Manage Active Appointments

You can access the Active tab to review information about active appointments including patient name, chair, and type, time, and length of appointment. You can also perform a variety of other tasks related to appointments from the Active tab.

Note: If working in Availability mode, additional tasks are typically completed from the Availability tab.

Behavior in the Active tab is dependent on the clinic’s scheduling mode.

When working in Book mode, the Active tab displays as a book with columns for all providers / chairs in the clinic and appointments can be booked in available spots in one of those columns. Each column displays any active patient appointments scheduled for the provider(s)/chair(s) in colored time blocks.

Note: Schedules that Book by Chair display a column for each chair in the clinic and schedules that Book by Provider display a column for each provider in the clinic.

Tip: If the book is set to Book by Chair, each column may contain appointments for several different providers on a given day. If the book is set to Book by Provider, and a provider has reserved multiple chairs, multiple columns display.

When working in Chair or Availability mode, the Active tab displays any active patient appointments scheduled for the currently selected provider in colored time blocks.

Note: In Chair mode, the Active tab typically only displays one column for the schedule (i.e., the selected provider’s chair reservations and appointments) on the given date. However, if a provider has reservations in multiple chairs, a column for each additional chair reservation displays, regardless of the clinic the reservation is located in.

Tip: If a provider is double-booked in a chair with the same start time and time length, the appointments display in a split-column. If a provider is double-booked in a chair with slightly different start times and time lengths, the appointments display as staggered.

A variety of colors can display in the Active tab:

The text color for each appointment displayed in the Scheduler > Active tab can change depending on the status of the appointment:

  • Green: This indicates the appointment is scheduled/active.

  • Blue: This indicates the appointment has been confirmed.

  • Purple: This indicates the patient has been signed in for the appointment.

  • Red: This indicates the patient has been checked in for the appointment.

  • Black: This indicates the patient has been seated for the appointment.

  • Gray: This indicates the patient has been checked out from the appointment.

Note: These colors are hardcoded into axiUm and cannot be modified or removed.

Tip: These colors are also used in the Operatory Monitor when set to graphic mode.

An A in the bottom-right corner of an appointment time block indicates that the patient has an alert on file. There are two types of alerts:

  • A: This indicates that the patient has a medical alert on file.

  • A: This indicates that the patient has a patient alert on file.

Patient alerts are managed from the Patient Info window > Codes tab > Patient Alerts section while medical alerts are managed from the Patient Medical Alerts window.

The Scheduler > Active and Weekly tabs are divided into time blocks. The background colors for each time block vary according to the time block status:

  • Gray (): This indicates the block is not available for appointments.

  • Cream (): This indicates the block is available for appointments.

  • White/custom color block: This indicates the block is already scheduled with an appointment.

Custom color blocks display according to a scheduled appointment’s background color. Appointment background colors can be configured from the Scheduler Options window > Appt Background Color field.

Tip: Appointment blocks can also be customized to display up to five lines of data about a patient appointment.

The colored bar to the left of the appointment indicates the provider's schedule color.

Provider schedule color is configured from the Maintenance > Office > Users window > Provider tab > Schedule Color field.

The colored bar to the left of the provider’s schedule color indicates the different types of provider time:

  • Green: This indicates that this is a single booking.

  • Red: This indicates that this is one of multiple bookings.

  • Gray: This indicates that this is unavailable, non-clinic time (e.g., lunch break).

The provider time column is configured from the Scheduler Options window > Show Provider Time Column for Current Provider field.

To manage active appointments:

  1. Open the Scheduler module and click the Active tab.

  2. (Optional) Use the navigation bar to change to another date.

  3. Review the listed appointments.

    4. Note: If working in Chair or Availability mode, only active patient appointments scheduled for the currently selected provider display.

    Tip: A variety of appointment indicators can also display on appointments. If present, you can hover over the indicator to view the details.

    Book mode:

    Chair mode:

    Availability mode:

  4. To perform another task, complete one of the following:

    5. The Appointment Expert allows you to search for available times in the Scheduler and book appointments.

    1. Right-click an appointment and select Appointment Expert… to display the Appointment Expert (Scheduling Appt) window.

    2. Complete the fields as necessary and click Search.

    3. Review the listed entries.
    4. Select a listed appointment date/time and click Make Appts….
    5. Click and drag the yellow floating appointment to the empty time block in the Active tab and double-click the area.

    1. Right-click an appointment and select Show History... to display the Appointment History window.

    2. Select a listed record and review the information as necessary.

    1. Complete one of the following:

      • To sign in a patient and display the Patient Arrival report, right-click an appointment and select Patient Sign In.

