TABLE OF CONTENTS
- Getting Started
- Practices
- Adding Appointment Types
- Adding Visit Reasons
- Adding Multi-Visit Reasons
- Adding Sequential Visit Reasons
- Adding Visit Reason Category
- Adding Facilities
- Adding Resources/Providers
- Adding Resource Groups
- Setting up Scheduling Templates
- Setting up Resource Templates/Scheduling Availability
- Scheduling Limitations
- Patient Self-Scheduling Links
- Adding New Patients
- Adding New Users to the Admin Site
Getting Started
- Navigate to the appropriate URL.
- Enter your admin credentials.
Click "Login." - After logging in, you should be at this admin landing page.
- Please note that the admin view may differ depending on how the configuration menu was set up.
Practices
- Click “New” to add a new Practice.
- Fill out the information fields as necessary:
- Organization name
- Organization type
- Geographic information
- Contact information
- Notification information
- Click "Save Changes" after validating the information.
- After saving the new Practice, you will find new tabs above the Practice information.
- Details: Name, address, contact info, etc.
Note: The Contact Email is for the organization. While the Notification Email is for notifying Molina staff in case something goes wrong with the site.
- Related Practices: You may add parent sites or sister sites in this tab.
- Call Handling Instructions: You can add any text you want in this box to provide instructions to agents. Note: edits made in this box can be updated in real time.
- Custom Fields: You may add anything you want here. For example, if the practice has special seasonal hours, they may be added there for agent ease of access.
- Communication Settings: This field is applicable if you have Fax integration.
- Business Hours: Enter the appropriate business hour information here.
- Details: Name, address, contact info, etc.
- To add a new fax setting, navigate to the “Communication Settings” tab.
- Click “New Setting.”
- In the Edit setting box, select the appropriate settings for sending faxes.
- Sent on: Determines if the faxes should be sent after seeing a patient.
- Send Fax: Toggle on/off to enable faxing.
- Fax Template: Select which template to be used for faxing.
- Send to: Select between devices to send faxes to (fax or phone).
- Requires consent for Fax: Select level of consent for faxing.
- Send Immediately: This setting allows you to choose whether to send the fax immediately after an encounter OR choose a specific time to send all faxes at once.
Note: Remember to click “Save” early and often throughout the Scheduler setup process!
Scheduling Administration by External Organization
This is a simple feature that enables system administrators to determine which schedule elements might be available for a particular External Organization (i.e. Clients and Practices). When enabled, all scheduling-related elements will contain an External Organization dropdown when looking at their respective administration area, as well as an external organization filter to view only elements that are related to the selected external organizations.
- Navigate to the Resource link on the left-side navigation.
- You may link any external organizations to the appropriate resource.
- You may also navigate to the following links on the left-side bar to organize other elements with external organization connections:
- Resource Groups Administration
- Visit Reason Administration
- Visit Reason Category Administration
- Appointment Types Administration
- Facility Administration
- Patient Self-Service Menu Items Administration
Note: You may also see a general overview from the External organization admin.
- Resource Groups Administration
Next Steps
Once these elements are assigned, the organization will take effect in two different areas related to scheduling:
The first one is Intelligent Scheduling in CareDesk. Where the resources and locations presented will be only the ones associated with the selected client or practice in the Encounter:
The second area is Patient Self-Scheduling, which requires the usage of an additional feature on the External organization administration view. Each external organization has a specific link associated with PSS. Using this link highlighted in the screenshot indicates to the system that this visit is associated with the external organization in the URL:
Note: When the selected link belongs to a practice, both the practice and the Client will be associated to the PSS encounter. When the link belongs to a client, only the client will be associated with the encounter.
Be aware that any additional URL parameters added to the link will need to be reviewed. All URL parameters start with “?“ followed by the name and value of the first parameter, for example “practice=1234“. Any subsequent parameters require a “&“ symbol before the name and value of the parameter.
