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Book Appointments, Explore Related Features & Enable Cancellation Codes

Radhalekshmi SS
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This guide will cover the essential walkthrough for efficiently using the Appointment modal on the Scheduler along with other vital supporting features.

Click here to learn about the Scheduler Features.

Topics Covered

Appointment Essentials to Book an Appointment

Watch this video for a concise summary.

Let's start on the Scheduler page to get started.

  • Click the Scheduler icon to open up and navigate through the Scheduler.

  • Click on the desired time slot on the Scheduler with a simple drag and drop at the start and end points. 

Note: Each location has specified working hours as configured in Practice Settings. Click here to learn about setting scheduler working hours. Outside Working Hours are highlighted to discourage booking, ensuring appointments are set during operational times.

Appointment Details

  • The Appointment Details slide-out will appear.
    • Operatory and Location information will be pre-populated.
  • Select an existing Patient or Create New Patient on the left. Click here to learn more.
  • If a Production Type is assigned, it will auto-populate.
    • If unassigned, select the production type.
  • Select the Time to show the start and end of your selected time slot.
  • Any Production Type with an assigned Duration will auto-populate.
    • If no Production Type is chosen, a default duration will be applied.

If you select Create New Patient, an Add New Patient slide-out will appear.

  • Fill in the required information of the new patient.
  • Click Add Insurance to add coverage details, if any.
  • Select Save Patient.

When you select an existing patient, you will see their details such as:

  • Patient Name, ID, DOB, and Age.
  • Patient Flags, Status (Active or Inactive) 
  • Information about Account Members 
  • Document pending information
  • View Medical Alerts
  • Add Insurance details
  • Add Membership Plans
  • Payment Summary
  • Option to Pay Now and Add Receipt, Or
    • Pay via Text to Pay.
    • Ability to Enter Custom Amount.

  • Select the Provider.
    • The provider will be pre-populated if the user has set a provider at an operatory level.
    • The Specialty of the Provider(s) will appear if it was set for the selected Production Type.
    • You can select or click +Add Provider as needed.
    • You can add up to three providers, with the primary provider being mandatory.

  • Click Manage Appt. Timings to allot the time slots to the selected Providers. Click here to learn more.
    • A Set Time Allocation modal will appear,
      • Check the boxes to assign or remove providers for each corresponding time slot.
      • Click Confirm to proceed.

  • Select the Clinical Case from the dropdown. Click here to learn how to add a Clinical Case to an appointment.

  • The appointment tile color will match the color(s) assigned to the Providers.

Note: When selecting a Provider, you will find all inactive providers listed at the bottom and cannot be chosen.

  • Select the preferred Appt. Mode:
    • In-office
    • Tele Appointment
      • Choosing this option will display a video icon on the appointment block.
    • In-facility
  • For patients needing an earlier slot, you can enable a Short Call, allowing for flexible rescheduling:
    • Select Yes or No.
    • If you select Yes for Set Short Call, it will be auto-scrolled to enter Preferred Slot details.

Appointment Status & Notes

  • Enter notes specific to the patient's needs or conditions on the field under the Appointment Status & Notes section.
    • The Notes will remain in the patient's appointment history.
    • Check Copy to Patient Memo, to reflect any appointment notes.

To view the Appointment status history once the appointment is booked,

  • Click View History under Appointment Status & Notes section.
  • This provides information on the Date and Time the appointment status was assigned, along with the user who made the update.

  • Click the Patient Memo slide-out on the extreme left to view the copied appointment notes.

Link Recall

  • Click Link Recall.
    • You can see the count of available recalls for the selected patient.
    • In the Link Recall dropdown within the appointment slide-out, three types of records are shown Unscheduled, Broken, and Overdue representing the recalls that require action for the patient.

  • Here, you can view Procedure Code Recalls and Production Type Recalls separately.
  • Select the required Recall.
  • Click the Link to Appointment to proceed.
Note: The Due after appointment date label indicates that the appointment will be scheduled before the recall due date. This is to help prevent conflicts with insurance plans.

  • You can link multiple recalls to the same appointment, including a mix of procedure code and production type recalls. 

Tip:

  • When you create a new appointment and select the Production Type, the system will automatically link the recall with same production type (if a recall exists for the selected patient). You can review the details and go ahead with the appointment booking.
  • From the Link Recall dropdown, you can also link a production type recall that doesn’t match the appointment’s production type.

  • If the Linked Recall requires selection of Tooth, Area, or Surface, a slide-out will appear to add and verify the treatment codes.

