Scheduling appointments for existing patients

You can schedule an appointment for an existing patient.

To schedule an appointment for an existing patient

How to get there

1. On the Schedule menu, click (or tap) Calendar.

   The Calendar page opens.

1. On the Calendar page, navigate to a day or week.

   

2. Do one of the following:

   • Click (or tap) an open time slot.

     

   • On the Actions menu, click (or tap) Create Appointment.

     

   The Appointment Information panel opens.

   

3. Do one of the following:

   • If you are currently accessing the record of the patient for whom you are scheduling the appointment (the patient's name appears in the Patient Search box), click (or tap) the Create Appointment for [patient name] link.

     

   • Click (or tap) in the Search existing patient/household field. Start typing a patient's first name, last name, chart number, or phone number (at least the first four digits). Continue typing as needed to narrow the search results list. Click (or tap) a patient name.

     Note: You can include inactive patients in the search results by setting the Include inactive patients switch to On.

     

   The options for the patient's appointment become available.

   

4. Select the procedures that are to be performed, and set up the other options as needed.

   Set up the following options:

   • Status - By default, all new appointments have Unconfirmed selected, but you can select a different status if necessary. The corresponding status icon appears on the appointment (for example, Unconfirmed is a question mark ).

   • ASAP - Select this check box if the patient wants to be contacted if an earlier date and/or time becomes available. With this option selected, the patient will show on the ASAP List. With this option selected, the patient will show on the ASAP List, and an ASAP icon appears on the appointment.

   • Needs Follow-up - Select this check box if any of the procedures for this appointment require you to follow up with the patient after his or her visit. The patient will show up on the Patient Follow-up list after his or her appointment.

   • Premedicate - Select this check box if the patient prefers to be medicated before any of the procedures are performed or if any of the procedures require premedication.

   • Procedure(s) - Click (or tap) in the box, begin typing procedure code, multi-code, or description, continue typing as needed to narrow the results, and then select the appropriate procedure from the results list. To select other procedures, repeat this process.

     

     When you are searching for a procedure, procedures appear in the results list not only according to your search criteria but according to the selected filter.

     

     Select one of the following procedure filters as needed:

     • NHS procedures - Only procedures that have an NHS Clinical Data Set Default specified are allowed. If you select a procedure that is not allowed, Dentrix Ascend ignores your selection and does not insert that procedure into the Procedure box. If the patient is an NHS patient, NHS procedures is selected by default.

     • Third-Party procedures - Only the third party's allowed procedures are available. If the patient is not an NHS patient but has an active third party attached to his or her record, and if the selected Provider is contracted with the patient's third party, Third-Party procedures is selected by default.

     • Location procedures - Only the location's allowed procedures are available. If the patient is not an NHS patient and is not covered by a third party that the provider is contracted with, Location procedures is selected by default.

     Note: NHS procedures is available only if the patient is an NHS patient. Third-Party procedures is available only if the patient has an active third party attached to his or her record, and if the selected Provider is contracted with the patient's third party. Location procedures is available for any patient.

     Important: If you schedule an appointment using a multi-code that includes some procedures that are not allowed by the NHS, the location, or the patient's third party, those procedures will not be attached to the appointment.

     If you select a procedure that is associated with a recall type, that recall type is attached to this patient's appointment. If the same recall type is already attached to another one of this patient's appointments, and that appointment's status was not set to Complete, when you save the appointment information, a message appears and asks you to confirm that you want to remove the recall type from the other appointment and attach it to this appointment; click (or tap) Attach to this Appointment. On the Appointment Information panel, a recall procedure that is attached to an appointment has a green stripe.

     

     Tip: To remove a procedure from the appointment, click the corresponding Remove button .

   • Add Tx Planner - Click (or tap) this link to select one or more visits with treatment-planned procedures that you want to attach to the appointment, and then click (or tap) Update appointment.

