All the Set Up stages should now be organised, now let's clarify
optimum workflows for your staff/practice
Bookings
Invites
Communications
Bookings
Context:
The PRO/Monthly Overview page will show a month's slice of every patient's annual pattern - all filtered into an easy list. The goal is the reduce the list to empty (as all appointments completed). Obviously they need to be booked in the first place to get to completed.
Decision:
To avoid inviting a patient who's already booked, unless the appointment is completed since last data sync (where it'll 'skip' the 'Booked' stage and go straight to 'Completed') someone will need to 'book' the relevant appointments by clicking 'Mark as Booked' within the Booking Modal. The clinical system does not support any integration to identify which appointments are relevant for the required recall appointments. Therefore, they need reconciling.
We'd recommend to also copy the relevant reason/notes into Clinical System appointments for clinician clarity/avoiding them missing required tests/call-back of patients.
The decision is:
whether receptionists update this as they go while patient is opened (irrelevant if patient booked directly online).
or, do the admin team do this instead?
Receptionist Approach (already searched for patient to identify appointment needs - training is under 10 minutes). If used, Admins don't need to 'Mark as booked'.
Click 'Mark as Booked'
Click to copy 'Reason' and 'notes' into the appointment in clinical system to reduce call-backs of patients.
Sort/Filter Monthly Overview by appointment columns
'Future Appointments' if no invites yet,
'Since last invite' if has at least 1 invite
Click into each patient's appointments to identify if;
appointment is recall relevant = click 'Mark as Booked' & click to copy 'Reason' and 'notes' into the appointment
that appointment can be used to add in recall requirements to the appointment (same clinician as required, may need duration extension) = click 'Mark as Booked' & click to copy 'Reason' and 'notes' into the appointment
or additional appointment around it on the same day = bespoke patient invite
Invites
Context:
Again, the PRO/Monthly Overview page goal is the reduce the list to empty (as all appointments completed) As you invite patients for the month, ensure the 'Invite history' or 'Last Invited' filters are used so that as you invite patients in this session they drop off the view of remaining patients to be invited.
Method:
Unless Patients are booking proactively (some use of Patient Summaries has helped some Practices) you'll need to remind/invite them to book appointments.
Until 'Automatic Invites' is released (Spring 26) you'll need to trigger invites to patients - how you wish to do that is likely influenced by the messaging systems you'd prefer to use, and how you want patients to book their appointments:
1) IF: Patients to book directly via online booking links
Recommended approach:
When (re)inviting patients, batch based on the appointment needed to use the relevant link in the SMS/Email.
Use the 'Staff Group' filter (to match the relevant online booking link) +/- others to group appropriately
Select all (left hand checkbox in table headers), Export, Send via messaging service, Record invite (for easy future filtering/tracking/decision making)
Most practices do this in 5-8 filter set batches, and repeat at least as often as the invite link expiry.
2) IF: Patients book via reception
Decision 1:
Enable Receptionists access to Practice Toolkit (or not). Feedback initially has been frustration of needing "another tab open" but then quickly followed by "easy to get patient from EMIS number and reduces stress as I can see exactly what needs booking, know I've not missed any requirements" - training is under 10 minutes.
reduces the amount of information/distinct batching needed in invites
speeds up booking accuracy/nothing missed (see 'bookings' section below)
receptionist marks appointments as booked, saving admin time later (see 'bookings' section below)
easy to copy requirements into Clinical System appointment so clinicians don't miss any tests (see 'bookings' section below)
If not, everything still works but you'll need more distinct message templates per batch, and manually administrate matching up appointments/re-invite anything missed, copying notes for clinicians.
Decision 2:
Use Practice Toolkit to send SMS or other service (Accurx / iPlato / Engage / Hero Health), (free during pilot, then standard SMS fees), enables customisable templates to be used and doesn't clog up patient consultations with SMS messages (a request from clinicians), message history is listed in the Patient Summary.
How much you batch into distinct templates per patient requirements so the patient can inform receptionist of needs vs sending more generic message to call reception largely depends on Decision 1 above.
From March 26, all patients will be more easily invited using the same SMS template in either case as we'll be adding placeholders to identify to each patient the combination of appointments required and relating to which recalls (this can be customised to your preferences).
Or, export and send using an external service, still able to record invite sent.
Recommended approach:
Use Receptionist to book relevant appointments, needing only a generic message for patients to call/book and simpler batching only to avoid reception/appointment overwhelm. Whether these are via Practice Toolkit or an external messaging system has little impact.
Communications to Staff
Communicating a new tool is in use helps with staff engagement and onboarding ease. Based on the above decisions it's worth communicating to staff what improvements and reduction of effort they may expect to their workflows
If you'd like, just ask the support team for template messages
For example;
Communicate to current Clinical Staff (Phlebotomists, HCAs, Nurses, ANPs, GPs, Pharmacists etc - anyone carrying out an appointment with patients) that:
all the required tests will now be listed in the Appointment 'Reason' and 'Notes' (if you intend to do this) will;
reduce stresses of missing a requirement
improve completion rates
accuracy of coding
avoid patients needing to be called back in for a missed test (or loss of funding relating to that requirement)
No direct training or access to Practice Toolkit needed, but some may want to view reporting/KPIs
Ultimately reducing appointments by automatically optimising requirements
Consider adding to any Locum or new staff onboarding notes
Communicate to current Receptionists
Utilising a new tool to reduce the burden while on the phone to a patient to ensure the correct appointments are booked first time
Reducing footfall into the Practice from automatically optimising appointment requirements.
Training can be undertaken from Day-to-Day Reception notes - 10 minutes
Invites to create accounts will be sent to email.
Communicate to current Admins (this is likely only you, or whomever will manage inviting patients month to month)
No more need for manual searches, merging, multiple patient invites, diary reminders etc - simple list of patients and exactly what they need and when.
Easy visibility for managing more challenging patients or exception coding patients if required
Training can be undertaken from Day-to-Day Admin notes - 30-45 minutes
Invites to create accounts will be sent to email.
Next->
(2nd Pilot Session) Day-to-Day Guide for Recall Admins
<- Previous
Set Up 1: Recall Logic (ASAP)
Set Up 2: Optimisations (1st Pilot Session)
Set Up 3: Sync/Upload Clinical Data (1st Pilot Session)
Set Up 4: EMIS Data Accuracy (Between Pilot Sessions - optional)
PRO - Deciding your workflows (2nd Pilot Session)