Home Forums Discussions Problems Schedulin Patients

Newbie AC User....
Does AC have a way to schedule an appointment with a place holder for a new patient (name, dob, phone#, reason for visit) who might not show up and therefore need not be added to the patient database?

Greetings and welcome to the AC Board. I hope you'll continue to try AC and let all of us know your feedback.

Regarding a "place-holder", I suggest using the same method that is used to block out time on the appointment schedule for meetings, time out of the office, etc:
1. Click on the schedule button on the upper left of any AC window to open the day's appointments, which now appear on the right half of the window.
2. Click on the provider's name just above the first appointment time. The schedule opens to the provider detail view.
3. Move the cursor into the far left column of the appointments, just to the left of the time that you wish to reserve for the new patient. The cursor changes to an arrow.
4. Click the cursor, and the row at the selected time becomes highlighted.
5. Click on the "Block" button on the top left of the schedule, just above the Time column. The "Name Your Block" box opens. Enter the patient info and click "OK".
6. The patient info now fills the time chosen, but you didn't have to fill out the Demographics.

This is a really great question, so I added this to the Amazing Charts Wiki Encyclopedia.

Very good answer, but let me play the devil's advocate. Why not just enter basic demographics and reserve appt. I think it is helpful to know and make a decision about people who call and make appt. and then either cancel at the last minute or just don't show. If they don't show once I need to decide if I want to let them schedule again -- I have already given them one 30 minute block. That is why I enter them and then mark as no show. A few extra patients, but otherwise they could do this every month and waste my time.

Steven makes a good point. This has happened to me as well, a new patient (usually the family member of an established patient) will no-show, and then speak to someone else in the office, only to be rescheduled, and often not show up again. Entering the Demographics will alert the staff about this behavior.

Inevitably, when called, the no-shower blames the staff for an inconvenient appointment time. Not a person I want in my practice.