New Appointment Calendar

Detailed instructions on setting up and using Satori's new Appointment Calendar

How To's

FAQ & Challenges when first using Calendar

New Features:

New Calendar adjusts to your screen resolution.  If you run higher than 1024, Satori will enlarge the calendar, displaying more appointments at once.  Tested to 1920X1200.

Check In feature lets you quickly see who is already in your office for easier patient callbacks.

Toggle the ability to view patient alarms (normally only seen when loading a patient) directly from the appointment calendar when highlighting a patient.

Customizable Columns (up to 24) for each Apt Class.  Select your color, pen color, border color, and width.

Block out time on the schedule by Time or Apt Class

Set up individual schedules for each Apt Class (i.e. Set up ROF schedule only for the times you want)

Direct Single Patient Scheduling from the Apt Form for regular appointment or reminders.

Separate view for Regular Appointments, Reminders, and Missed Appointments.

Set time lengths for appointments by appointment class, with ability to increase or decrease for individual appointments.

ReDesigned Info, Delete and Reschedule that make for easier faster use.

ReDesigned Missed Log notes with customizable buttons for presets.

Appointment note support right on Calendar.  (Add information to an appointment so staff can see it when on the calendar)

Patient Appointment Note or Alert support from Appointment Form to the Apt Calendar

Turn on and off Am Walkins or Pm Walkins per Apt Class

Ability to not allow scheduling of certain Apt Classes on any given day (i.e. Will not schedule ROF or NP on Saturdays even though you are open)

Support for selected length of autoscheduling by time or number of appointments.  Satori used as default only autoscheduling out 12 appointments at a time previously.  Select any length or number you wish now.

AutoReminder feature lets you select an Apt Class that when scheduled either manually or with the AutoScheduler will create a reminder for the same day with a selected Apt Class.

A Call First designation on the Patient Info form allows you to designate which phone number of the patient you should phone first.  This Call First number will appear in bold on the Apt Calendar when their appointment is highlighted.  If a Do Not Call status exists for a number, the number will appear in RED.

Sample:

Instructions on setting up your new calendar

To set up your new columns, their properties and some other new features click on System, Configure, the Appointment Calendar Settings.  From this dialog setup which columns you wish to use for the office and each doctor.  In a single doctor practice you must duplicate the setup for the office and the only doctor.  Select which classes you want to use in each column.  Satori by default set up your first five columns as OV classes and so on.  You can set these up however you wish.  Select what colors you want for the background, border and pen for each column.  The color key is located on the right hand side of the dialog about 2/3rds down.  After making all your selections, make sure to press the Store Info button before moving on to another doctor, or closing the dialog.  From this dialog you can also set the text length in the display for the LastName and FirstName of the patient as it appears within each box.  Make sure to also set the width to match (Default is 103).  You can also set here whether to use the Am WI or Pm WI for each schedule.  You can duplicate another docs or office's schedule by right mouse clicking the list, and making your selections. 

Appointment Calendar Settings Dialog

Press your Store info when done then setup your next doctor.  You also set up the Reminder schedule from here.  This allows you to have your own Apt Classes for your reminder calls and display them separately from the regular appointments. 

Sample Reminder Calendar

Setting up your AptClasses

To set up your Apt Classes in Satori, click on System, then Presets.  The Apt Classes tab will be selected.  Your list of current Apt Classes will be in the list.  Highlight one and press Edit or press New to add a new class.  You must add classes here first before you can assign them to columns on the calendar.  Do not ever delete Apt Classes that have either scheduled appointments for them, or have assignments on doctors or the office schedule in their own columns.

From this dialog you can set the time for procedure, if any.  Choose to have the scheduling forced to the hour or half hour, or allow scheduling at any time.  You can also designate which class will be your New Patient class (this class will force Satori to open up the dialog that adds a patient to the database when scheduling).  This also allows you to have more than one new patient class.  This is helpful in multiple doctor offices.  Below the New Patient Class designation is the Exclusive Scheduling option.  When this is selected this appointment class will have exclusive scheduling at the selected time regardless of class.  This setting is per doctor.  An example would be that even though you allow scheduling of OV's and other classes during the day, if you do schedule an ROF and it has its Exclusive Scheduling checked, you cannot schedule at the same time any other appointment classes.

At the bottom of the dialog you can select any days of the week you do not want to allow scheduling of this Apt Class.  (i.e. If you are open on Sat. but do not want staff scheduling ROF on Sat, check the box to always have that class blocked out on that day)

Setting up alternate schedules for Apt Classes

To assign a schedule for an appointment class that is different from the office or doctor's schedule, click on System, Configure, then AptClass hours.  From this dialog highlight the class you wish to have its own hours (i.e. If you schedule ROFs before or after regular adjusting hours and the full adjusting hours are already setup correctly for the entire day, setup a different schedule for the Apt Class.)  Satori will then block out the times that class is not available for scheduling on the main calendar.  The calendar example above shows the column RF with different hours than the main schedule.