     

     If the same treatment plan case's visit is already attached to another one of this patient's appointments, when you save the appointment information, a message appears and asks you to confirm that you want to remove the visit from the other appointment and attach it to this appointment; click (or tap) Attach to this Appointment. On the Appointment Information panel, a treatment plan case's visit that is attached to an appointment has a red stripe.

     

     Note: When you position your mouse pointer over a treatment-planned procedure, either the details of all the procedures in the corresponding case appear (if it is assigned to a case) or the details of only this procedure appear (if it is not assigned to a case).

   • Other - Enter a reason, other than that of the selected procedures, for the appointment.

   • Surgery - Select a surgery from the list. If you selected a time slot in step 2 while viewing by surgery, a surgery is already selected, but you can select a different one. Alternatively, to quickly change the surgery, click (or tap) and hold and then click (or tap) an open time slot in a different surgery.

   • Appointment Provider - Select an appointment provider from the list. If you selected a time slot in step 2 while viewing the schedule by provider, a provider is already selected, but you can select a different one. Alternatively, if you are viewing the schedule by provider, to quickly change the provider, click (or tap) and hold and then click (or tap) the column of a different provider. Only providers who have access to the current location are available. The exception to this is when a provider is associated with the appointment and no longer has access to the current location; that provider is available in the list unless you select a different provider and then save the change.

   • Other Provider - Select a assisting provider, such as a hygienist, for the appointment from the list. A coloured box (determined by the provider color assigned to this provider) appears on the appointment. Only providers who have access to the current location are available. The exception to this is when a provider is associated with the appointment and no longer has access to the current location; that provider is available in the list unless you select a different provider and then save the change.

   • Date - The date being viewed on the schedule is already selected by default, but you can change it. Click (or tap) in the box to select a different date. Alternatively, if you are viewing the schedule by week, to quickly change the date, click (or tap) and hold and then click (or tap) an open time slot on a different date.

   • Time - Click (or tap) in the box, and then enter a time. If you selected a time slot in step 2, the time is already entered, but you can change it. Alternatively, to quickly change the time, click (or tap) and hold and then click (or tap) a different open time slot.

     Tip: You can enter a time using various formats. For example, you can type 08:30, 8:30a, or 8:30 AM; 8a or 8am; 13:30, 1:30p, or 1:30 PM; or 1p or 1pm.

   • Length - The length of the appointment is determined by the selected procedures or the specified time range, but you can change the length as needed. The end time of the appointment changes accordingly.

   • Note - Enter a note regarding the appointment. To insert the current date where the text cursor is positioned in the box, click (or tap) Insert Date. If there is an appointment note, a note icon appears on the appointment.

   • Contact Info - On the Contact Info tab, you can view or update the patient's contact information, contact preferences, and automated reminders preference (this option is available only if the patient is the primary contact for himself or herself or anyone else and has a supported mobile phone number). Any changes that you save from the appointment will be reflected in the patient's record.

     

     The patient's primary contact also appears.

     

     Tips:

     • To change the primary contact person for the patient, click (or tap) Edit . In the search box, begin typing the contact's name, continue typing as needed to narrow the results, and then select the appropriate name from the list of matching results. Or, to make the patient whose appointment you are viewing the primary contact, click (or tap) Switch to "Self" at the bottom of the results list.

       

     • To assign the primary phone number of the patient's primary contact (if different from the patient) as the primary phone number of the patient on the appointment, click the Copy Up button . To assign the patient's primary phone number as the primary phone number of the patient's primary contact (if different from the patient), click the Copy Down button .

   • Related Appts - On the Related Appts tab, you can view the appointment information for other members of the patient's household who have appointments scheduled on the same day as this appointment. For your reference, the number of related appointments, if any, appears next to the name of the tab.

     

   • Medical Alerts - On the Medical Alerts tab, you can view the medical alerts that are attached to the patient's record. You can also add medical alerts to the patient's record as needed.

     

5. Click (or tap) Save.

Related Topics

• Adding patient records

• Adding operatories

• Adding providers

• Setting up practice hours

• Creating fee schedules

• Scheduling appointments for new patients

Related Errors/Questions

• None