HOW TO USE THE APPOINTMENT SCHEDULER

If you use the Appointment Scheduler to enter services for your patients, you add the functionality of the messages and reminder sections of TPS 2000. It also creates a “step by step” cycle that will help the front desk complete all the tasks necessary for handling your patients.

From the “Select a File to Open” menu choose Appointment Scheduling, or use the Navigation Bar Icons, click on the icon

Each time a patient comes into the office for an adjustment, the receptionist completes the same basic sequence of steps from the time the patient arrives, until the time he/she leaves. A patient comes into the office, he/she sees the doctor, the services done are recorded, and he/she is rescheduled for their next appointment.

TPS 2000 follows this same flow. The process of greeting a patient, entering the services, entering a payment and rescheduling the patient, is called "The Main Loop" (See How To Use The Main Loop for more information).

TODAY’S SCHEDULER

To schedule a patient on the Day Scheduler for Today, click in the appropriate column on correct time slot. A list of your Patient Claims will popup. You may select from this list by scrolling or using the arrow keys to move up and down through the list, or you may click into either PAT CODE or NAME fields, and start typing. If you know the patient’s code for whom you are ready to enter services, click on a number in the PAT CODE field and type in that code. TPS 2000 will take you to that listing. If you know the patient’s name for whom you are ready to enter services, click on a name in the NAME field and type in all, or part of the patient’s name. TPS 2000 will take you to that area of the list. When you have found the correct patient, double click, hit enter or click on Select Record.

FUTURE APPOINTMENTS

The Future Appointments Tab will allow you to schedule a patient for future appointments. You may also view all future appointments for a specific patient from this screen. From the Day Scheduler, click on the Future Appointments Tab.

You will now be on the Future Appointment Scheduling screen, ready to make this patient’s next appointment with your office. This screen will show approximately 16 weeks of the calendar. Any appointments already scheduled for this patient will fill in with the time on the day of the appointment. The time of the current appointment and its duration will be filled in at the top of the screen. If you need to adjust this time for the next appointment, do so using the to the right of the times listed. Now click on the date of the next appointment.

When you have completed scheduling this patient, click on the Day Schedule Tab to return to the Day Scheduler for Today.

(NOTE: If a patient calls in and is not scheduled today, but needs to know when their next appointment is scheduled, click on the binoculars on the appointment scheduler and select this patient. Now click on the future appointment tab. You will see all future appointments for this specific patient.)

MULTI APPOINTMENT SCHEDULING

From the Future Appointments Tab

To schedule several appointments for a patient a one sitting you click on the Future Appointments Tab. If you are on the patient’s name on today’s scheduler, they will be filled in on the top of the screen. If you need to find a patient click on the binoculars and search for your patient. When you have selected the patient for whom you will be creating multiple appointments, click on the LOCK box so that this patient is now locked into place. Next, pick the column in which you wish to make these appointments then pick the time and duration of the appointments. Next click on the MULTI box to put a check mark in this box. Now, click on each date that appointments are necessary. If the time and column you have selected is not available on a specific day, the Day Scheduler for that will come up and allow you to make an alternate choice.

From the Day Schedule Tab

To schedule several appointments for a patient a one sitting you click on the MULTI button. This will bring the following screen:

You may, if needed, correct the from and to time of the appointment. You may, if needed, change the column in which this patient is to be scheduled. Place a 4 in the days of the week this patient is to be scheduled then select the time period. (i.e. Monday, Wednesday and Friday from 11/21/00 until 01/21/00). When your selections have been made, click on [Create Appointments]. This will automatically book the appointments requested for this patient. If the time and column requested is unavailable for a particular day(s), you will see the word “CONFLICT” to the right of the appointment date. Simply click on this date to bring up that day schedule. You may then make an alternate choice.

FREE FORM SCHEDULING

TPS2000 allows you to type directly onto the scheduler. If you wish to block a period out, for whatever reason, you may do so. Click on the schedule field that you wish to block from use and simply type. Once you are done typing, arrow into another field or click off this field with the mouse. The cell will turn light gray to show that it is not available.

You may also use this feature to schedule new patients. If your patients call in to schedule, but you do not want to create a file for them until they have filled out the paperwork, simply type them onto the appropriate time slot. You will need to create a patient and claim file for these patients prior to marking them here and delivering services, but the “Free Form” typing allows you to hold their appointment until this has been completed. You may also add additional information to the display area. For example, the patient’s phone number and who referred them might be needed information.

FIND NEXT APPOINTMENT

TPS2000 has a great feature for busy practices. This tab allows you to quickly and easily find the next available appointment. You may search for one specific practitioner, or all. You may also limit the time of day needed for this appointment.

Click on the Find App. Tab and you will see the following screen.

Using the pull down arrow, select the specific practitioner desired (if you do not want to limit the search to one clinician, leave this field blank). Click on the calendar and select the date to START searching (tomorrow, or next Monday, etc.). Using the pull down arrow, select the time of day that is needed for this appointment. You may choose from Anytime, Morning, Afternoon or Custom. Custom allows you to select the start and end times of the search.

When you have made all of your selections, click the [Search] button. This will take the parameters you selected above and search for empty appointment slots that meet this criterion. When you see the appointment that best meets your patient’s needs, double click that line. This will open that day’s appointment book and allow you to schedule this patient.

Printing Provider’s Schedule Display

To print the Day Scheduler you need only to click on the small printer displayed to the right of the FUTURE APPOINTMENTS Tab. See the following screen:

When you click on this small printer icon, you will get a window that lists all columns you have setup on your scheduler. It is automatically set to select ALL COLUMNS. You may print only the columns you wish to see by holding down the CTRL key and clicking on the columns you do not wish to print (when you are ready to print, the highlighted columns are the ones that will appear on the printout). You have a choice of 3 views of this printout, the DEFAULT form will size itself so that all columns appear, the landscape form should be used for sites that are printing more than 4-5 columns. There is also a 4 column output preset for your use (RECOMMENDED: It is recommended that you use the DEFAULT layout for your print jobs). You may also decide if you want to see your entire scheduler (including the times that are not scheduled) or if you want the print job to remove this times that are NOT currently scheduled. When you have made all of your selections, click on Print on the bottom of this window.

When the Window’s print screen comes up, choose the printer you wish to use for this print job and click on OK.

Printing Patient’s Appointments

When you have scheduled multi-appointments for your patients and you wish to print out a calendar for them, so that they have a record of their scheduler, you click on the small printer found to the right of the FUTURE APPOINTMENTS Tab. See the following screen:

When you click on this small printer icon, you will get a Print Future Appointments Window. You may select the date range for which you wish to see this printout (NOTE: TPS2000 currently defaults to 1 month from Today’s date). Then click on Print on the bottom of this window.

When the Window’s print screen comes up, choose the printer you wish to use for this print job and click on OK.