Home Forums Discussions General Discussion Patient Recalls, I NEED HELP!!!

So, we are new to AC and are still learning alot of the ins and outs. I am trying to get a feel of what other practices are doing in the following case:
John Doe is here on 1/21/08 for his yearly physcial examination. I want to set a "recall" in the system for 12 months from now (1/21/09) to let us know that he's due for his next physical. Seems simple enough, right? We also want to be able to view this list (sort of like the schedule itself) and be able to print it out 2 months prior to when the patient is due for his Physical, so that we can send out reminder post-cards before that time comes.
We have tried a few different ways, and the Doctor doesn't seem to be satisfied with any of them.
We've "set a reminder" under the patients tab, but that doesn't allow us to view the list, and it also sends it to the chosen recipient via inter-office e mail (which can't be checked or printed in advance).
We've also tried opening up Friday afternoons (normally we're blocked from noon on) overbooking patients that are due for their PE. However, once you book too many people, it won't let you book anymore.
My last solution (not yet tried it) is to open up Saturdays onto my schedule, but, I am worried that staff may unfortunately not pay close attention and accidently book patients on this day which will in turn cause us to have to re-schedule patients unneccesarily.
Has anyone figured out another way. PLEASE HELP!!!!!

Desiree,
A long time ago I posted a few things about setting up an extra false provider so they then have their own schedule that you can use. That way you can look forward and backwards via the schedule much like you are looking for. Our false provider is called Dr Raymond Reminder. Now anything you can do for a regular provider you can do for old Raymond. Dr R was our work around for not having a reminder system of any sort previous to the AC reminder system. We don't really use good old Dr R anymore around here, but I too wish the AC system had the features the you and our Dr R provided.

Suggestion: Be a good member of the gang and post a request for your ideas in the Wish list section. The more that people, a variety of people, not just the same dozen or so ask for things the more likely they are to get incorporated into the design of things. Great minds think a like....

Well, you can view them under "My Reminders" in your Message Board area, but not in the format you're looking for...

I think Paul's right on this one. If your reminder system must be exactly as you describe, I would set up a second provider to contain your reminders, and then when you set a patient's appointment a year from now, just drop back and set up an another appointment, two months earlier, with "Dr. Reminder." It would mean double-entry, but you would have that printable list you're looking for. I don't really see another way.

(I take it you are not sending reminder cards to everybody two months before their visit. There's another strategy you could try, if that were the case).

I appreciate your help (and honesty). I was just looking for answers on how other people were utilizing what AC offers without having the program writers ADD something to the software. I like that it's a basic program, and they can't make everyones dreams come true of "how it should be", that's how they keep the cost of it the way most people like it, cheap!
Thanks again

Wouldn't be nice if the present system did work with and have a schedule like calender to browse, print and the like. We too like to "see our reminders coming" might you say. This way you can plan in advance for them. Like summer and fall seems to be kids and teenager CPE time because of school stuff and the like. It would be nice to be able to see them ahead of time laid out schedule style sort of like Desiree and I were talking about. That's been mine and Nancy's two cents for awhile now.

No, we're just sending the reminders to those whom have not yet scheduled their physicals. It's only about 40 post cards per month. We've got a pretty good system working, it's just that AC is not yet compatable with how WE WORK!! =)