Example:
test-pss.keonahealth.com/selfservicescheduling?practice=1234&providerId=6547
From the patient's perspective
After the setup process, when a patient is scheduling, will allow the system only to return Menu Items, Locations, and Resources associated with the selected Practice/Client.
Only Menu Items Associated with the organization indicated in the link.
Only Providers associated with the link, in addition to any other scheduling rules and templates.
Only Facilities associated with the link, in addition to any other rules and templates.
Once an appointment is scheduled. The system will run any rules associated with encounters created for a specific practice, like sending a fax to the client or practice.
If an appointment is not being created, and the encounter is being sent to CareDesk for review, the usage of the link will indicate which practice/client was used to create this encounter:
CareDesk Test Queues with a referral encounter from PSS indicating the Practice.
This allows style and icon rules to be applied to the queue like any other Keona encounter created in CareDesk:
Adding Appointment Types
- Click “Appointment Types” on the left side menu.
- Click the “New” button on the upper right-hand side.
- Click “Appointment Type.”
- Click “Save” after validating the information.
Adding Visit Reasons
Visit reasons are powerful in that you can create as many as you want to be able to control what the patient is coming in for and what provider can see that visit reason.
For example, you may have different visit reasons for new patients, existing patients, existing patients with a new problem, etc.
- Click the "Visit Reasons" link on the left navigation menu.
- Click “New” and select “Single Visit Reason.”
- Please note that the “Available in CareDesk” and “Available in Patient Self Scheduling” options are checked.
- Enter a visit reason name.
- Set your “Time-frame” type.
- Most of the time, the Timeframe will be “From Scheduling Date.”
- The other Time-frame types depend on your EMR and PM System.
- The Time range is what you want to be displayed in the system.
For example, if this was an acute visit reason and must be seen within 24 hours, then you may change the time unit from Days to Hours. The system will display open timeslots within that timeframe. - Scheduling instructions are useful for visit reasons to remind the scheduler to either complete certain steps or relate to the patients about specific reminders prior to an appointment.
For example, for a mammogram visit reason, you may want to add a note to remind the patient to avoid using deodorant, creams, or lotions on the day of the appointment. - Select the appropriate appointment types in the dropdown box.
Click “Save” after you are done.
Adding Multi-Visit Reasons
This type of visit reason allows you to select up to three visit reasons to be scheduled in a single day.
- On the Visit Reasons page, click "New" and then "Multi-visit Reason."
- For example, if you would like to have an imaging test first and then the provider visit for the same day. You would select the appropriate options for Reason 1 and Reason 2.
Note: Each of the visit reasons must be unique.
. - If you would like to schedule the appointments with buffer times in between, you may do so in the Min minutes from start of this appt to next and Max minutes from start of this appt to next boxes.
- Schedule at any avail location is left unchecked by default. This option limits the system from pulling slots to only one location.
- If, however, you have an appointment that has an imaging test in one location and a provider visit in another location then you should check the box.
Click “Save” when you are done.
Adding Sequential Visit Reasons
This type of visit reason allows you to select up to three visit reasons to be scheduled over the course of several days.
- On the Visit Reasons page, click "New" and then "Sequential Visit Reason."
- Sequential Visit Reason is similar Multi-visit reasons.
For example, you would like to have an initial visit first and then the follow-up visit 2 days after. You would select the appropriate options for Reason 1 and Reason 2. - Set the appropriate buffer in between visits.
- Navigate back to the “Resources” section and click “New,” then select “Physician.”
- Under the Basic Information section, fill in the appropriate name. The Resource Type should be already filled in and, lastly, select a Provider Record from the Provider drop-down menu.
Adding Visit Reason Category
Visit reason categories, like Resource Groups are not required but they are helpful to have around.
- Click the "Visit Reason Categories" link on the left-side navigation menu.
- Click “Add” to create a new category.
- Enter a name in the Visit reason category name field.
- Select all the relevant Visit reasons in the next field.
Click “Save” when you are done. - If you need to add to an existing category, click on the name of the category you want to edit and then add the visit reason from the visit reasons field.