  • Once the treatment is added, click Add to Appointment.

Go to Chart

  • Click Go to Chart if you need to quickly navigate to the selected patient's Chart.

Clinical Imaging

  • Click Imaging to open the imaging tool and start capturing imaging information (X-ray) of the patient.

Treatment Summary

While creating or after creating an appointment, you can:

  • Click Add Codes on the right to add the desired Treatment Codes.
    • For a quick walkthrough on adding codes on the Treatment slide-out, click here.
  • If you do not want to view Patient Estimate, Insurance Estimate, & Fee information, uncheck the Show Fee Estimates checkbox.

Note:

  • If codes are added from the Appointment slide-out, the status appears as Recommended, and for codes added from the Clinical Chart or Treatment Planner, the status of the Planned treatment appears as Proposed.
  • Practices can now make it mandatory to add at least one code to the appointment when an appointment is created. Users can email support@carestack.com to have it enabled.

Treatment Plans

  • Select the Treatment Plans tab to view the patient's Treatment Plans and Phases.
    • To learn more about the creation of treatment plans and phases, click here.
  • Select the required treatment plan(s) or specific treatment(s) as needed.
  • You can select:
    • All Ungrouped treatments, Or,
    • A date-wise treatment plan, Or,
    • A specific treatment of a treatment plan.
  • Click Add to Appointment.

Book the Appointment

  • Once you have selected all the required details, click Book Appointment.

If there is a mismatch between treating provider and treating dentist of the operatory and linked recalls, a Change Provider modal will appear.

  • Select the intended Provider.
  • Click Save.

  • A Notes icon on the appointment block will indicate if any appointment notes are added.

Edit a Booked Appointment

To further edit or add any information once the appointment has been booked:

  • Click on the booked Appointment tile from the Scheduler to open the appointment slide-out.

  • The patient's appointment status will be displayed in the Appointment Status & Notes section on the right.

Note: Utilize the Appointment and Status options on the top left to seamlessly transition to your preferred choice.

  • Make the required change(s).
  • Click Save.

Appointments for Patients on Reschedule/Short Call Lists

Explore this video for an in-depth walkthrough.

  • You will be redirected to the Reschedule/Short Call Queue.
  • Click Book Appt. for the desired Patient. 

  • Drag and drop on the desired time slot on the Scheduler.

  • The Patient details will auto-populate.
  • If a Warning modal appears, make sure to select your preferred options.
  • Once done, click Book Appointment.

Note: An Appointment Queue pop-up with action buttons will appear for patients with existing appointments, allowing them to view and book accordingly.

Appointment Menu

Watch this video for a comprehensive walkthrough.

Hovering over the appointment tile on the Scheduler lets you view the overall information on:

  • Patient Details
  • Contact Information
  • Referral Sources 
  • Payment Summary
  • Last Eligibility/Med Hx
  • Appointment Timeline, Production, and Provider details
  • Appointment Notes, Codes, and Fee details.

You can right-click on the appointment tile to:

  • Alter the appointment status.
  • Opt for System/Custom Status(es) based on your practice's requirements.
  • Choose the desired Appointment Actions.
  • Select Quick links to navigate related patient pages within the PMS.

Add to Reschedule Queue & Enable Cancellation Codes

Watch this video for a step-by-step explanation.

Choosing the No Show or Cancel Appointment status lets the user Cancel & Remove Appointment, Add to Reschedule Queue, Find New Time, or opt for Reschedule Now.

Note: If you choose Cancel, you will see an additional option to specify whether the cancellation was made by the patient or practice.

Perform the steps below:

  • Click + Add Code to select the codes for the cancellation fee.

  • Add Notes as needed.
    • Click Save.
Note: Hover over the 'i' icon to access information about how the cancellation code fees will be applied and how users can set it up for optimal use.

  • If prompted, select the Tooth Numbers linked to the cancelled treatment codes.

Note: For No Show or Cancelled Appointments, the patient will be charged a Cancellation Fee. The Fee varies depending on the selected Cancellation Codes. To learn about Cancellation Reasons, click here.

To enable Cancellation Codes for No Show and Cancellation Fee:

  • Navigate to the System Menu > select Practice Settings > Scheduler > General Settings.
  • Click Edit for No Show and Cancellation Fee. 
  • Select Yes to enable cancellation fee.
  • Select the necessary cancellation codes from the dropdown.
  • Click Save.

Effective scheduling is more than just filling slots; it is about creating an organized flow that benefits both providers and patients. Use this quick guide to navigate the scheduler with confidence and efficiency. 

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