        • The patient’s name displays in purple text to indicate they are signed in and a blue Patient Arrival indicator displays on the provider’s status bar:

      • To check in a patient and display the Patient Check In Form, right-click an appointment and select Patient Check In.

        • The patient’s name displays in red text to indicate they are checked in to a clinic.

    1. Right-click an appointment and select Patient Check Out.

      2. The patient’s name displays in the Scheduler in gray text to indicate they are checked out of the clinic.

      Tip: If checked out by mistake, right-click the appointment and select Undo Patient Check Out.

    1. Right-click an appointment and select Patient Check In Form to display the form.

    2. Review as necessary.

    1. Right-click an appointment and select Patient Seated to set the appointment status to patient seated.

      2. The appointment text displays in black text to indicate the patient is seated in the clinic.

    Chart requests control access to paper charts so only one person may use a chart at one time. In most cases, an automatic chart request is sent when the appointment is scheduled, but you can make manual chart requests when necessary.

    1. Right-click an appointment and select Chart Request to display the Request Chart-Out window.

      2. Note: If the patient has an electronic chart, a prompt displays. Click Yes to display the Request Chart-Out window.

    2. Record the time, location, and reason needed and click OK.

    1. Right-click an appointment and select Patient Recalls to display the Patient Recalls window.

    2. Add and manage recalls for the patient as necessary.

    1. Right-click an appointment and select Appointment Treatments to display the Appointment Treatments window.

      2. Note: Only approved planned treatments display.

    2. To add planned treatment(s) to the appointment, select the listed treatment(s) and click the > button to move to the Appointed Treatments pane.

    3. Click Close.

    When necessary, you can reassign a provider’s appointments to another provider.

    Examples: You can reassign an entire day’s schedule to another provider or move all appointments to the other chair.

    1. Right-click an empty time block and select Reassign Appointments… to display the Reassign Appointments window.

    2. Complete the fields as necessary and click OK.

    1. Right-click an appointment and select Notes to display the Appointment Notes window.

      • To add a note, enter the note text and click the Add a new Record () icon.

      • To delete a note, select a listed note and click the Delete Record () icon.

    1. Right-click an empty time block and select Make Appt Request… to display the Select Patient window.

    2. Search for and select a patient to display the New Appointment Request window.

    3. Complete the fields as necessary and click Accept.

    1. Right-click an appointment and select Add to Wait List to display the Add to Wait List window.

    2. Complete the fields as necessary and click OK.

    1. Right-click an empty time block and select Fill from Wait List… to display the Appointments List window.

      2. Tip: You can also right-click and drag to select a larger time block.

    2. Search for and select an appointment.

    1. Right-click an appointment and select Reschedule to display as a yellow floating appointment and drag to an open spot in the schedule.

    1. After contacting the patient, right-click the appointment and select Confirm.

      2. The appointment text displays in blue to indicate that the appointment is confirmed.

    1. Right-click an appointment and select Edit to display the Edit Appointment window.

    2. Make any necessary changes and click Accept.

    1. Right-click an appointment and select Cancel to display the Cancellation window.

    2. Complete the fields as necessary and click OK.

    An appointment can be failed when the patient does not arrive for the appointment and did not provide cancellation notice.

    1. Right-click an appointment and select Failed to display the Failed Appointment window.

    2. Complete the fields as necessary and click OK.

    X-ray technicians often need to add details about x-rays taken for the selected patient. Other providers can view those x-rays and details.

    1. Right-click an appointment and select Edit X-Ray Info to display the X-Ray Information window.

      2. Note: This option is only enabled if the appointment is a hygiene type appointment code.

      Tip: The window only displays if the appointment is today or a future date. The window cannot display if the appointment is past and the X-Rays Taken checkbox is deselected.

    1. Right-click an appointment and select Next appointment… to display the Edit Appointment window with patient’s next scheduled appointment details.

      2. Note: If the patient does not have another appointment, a No Next Appointment Warning window displays and prompts you to add one. Click Yes or No as necessary.

    1. Right-click an appointment and select Make appointment… to display the New Appointment window.

    2. Complete the fields as necessary and click Accept.

    1. Right-click an appointment and select Patient Appointments or Family Appointments to display the Patient Appointments or Family Appointments window.

      2. Note: The right-click option and window are managed from the Scheduler Options window > Patient/Family Appointments Window section > Mode field.

    2. Work with the appointments as necessary.

    1. Right-click an appointment and select Appointment Planning… to display the Appointment Planning window.

    2. Add and manage appointments for the patient as necessary.

    1. Right-click an appointment and select Print Appt Form to display the Print Appointment Options window.

    2. Select one of the following and click OK:

      • Clinical Appointment Form: This prints the appointment form for clinical staff.

      • Patient Appointment Card: This prints the appointment reminder for the selected patient.