6. Click “Save” after you are done.
Adding Facilities
Facilities are the location for Practices.
- Click "Facilities" on the left-side navigation.
- Click "Add."
- Click the “Active” checkbox to make this site active.
- Fill out any necessary information such as:
- Name
- Contact Phone Number
- Fax Number
- Address
- Image of the location (if desired)
- Click on the "External Organizations" tab.
For scheduling purposes, the Owned option is for facilities that are owned by your organization, but clients/other related practices may also use the location.
The Uses option is for facilities that are owned by clients/other related practices, but your organization also uses that location. - Ensure the appropriate client and the practice is selected. This is so that the correct facility is tied to the corresponding client and practice.
Click “Save” when you are finished. - Click the “Scheduling” tab.
- Click the checkbox to activate the Available for CareDesk scheduling option.
- Determine the appropriate appointment slot time.
- Overlap start time with appointment duration: This option allows for an appointment to run longer than the specified time in the Slot Generation Minutes Duration box.
- Slot Generation Minutes Duration (1 to 480): This option will generate appointment times as specified.
(Example: by entering 20 in the box, the system will generate times in 20-minute increments) - Slot Start Minutes Must Be Multiple of Slot Generation Minutes Duration: When this option is checked, each time slot must start at an increment of the Slot Generation Minutes Duration. This option also works in conjunction with Block Start Minutes Must be Multiples of Slot Generation Minutes Duration (see below). When this is checked, the option below will also be in use.
- Block Start Minutes Must Be Increment of Slot Generation Minutes Duration: When this option is checked, each time slot must start at an increment of the Slot Generation Minutes Duration. This has no relevance if the option above is selected.
- Please see below example for a more hands-on example.
- Click the “Business Hours” tab.
- You may check the “All day, every day” box if this location is 24/7 service.
- If the business hours are the same 7 days a week, then you may choose “Same every day” in the drop-down menu.
- If the business hours are different every day, click “By day of the week” in the drop-down menu.
- Click “Add” to enter in the start time and end time.
- You may also add a lunch break if desired.
- For example, if your facility’s lunch break is from 11:30 AM – 1:30 PM, you may enter the 8:00 AM – 11:30 AM in the first block and then 1:00 PM – 4:30 PM in the second block.
- For example, if your facility’s lunch break is from 11:30 AM – 1:30 PM, you may enter the 8:00 AM – 11:30 AM in the first block and then 1:00 PM – 4:30 PM in the second block.
- To copy to another day, simply click the green “Copy” button and then click the yellow “Paste” button on the applicable days.
- Click “Save” when you are finished.
Adding Resources/Providers
- Click “Resources” on the left-side menu.
- Click "New." You will see that you may add three different types of resources.
- Physician: all human resources such as MDs, NPs, PAs, etc.
- Equipment: CT, X-Ray, etc.
- Room: ADA, etc.
- To add a new Physician/Human resource, you will need to add a provider record first.
Note: You only need to set up a resource record for a provider that is available for scheduling.
- Click “Providers” on the left-side menu.
- Click “Add” and then fill out the necessary information.
Be sure to check the "Available for Patient Self Scheduling" box.Note: The Contracts field indicates the location or department where the resource is assigned. You may also add more than one location for the provider if necessary.
- Under the “Profile” tab, you may add a provider’s information such as:
- Image URL
- Biography
Make any necessary format changes and click “Save changes” when you are finished.
- Navigate back to the “Resources” section on the left-side menu and click “New,” then, select “Physician.”
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- Under the Basic Information section, fill in the appropriate name. The Resource Type should be already filled in and, lastly, select a Provider Record from the Provider drop-down menu.
Note: If you have Allscripts, you will need to create a PSS Placeholder Patient for each resource by clicking “Create Placeholder Patient in PM”
Click “Save” after you have finished.
For setting up “Equipment” and “Room,” the steps are the same as above except you do not need to create a Provider Record.