You also have the option to disable scheduling of any Apt Classes for Am WI or Pm WI independently of the rest of your office or doctor setup.  A couple of more settings that you will need are the Apt Notes presets and the Missed notes presets.  The Apt Notes presets can be set up by clicking System, then Presets.  Highlight the Apt Note tab, then you can click to edit, add or delete apt notes.  These notes will be available to tag with appointments and the Patient Appointment Information line that is on the bottom of the patient's Apt Form.  When highlighting an appointment on the calendar this information line appears on the calendar and can alert staff to any situation about the patient.  This line is for information about the patient and not an individual appointment.  The individual appointments have each Apt Note attached to them, which also displays directly on the Calendar.  To set up your missed notes, click on System, then Presets, and highlight the Missed tab.  While this feature was in Satori previously, you can now select what presets can appear as buttons directly on the Calendar along with the regular ones that are already there.

Once you have set up all your options for the calendar you are ready to begin use of the calendar.  Click on the HowTo links below for instructions on each feature.

How To:

View a Doctors Regular Appointment, Reminders or Missed Appointments

Change days that your are viewing on the Calendar

Schedule a single appointment on the Calendar

Schedule appointments or reminders from the patient's Apt Form

Reschedule an appointment on the Calendar

Reschedule an appointment from the patient's Apt Form

Edit an appointment on the Calendar

Edit an appointment on the patient's Apt Form

Delete a single appointment or reminder on the Calendar

Deleting appointments from the patient's Apt Form

Check In an appointment or remove an appointment from being Checked In

Getting information about the appointment

Refreshing the Appointment Calendar

Adding/Removing time to/from an appointment

Blocking out time on the Appointment Calendar

Adding, Saving, Clearing, using Presets for the Appointment Notes

Viewing and Editing the Patient Apt Info

Adding missed log notes on the Calendar

Adding missed log notes on the patient's Apt Form

By default Satori opens up the Apt Calendar into the Default Apt Cal doc's schedule.  This is set in System, Configure, Doctors, then Information.  Highlight which doctor you wish then press the button below the dialog to set as Def Apt Doc.  You can right mouse click the button to deselect one already selected, returning the Office as the default view.  Once on the calendar, click the list of Doctors to change which doc you wish to view.  To view all docs, click on Office.  Each doc and the office calendars views are set by the Apt Calendar Settings.  See above for information on how to configure your calendar.  Once in the Office's or a doc's calendar you can select to view their Regular Appointment, Reminders, or Missed Appointments.  This list for this selection is directly to the right of where you selected the doc.  Satori used the docs setup, and the Reminder setup from the Apt Calendar settings to display this information.  The format for missed appointments places the date in the first column, with matching missed appointments in the block on the right.  There are not column heading with Apt Classes for missed appointment listing.

To select which day you wish to view/schedule on the calendar press the < or << button to move back one day or one week.  The > and >> go forward in the same manner.  Press the DayButton itself, the one with the current day on it, for a dialog with a calendar to select what day you wish to view.

To schedule a single appointment on the calendar, make sure you have the correct doctor selected.  Satori will not schedule or reschedule in Office view.   Then double click an open spot on the calendar in the column of the Apt Class you wish to schedule for.  Satori will prompt you with a lookup dialog that you can select what patient you wish to schedule.  If the Apt Class you are scheduling in has a Time Length for the appointment setup, Satori will check to make sure there is room for the appointment.  Satori will not allow scheduling in any blocked out time (the XXXXX boxes on the Calendar).

To schedule an appointment or reminder from the patient's Apt Form, click either button on the toolbar for New Apt or New Reminder.  Satori will take you to the Apt Calendar.  The status line will tell you that you are scheduling for that patient.  Single click any open time on the calendar to schedule.  Satori supports as many apts as you wish to schedule at once.  Keep clicking open time slots on different days to schedule for this patient.  You may close the Calendar to return to the patient's Apt Form, or you may press the Refresh button to change to normal Calendar usage.  This will allow scheduling, rescheduling, deleting or viewing of any appointments then.

To reschedule an appointment on the calendar, you can drag the appointment to the desired column (Apt Class) or row (Time) if it is visible on the calendar.  Satori will adjust time length automatically if it is different in the new Apt Class.  If the new slot is not visible, highlight the appointment you wish to reschedule, then press the reschedule button.  The status info line will tell you that you are rescheduling the appointment.  You can change days, doctors, and scroll down, then click the open spot you wish to reschedule the appointment for.

To reschedule or edit and appointment from the patient's Apt Form, simply click the appointment on the Apt Form.  Satori will take you to the appointment on the calendar.  From there you can perform any regular function that is available.

To edit an appointment on the calendar, highlight the appointment.  There are several options for editing the apt note, adding or removing time that will be then available.  To change the Doc or Apt Class you will need to drag the appointment or to click on Reschedule, then move it to the correct doc or Apt Class you desire.

Deleting appointments on the Calendar is simple and quick.  Highlight the appointment, the press the Delete button.  To delete appointments from the patient's Apt Form, press the individual D button next to the appointment.  Satori will delete it.  To delete all appointments on the patient's Apt Form, press the Delete All button on the toolbar.

