initiate an override, click on a time cell. Drag down to the ending time cell, then release. A gray outline will appear around the selected area (3-4pm is selected in the example below). Right-click inside the selected time slots. Select Override Availability. In the sub-menu that appears, select either Make available or Make unavailable. Another pop-up appears where an optional note may be added. Hit Enter. All slots in the selected area will be made available or unavailable, and will contain any notes entered.

Scheduling Daily Appointment List Daily Appointment List located on the Front Desk screen prints a schedule by date, location, provider, and type of appointments. This report can also be used to run a no show, cancellation or reschedule appointment list. Advanced filters (optional). Start/End Time: If left blank, the appointment list shows the booked appointment times. If these fields are filled in, all times will show in the set increments even if there is no one scheduled in that slot. Advanced Options: Launch Automatically: Report opens when saved Save Report: Report is saved under Reports>Managed Reports for 3 months

Electronic Eligibility ACPM is configured to conduct automated electronic eligibility checks for patients prior to their appointment date. In order for the automated check to perform an account must be linked to the appointment and there must an active insurance on the account. Eligibility check is based off the insurance information entered in patients chart. A user can also perform manual insurance eligibility checks from the following locations: Manage Appointments Pane Appointment Book Screen Patient Chart

Eligibility Manage Appointments Pane On the Front Desk screen, eligibility checking for a patient can be run from the Manage Appointments pane by clicking the Check Elig link for a scheduled appointment. If the patient does not have insurance on the account that is attached to the appointment, or the appointment does not have an account attached, you will receive an Inquiry Cannot Be Created message. The elig response will display in the Eligibility Status column. Click on link for additional details.

Eligibility Appointment Book To check eligibility from the Appointment Book screen Right click on an appointment in the appointment book, and open the Eligibility option from the menu. Select View Details to view the status of a previous eligibility status check. Select Check Eligibility to run the status check in real-time. Eligibility Status Icons next to appointments on the Scheduler indicate eligibility status.

Eligibility Patient Chart To check eligibility from the Patient Chart, click the Check Eligibility link on the Account pane.

Eligibility Patient Chart Complete Inquiry Details and click Check Eligibility The real time response and eligibility details will display

Eligibility Patient Chart