Adding Resource Groups
Resource Groups are not required but can be helpful when it comes to administering preferences.
- Click the “Resource Groups” link on the left-side menu.
- Click “Add” to create a group.
- Name the group in the “Resource group name” field.
- Add the appropriate resources for this group under the “Resources associated with this group” field.
- Click “Save.”
Note: A Resource can belong to multiple groups.
- Grouping resources will allow you to pull the resource templates and rules for all the resources in that group.
- Click “Resource Templates” on the left-side menu.
- Next, click the “Groups” dropdown menu and select the appropriate group name.
- Click “Go” to view the scheduling availability for all resources within the select group.
Setting up Scheduling Templates
Scheduling Templates allow users to enter a combination or any resource/location/appointment type for a given schedule and allow patients to schedule appointments for these configurations.
Note: This is not meant to be a replacement for Resource Templates.
Scheduling Templates is a more general tool for scheduling whereas Resource Templates can be view as more detailed way to make schedule.
- Click "Scheduling Templates" on the left navigation menu.
- Click the "Add New" button to add a new template for a resource.
- Begin adding the necessary information by clicking the Edit icon in each category:
- Facilities
- Resources
- Appointment Types
- Daily Schedules
- Date Range
Note: you may also click the Copy icon next to the Edit icon to copy the information to another template.
- To remove a template, click the Trash can icon.
- The “Daily Schedules” tab have two options for entering schedulable times:
- Same everyday
- Days of the week
- You can use these options to fine tune a provider’s availability. But keep in mind that if and when a provider’s available has a change, this section will need to be updated accordingly.
- Additionally, you may also add a break in the work day if desired.
- For example, if your facility’s lunch break is from 11:30 AM to 1:30 PM, you may enter the 8:00 AM to 11:30 AM in the first block and then 1:00 PM – 4:30 PM in the second block.
Setting up Resource Templates/Scheduling Availability
- Click “Resource Templates” on the left-side menu.
- Select the appropriate Group and/or Resources from their respective drop-down menus.
- Click “Go” when you are ready.
- For setting up a single Resource’s availability, select only the Resource’s name from the dropdown menu.
- Click "Go!"
- Click the “Add availability” button.
- Next, attach the visit reasons by clicking the Edit button.
- In the Visits Reasons page, you have the option to select all reasons within the category or only select what you need within each category.
- Click “Confirm” after you are done.
- Next, click “Preference Level” to assign a preference level if needed.
Note: The system will present the highest preference level to the scheduler first.
- Select the “Location” from the drop-down menu. At this time, you can only select one location from the menu. You will need to copy this record to apply to another location if needed.
Note: Since Molina does not utilize a PM system, and the scheduling information is already in the Scheduling Template, it’s recommended by our trainers that you do not use the Weekly Schedule portion.
- Click “Limiting rules.”
- This option is only necessary if your selected resource only sees a specific population or patient criteria.
If you see an applicable category, you may select it and click “Confirm.” - If you need to create a new limiting rule, click “Add new” and enter the necessary information in the specified fields.
- The Appointment types and instruction overrides option does not restrict a resource’s schedule availability. Rather, this option allows for showing of specific instructions and appointment slots.
- For example, if you want Medicare Wellness to only go into a Medicare appointment type, you select that appointment type from the drop-down.
- Click “Save” when you are done.
- Click the circle in front of the rule to apply it to the current resource.
- Click "Confirm" when you are done.
- Select the appropriate checkboxes.
- HD: Staff-facing
- PSS: Patient-facing
- Or both
- You may click the copy icon to duplicate the rule and make the necessary edits if needed.
- To copy to another resource, go to the Resource drop-down menu on top of the page and select the appropriate resources and click “Go” when you are done.
- Click the “Copy” icon.
- Click the “Paste availability” button where appropriate.
You may also edit the fields by click the corresponding edit icons. - You may delete a resource template by clicking the trash can icon.
