The appointment scheduler is the most important facility for managing the daily schedule of the physician. The main screen (Fig. ) of the scheduler presents a monthly calendar for the selected doctor/resource and location which shows the number of available slots on each day. Selecting a day presents a breakdown of appointments for each predetermined time slot. In addition, new appointments can be entered directly from this screen.

To open the appointment scheduler:

1. Select Appointment Scheduling from the Main Menu of the Multipax initial screen.
2. Select Appointment Scheduler>Scheduler from the Appointment Scheduling menu.

To view the calendar for a specific doctor/resource and location:

1. Click on the radio button corresponding to the type of list you would like to choose from. You may select a list of doctors or other resources.
2. Select the doctor or resource whose schedule you would like to view from the appropriate drop-down list box.
3. Select the location for which you would like to see the schedule of the previously selected doctor or resource.
4. Click on the Calendar button.

Click on the left arrow button next to the month button to display the calendar for the previous month or click on the right arrow button next to the month button to display the calendar for the subsequent month.

Click on the left arrow button next to the year button to diplay the calendar for the same month in the previous year or click on the right arrow button next to the year button to display the calendar for the same month in the subsequent year.

NOTE: You may return to the calendar for the current month at any time by clicking on the RESET button.

In order to view the schedule for the selected doctor or resource at the selected location, you must first select the day for which you would like to view the appoinment schedule. You may do this in either of the following ways:

Click on the button in the calendar corresponding to the day for which you would like to view the appointment schedule.

Enter the date corresponding to the day for which you would like to view the appointment schedule in the text box labelled "Enter date:" and click on the OK button

NOTE: The day button that you click on or the date that you enter in the text box must correspond to a day for which the doctor or resource you have selected is available at the location that you have selected.

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Once the daily appointment schedule for the day you have previously selected is displayed, you may view the details of specific appointments or you may schedule an appointment for any available slot.

To view the details of a slot:

Click on the slot for which you would like to view appointment details (Note: you must select a slot for which an appointment has already been scheduled). This will display a table including the appointment number, the account number, and the name of the patient.

To schedule an appointment:

1. Select the slot for which you would like to schedule an appointment. You may do this by double clicking on the slot in the list or by clicking on the slot and then clicking on the OK button below the list. This will display the Appointment Details form.
2. Select the patient for which you would like to schedule the appointment. You may do this using any of the following methods:
3. Enter information in the fields for first name, middle initial, last name, account number, and dependent number.
4. Click on the Select Patient button. This will return a list of all patients that have been registered by the system. You can limit the list of patients that is returned when you click on the Select Patient button by entering patient information in one or more of the fields for first name, middle initial, last name, account number, and dependent number. Select the patient you are interested in by clicking on the patient and then clicking on the OK button or by double clicking on any of the account information that is highlighted.
5. Click on the Book the Slot (Schedule) button. This will generate an appointment number automatically and change the slot status from available to booked.

To open the Scheduler Query screen do one of the following:

Select Appointment Scheduler>Modify/Query/Cancel Schedule (Query Schedule?) from the Appointment Scheduling menu.

Click on the Query Appt button in the Appointment Calendar screen (Note: this automatically runs a query that will retrieve any appointments scheduled on the day that is entered in the text box labelled "Enter date:").

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To delete a scheduled appointment:

1. Run a query and retrieve the appointment(s) you are interested in deleting (see chapter for instructions on running queries and manipulating records in form screens).
2. Click on the delete button on the toolbar. This will open an alert message asking you to verify that you would like to delete the record.
3. Click on the Yes button. This will open an alert message asking if you would like to reschedule the appointment.
4. If you wish to delete the appointment click on the No button; otherwise, clicking on the Yes button will open the Scheduler calendar screen which will allow you to select a new day and/or appointment slot to reschedule the appointment.

1. Run a query and retrieve the appointment(s) you are interested in modifying (see chapter for instructions on running queries and manipulating records in form screens).
2. Modify the appointment by entering the new information in the appropriate field(s). The following fields may be modified in this screen: Patient Account Number, Dependent Number, Doctor Code, Location Code, Appointment Date, Appointment Time, and Appointment Duration.
3. Click on the Insert Record button on the Multipax toolbar. This will open an alert message verifying that you wish to implement your appointment modifications.
4. Click on the Yes button to implement your modifications.

The Resource Availability facility is used to enter information about the non-availability of a doctor or other resource at any location. This information is made available to the Scheduler facility so that appointments will not be scheduled when a doctor or other resource is not available.

To open the Resource Availability facility:

1. Select Appointment Scheduling from the Main Menu of the Multipax initial screen.
2. Select Doctor/Resource Availability from the Appointment Scheduling menu.

1. Click on the radio button corresponding to the type of list you would like to choose from. You may select a list of doctors or of other resources.
2. Click on the code corresponding to the doctor or other resource for which you would like to view, enter, or modify non-availability information.
3. Click on the field that you would like to use to sort the non-availability records that will be returned by the query for the doctor or other resource you have selected.
4. Click on the OK button. This will display any previously entered non-availability details for the doctor or other resource previously selected.

Appointment Reminders

The Appointment Reminder facility is used to print reminder letters to mail to patients who have scheduled an appointment with a doctor. These reminders provide a means of keeping in close contact with patients and minimizing the number of patients who fail to show up for scheduled appointments.