To Check In a patient on the appointment calendar, simple press the Ch button and before their information displayed in the name you will see a small '^'.  This designates that they have checked in, and are waiting or have not yet been posted by staff.  To remove the Checked In status simple push the same button again to remove it.  If you are performing patient call backs from the calendar (calling patients who are late for their appointments) and you have more than one computer that is used to access the appointment calendar either to process or schedule patients make sure to use the Refresh button often to update the data on the calendar.

To get info about the appointment, click the Info button when the appointment is highlighted.  You may also double click the appointments if you have the configuration setup to view info on a double click.  This is set in System, the Options.  Highlight the Apts tab.  The other option for a double click is to open the patient into the default form.  This can also be accomplished on the Calendar by pressing the Enter button when an appointment is highlighted.

Some office have more than one computer using the Appointment Calendar at one time.  To view the most updated appointments press the Refresh button.  You should do this often if you have multiple users on the calendar. 

If the time allowed in the Apt Class setup for the appointment is not sufficient and you need a longer apt, click the + Time button to add time to the appointment.  You can also use the - Time button to remove length from and appointment.  Satori only support segments that are the same time length as your office's time increment for the calendar.   This is setup in System, Configure, Adjusting Hours.

To block out time on the calendar, highlight the first apt column (must be a completely blank row with no apts) and press the block button.  Satori will prompt you with a dialog asking how long you wish to block time for.  Upon your selecting, Satori will fill the Calendar on those times with XXXX.  To block out a column on a day (Apt Class), highlight the column name, then press block.

Satori displays Apt Notes below the other appointment information below the calendar on the left.  You may type directly in this box to edit or create the Apt Note.  Press the S button to save any changes you made.  Press the C button to clear the note, and press the P button to go to the Presets dialog for Apt Notes and select one of your presets.  When pressing C or P you do not have to press the S button after to save your changes.  Satori automatically saves those changes.

Just below the Apt Note is the Patient Apt Info.  This line is edited on the patient's Apt Form.  This will appear on the Calendar anytime any of that patient's appointments are displayed.  Use this for information you would need to see on every appointment.  Use the Apt Notes for individual info for each appointment.

The missed log notes features works quicker and easier.  Just press the appropriate button to add a note to the file.  The list supports some right mouse clicks for printing of the notes.  The same presets and options are available on the patient's Apt Form.

A Call First designation on the Patient Info form allows you to designate which phone number of the patient you should phone first.  This number will appear in Bold on the Calendar letting the user know what number to phone first.

Frequently Asked Questions and Challenges when first using Calendar

Q.  I several appointments that get flagged as conflicts and cannot be displayed.

A.  Press the Conflicts button to view what appointments could not be displayed and go to your Appointment Calendar Settings setup to add enough columns to display your classes you have scheduled appointments for.  Make sure to setup both the office and the docs schedules.

Q.  How do I jump to a patients file, there is no more right mouse click?

A.  Satori no longer support the right mouse click for a speed menu on the calendar.  While the patient is highlighted you can just press Enter on your keyboard to go their default form, or go to System, then Options, then the Apt tab and change the Dbl Click setting from viewing Appointment Info to going to the patient's file.

Q.  I can not view all my columns for all the classes I have setup.

A.  Satori now supports higher resolutions for the calendar.  You can increase your display resolution in Control Panel, or you can decrease the display column width on the calendar.  Click on System, Configure, Appointment Calendar Settings, then Apt Cal Settings.  In the lower right hand corner you will see the setting for column width.  Satori will provide scroll bars on the calendar to view all the columns regardless of what resolution you operate in.

Q.  When printing the calendar, Satori cuts off the last columns, how can I get all of them to print?

A.  Satori prints out the appointment grid exactly as displayed.  To get more columns to print, try printing in landscape orientation, try printing on legal paper, or reduce the size or your font before printing.  Satori also has some settings on how many letters of the last and first name appear when printing.  You can adjust these settings from the appointment calendar setup dialog.

Q.  I know I have appointments scheduled but cannot see them.

A.  Make sure you have not setup both your Pen and Background color to be the same. 

Q.  I have more appointments for a single time than Satori can put on the calendar.  Can't Satori just add another line for the same time like it used to?

A.  Add more columns with the same class.  Satori is now bound by your calendar setup for how many appointments can schedule.  This helps an office control scheduling better.

Q.  I cannot drag an appointment from a time slot to the reminder slot any longer.

A.  Satori now uses separate screens for Reminders.  While you lose the ability to drag directly, Satori now support columns for the Reminder classes, making phoning and assigning of phoning much easier.

Q.  Why are the missed appointments are no longer at the bottom of my calendar?

A.  Satori now uses a separate view to show missed appointments.  This is helpful because the date of the appointment is in the far left column to more clearly view the days and patients with missed appointments.  You still have reschedule and delete functionality from the buttons below.

Q.  Where is the temp holding?

A.  Satori no longer has a temp holding box for rescheduling.  Just press the Resched button when you have an appointment highlighted, then navigate to the day you wish and click an open spot on the calendar.