The record will remain until you click the “Go” button on the upper right side of the page. - The Filter availabilities will narrow down the results based on selected filters.
This tool is useful in that you can check your work and ensure that these pieces are not missed for resources. - To control which patient menu item should be available for a given resource, create a new resource template. Follow the steps for attaching visit reasons, only this time attach menu item type visit reasons.
Scheduling Limitations
Scheduling limitations are ways to prevent available appointment slots from showing when certain conditions are met.
- Click on the “Scheduling Limitations” link on the left-side navigation.
- Select the appropriate resource from the dropdown menu.
- Click "Add" to start a new scheduling limitation for the specific resource.
- You should be able to see
- Summary of current limitations
- An option to add a new limitation, edit, or remove a current limitation.
Conditions
The first part of a scheduling limitation entry is the conditions. These are the search elements that will need to be present if we want to limit a set of results. These conditions are options and can be added or removed to prevent additional searches to the system.
The currently available conditions are:
- Facility: If present, this option will only be taken when scheduling appointments in any of the selected facilities.
- Appointment Types: If present, these will be the appointment types that will be “removed” if needed, it also serves as a way to only calculate limitations when these appointment types are being scheduled.
- Visit Reasons: If present, these will be the visit reasons that will be “removed“ if needed, it also serves as a way to only calculate limitations when these visit reasons are being scheduled.
- Sex: If present, it will calculate limitations only when the patient to be scheduled is of the selected sex.
- Age: If present, it will calculate limitations only when the patient to be scheduled falls within selected age parameters.
Actions
Currently, scheduling limitations' actions are set to limit the amount of appointments in a certain time period (3 in a week, 10 in a week, etc.).
For the currently available action “Limit Appointments“ you can configure the following required pieces:
- Time Period: The time that will be considered for the limit of appointments.
- Appointment Limit: The actual number of appointments to be allowed.
- Appointment Types: The appointments to be considered when calculating limits.
- Visit Reasons: The visit reasons to be considered when calculating limits.
Note: Visit reasons only work for appointments created in Keona.
If appointment types and visit reasons are added to limitations, only scheduled appointments that meet both appointment type and visit reason will be considered as scheduled appointments when checking how many scheduled appointments already exist in the system.
Additionally, the "Calendar Schedule" selection can be added to limit the entry to be used only during certain times and days.
Click "Save" after you have finished editing.
Patient Self-Scheduling Links
- Login with agent credentials to access the site.
- Click on "New Encounter" in the top left navigation bar.
- Enter the applicable Client, Practice, and Patient info.
Click “Search” when you are ready.Note: Keep in mind that not all CareFlow protocols will be available to all Clients and Practices. Each category may have their own CareFlow protocols.
- Once you have the patient selected, you may follow the appropriate CareFlow to help the patient with scheduling or anything else that they may need.
- On the same page, you will find the “Patient Self Scheduling SMS Invitation” box.
Click “Add” to proceed with sending a link to the patient. Enter the phone number for receiving SMS and all other relevant patient information.
You may also add Encounter notes if desired.
Click “Save” after you are finished and then click "Send Now".Click “Submit Encounter.”
The patient will receive a SMS message similar to the one in the screenshot .
The patient may use the link in the message to schedule an appointment at their convenience on the self-scheduling webpage.
After submitting the Encounter, you will be back on the CareDesk page.
To finish the Encounter, select the appropriate Triage Level in the dropdown menu.Click “Close in CareDesk” when you are finished.
Additionally, you may view/reopen a closed Encounter by navigating to the Encounter History link on the top navigation bar.
Fill in the appropriate search parameters to find the Encounter you need.
Click “Search” when you are ready to go.
Adding New Patients
- On the New Encounter page, click “Add Patient.”
- Enter the necessary information for the new patient.
Note: Boxes marked in red are required fields.
Adding New Users to the Admin Site
- Login with admin credentials.
- Click "Add User" on the upper right side of the page.
- Fill in the necessary fields and click “Add” after you are done.