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Topic starter
Wondering what other solutions our fellow Centricity users have implemented regarding reminders for follow-ups greater than 1 year out.
We are a mix of > 60 ortho and plastic surgeons with patients who are requested to follow-up with the practice in one year concerning total joint or melanoma standard of care. Because of the system load and slowness on the PM system when schedule templates are applied further than a year out, we have been either relying on the patient to call and make the follow-up appt or keep a paper tickler file for callbacks. When we disable view of past schedules and roll out new schedule templates for upcoming appointments. We review the tickler and book the appointments. This process leaves room for error and is cumbersome.
We are curious of what electronic solutions or workflows others may have developed to alert schedulers in the future to make a follow-up for a patient when the decision for follow-up was made at a prior visit and an appointment is not on the books. We have a great development / technical team and have been tossing out ideas, but are very curious about your successes before we dive into a solution which may not work.
I greatly appreciate any feedback or suggestions!
Dennis
Posted : February 16, 2017 3:45 am
I'm on the IT side of the house, but I believe we just send future dated flags to our .frontdesk desktop.
When the date of the flag arrives, the staff see it in the .frontdesk desktop and schedule with the patient.
Posted : February 16, 2017 4:00 am
We use the recall system on the PM side of Centricity. You can access the recall from registration as well as scheduling. Each month we print out letters and a report showing who needs to be scheduled from the recall list.
Posted : February 16, 2017 4:09 am
Topic starter
Thanks, Sibyelle.
The 'recall' you mention - Are you referencing the 'waiting list'? We use the waiting list currently for next available, rather than as a future appt tickler. Not a bad option. If so, how did you break it down to best identify future appts vs patients waiting for a next available appt - folder names or rely only on the crystal report to break down by date? I imagine a folder tree under each provider but it does not appear to offer that option.
Thanks
Dennis
Posted : February 16, 2017 5:32 am
No, not the waiting list. You can call me at 602-406-6314 and I can explain it over the phone.
Posted : February 16, 2017 5:35 am
Topic starter
Dave,
I am on this side as well as an EMR software designer. I like the idea but concerned with the MEL function to auto populate the alert. Since we custom all out templates, I used it in the past but the old SPR in CPS10 and CPS11 associated caused a lot of issues with crashes. If you have it setup this way for the provider to send the flag from their AP, have you had an issues recently with the MEL_ADD_FLAG (if this is how you have it setup)? As you can tell, once bitten twice shy with SPRs that crash GE. 🙂
Thanks
Dennis
Posted : February 16, 2017 5:38 am
You can set up Recall from the patient appointment or in registration. Recall puts them on a list and then you can easily customize your recall letters to mail. Or, you can use the recall list to automate reminders to schedule an appointment if you have a vendor for that. A patient can have multiple recalls. For example, Dr. Smith wants to see you back in 6 months for X and then again for a regular check up in 1 year.
When a patient wants to schedule, the scheduler will see the Recall binoculars flashing. This prompts the scheduler to attach the recall to the appointment, thus, resolving the recall and taking the patient off the reminder list.
Posted : February 16, 2017 5:41 am
I'm going from memory, but I think this workflow is close: Our providers have an order option for follow-up. During checkout, the patient can opt to schedule immediately, or have us call in the future. If the patient opts for a call in the future, the check-out staff creates the future-dated flag manually.
Posted : February 16, 2017 5:54 am
Topic starter
Thank you so much for walking me through the process!!! I still cannot believe I have overlooked the 'Recall' steps after using the PM mod for so many years! 🙂
This will definitely address our problem.
Thanks again,
Dennis
Posted : February 16, 2017 6:06 am
Topic starter
A much cleaner process than relying on the provider to click the box (among the other thoughts they are trying to putdown in the templates).
Thanks
Posted : February 16, 2017 6:10 am
Topic starter
Thanks, Angela.
I will need to set up a couple recalls to mimic this scenario for training of our registration / scheduling staff. A great item to point out and if it happens to be the patient is scheduling early for another problem and the recall should remain, the staff should not attach it. I love the suggestion!
Thank you
Dennis
Posted : February 16, 2017 6:13 am