To print an appointment reminder:

1. Select Patient Management from the Main Menu in the Multipax Initial screen.
2. Select Letters from the Patient Management menu.
3. Click on the Appointment Reminders radio button and click on the OK button.
4. Select the month, day, and year corresponding to the first day for which you would like to print appointment reminders.
5. Select the month, day, and year corresponding to the last day for which you would like to print appointment reminders.
6. Select the output medium where you wish to have the appointment reminders printed. Options include: on-screen display, computer printer, or save to disk.
7. Click on the Print button.

Visit Slips

The Visit Slips facility is used to print visit slips for the doctor to use during the course of appointments throughout the day. Visit slips contain basic account information and include a fixed number of predetermined procedure (service) codes and diagnosis codes. Visit slips may be printed out for an entire day or on a patient by patient basis for unscheduled patients.

To open the visit slip facility:

1. Select Appointment Scheduling from the Main Menu of the Multipax initial screen.
2. Select Visit Slips from the Appointment Scheduling Menu.

1. Click on the radio button labeled "Scheduled Patients" (This is the default).
2. Click on the radio button corresponding to the list type from which you would like to choose the doctor or resource for whom to print visit slips.
3. Select the code corresponding to the doctor or resource for whom you wish to print visit slips. (NOTE: You may also enter the doctor code directly in the text box labelled "Doctor/Resource code".)
4. Enter the date for which you would like to print visit slips. (NOTE: You may only select a date for which appointments have been scheduled.)
5. Select the output method for printing the forms by clicking on the appropriate radio button.
6. Click on the Print button.

1. Click on the radio button labeled "Patient Slips".
2. Click on the drop-down list box beneath the account number column and select the account number of the patient for whom you wish to print a visit slip.
3. Select the dependent number corresponding to the patient for whom you wish to print a visit slip from the drop-down list box beneath the dependent number column.
4. Click on the Insert button to add this patient to the list of visit slips to be printed.
5. Repeat steps 2 - 4 for each patient for whom you wish to print a visit slip. (NOTE: You may remove a patient from the print list by clicking on their account number (which will appear highlighted) and then clicking on the Delete button.)
6. Select the output medium to which you would like to print the visit slip(s) by clicking on the appropriate radio button.
7. Click on the Print button.

Follow-up Appointments

The Follow-up Appointments facility is used to enter information about patients who require occasional or regular follow-up appointments for any reason. By entering this information, you will be able to use Multipax to generate letters to remind patients that they should schedule a follow-up appointment.

To open the Follow-up Appointment facility:

1. Select Appointment Scheduling from the Main Menu of the Multipax initial screen.
2. Select Recall Entries from the Appointment Scheduling menu.

1. Run a query to return the records of the patient for whom you are interested in entering recall details.
2. Click on the retrieve records button on the Multipax toolbar.
3. Select the field by which you would like the returned records to be sorted.
4. Select the patient for whom you wish to create, modify, or delete a patient recall record. (Note: if you wish to modify or delete a patient recall record, you must also select the desired record from the table for the patient you have previously selected.)
5. Create, modify, or delete a record for patient recall. The fields required to complete a new record are:

Interval: This is the time period in months for which regular follow-up appointments are to be scheduled for this patient.

Doctor Code: The code corresponding to the doctor with whom the patient should schedule the follow-up appointment.

Location Code: The code corresponding to the location at which the follow-up appointment will be conducted.

Reason: A brief entry describing the reason for the follow-up appointment.

Message Number: Enter the number of the message that you would like to include with the follow-up appointment letter that you mail to the patient. (Note: use the F2 button to view a list of all available messages that can be included with the follow-up appointment letter.)(Note: messages can be added or edited from the Patient Management>Letters>Other Letters Facility (see p. ).)

6. Click on the save record button on the Multipax toolbar.

1. Select Patient Management from the Main Menu of the Multipax initial screen.
2. Select Letters from the Patient Management menu.
3. (Note: You can also open the letters screen from the Appointment Scheduling menu by selecting Reports>Patient Recall Letter)
4. Click on the radio button labelled "Recall Letters".
5. Click on the OK button.
6. Enter the date corresponding to the first day for which you would like to print follow-up appointment letters by selecting the month, day, and year from the appropriate drop-down list boxes.
7. Enter the date corresponding to the last day for which you would like to print follow-up appointment letters by selecting the month, day, and year from the appropriate drop-down list boxes.
8. Select the output format to which you would like to print the follow-up appointment letters.
9. Click on the Print button.

The Data Submission facility is used to submit all new scheduling data so that it will be available to all of the Multipax Appointments modules. Since Multipax uses a batch-processing methodology, data is not incorporated into the system until the Data Submission procedure is implemented. In order to maximize efficiency, the Data Submission procedure should be completed, minimally, at the end of each business day.

To open the Data Submission facility:

1. Select Appointment Scheduling from the Main Menu of the Multipax initial screen.
2. Select Day-end Processing from the Appointment Scheduling menu.

1. Click on the Yes button. (Note: clicking on the No button will return you to the Appointment Scheduling menu screen.)
2. Click on the Yes button in the confirmation dialogue box.
3. Click on the OK button in the dialogue box that indicates the data submission procedure has been completed.