Workflow Director

Abstract

Capable 21C incorporates functionality that can allow PC’s to automatically instruct patients to move to the appropriate places in the office. These instructions can be provided both visually and via auditory senses. This article discusses the issues around configuring these features and how to set them up.

Underlying challenge

Most importantly, the Workflow Director does not replace the role of the CA or receptionist. It complements their role, and in a well configured office, it frees the assistant to spend a lot more time in one-on-one contact with patients and clients. Irrespective of how well Capable 21C is configured, there will be times when a patient/client is directed to see the staff at the front desk. This is called an assistance alert. If there is no one manning the front desk, this could become confusing for patients and clients.

Automating patient/client flow through the office involves several components. The following components are discussed in the resolution section below:

  1. How are patients/clients checked in to the office? This can be either manually by staff manning the front desk, or it can be via a fingerprint scan or other biometric scan. It can also be through the use of a barcoded or magnetic swipe card.
  2. What are patients/clients instructed to do when they check in, and how? Patients can be instructed to wait in a nominated waiting area either by a PC at the front desk, or by front desk staff.
  3. How are patients/clients instructed to move to a treatment area? Patients can be instructed to move to a treatment area either by front desk staff, or by an automated PC in the waiting area, or by a PC in a treatment area that is performing a double-role as a treatment area PC.
  4. How are patients/clients instructed to move on from the treatment area? This is typically done by the service provider. Capable 21C has features to help the service provider determine whether the patient is ready to leave the office, or whether they should revisit the front desk before they go.

Resolution

If PCs are to be used to perform some of these steps automatically, those PC’s will need screens that the patients/clients can see (if visual cues are required), and they will need speakers (if audio cues are required). Those PC’s should be configured such that their keyboards and mousse are not readily accessible to the patients/clients.

Once PC’s are installed and appropriately configured to operate Capable 21C in a network environment, the following instructions can be used to turn on the Workflow Director features.

For the PC at the front desk

Refer to the knowledgebase article KB-Fingerprint Recognition for details about configuring the PC at the front desk.

For a dedicated PC in the waiting area

To configure a dedicated PC in the waiting area, perform these steps:

  1. Start Capable 21C normally.
  2. Select an operator that has the security privileges to access the Mode menu. Refer to the KB-Setup Treatment Area Mode for a discussion of these security issues.
  3. Select Workflow Director from the Mode menu.

For a Treatment Area PC that will double as a Workflow Director

If a treatment area PC will be used for auditory cues only (eg with its speakers extended into the waiting area):

  1. Start Capable 21C normally.
  2. Select an operator that has the security privileges to access the Mode menu. Refer to the KB-Setup Treatment Area Mode for a discussion Start Capable 21C normally.
  3. Select an operator that has the security privileges to access the Mode menu. Refer to the KB-Setup Treatment Area Mode for a discussion of these security issues. e treatment area as soon as it is available. This is controlled by the following factors:
  4. The kind of appointment dictates which treatment areas can be used.
  5. Each office area will have a limited capacity, and people will only be routed to areas that have current capacity.
  6. Office areas can be enabled or disabled.
  7. Office areas can have specific providers assigned to them so that patients/clients will only be routed to an office area where their nominated service provider is working.

To nominate which areas are associated with which appointments:

  1. Go to Setup|Setup Appointment Types and Fees
  2. Select an appointment type by double clicking on it. An appointment type properties window will appear.
  3. Go to the Workflow tab.
  4. Nominate the desired treatment areas by ticking them.
  5. Click Close.

To limit the capacity of an office area:

  1. Go to Setup|Setup Office Areas.
  2. Select an office area by double clicking on it.
  3. Set the Maximum Patients/Clients for this Area.
  4. Click Close.

To enable or disable office areas:

  1. Go to Setup|Customise Button Bar.
  2. Drag the Treatment Areas button onto the button bar.
  3. Click Ok.
  4. When areas need to be enabled or disabled:
  5. Click the Treatment Areas button on the button bar.
  6. Check or uncheck the boxes to enable or disable an office area
  7. Click Ok.

To specify which practitioner work in which areas:

  1. Click the Treatment Areas button on the button bar
  2. Click on the area name to be configured.
  3. Select the desired practitioner.
  4. Click Ok.

Detailed Information

Sounds and Auditory cues

There are several points in the workflow when sound can complement the instructions provided by a PC. These are:

  1. When a fingerprint (or swipe card) is scanned successfully.
  2. When a fingerprint (or swipe card) is not recognized.
  3. When a fingerprint (or swipe card) is recognized, but there is some kind of assistance alert. See below for more information on assistance alerts.
  4. When a patient/client is to be moved through to a treatment area. Note that if the office has multiple treatment areas (or would like the Workflow Director to route patients to other office areas), different sounds should be recorded for each area.

Each of these sounds can be recorded in the following manner:

  1. As an audio cue only
  2. As an audio cue that includes a lead-in and a patient/client name
  3. As an audio cue that includes a patient/client name and a lead-out
  4. As an audio cue that includes a lead-in, a patient/client name and a lead-out

If there are multiple audio cues for a single event, Capable 21C will select one randomly each time one is required.

To configure and record the sounds follow these instructions:

To record the sound of a patient/client’s name:

  1. Go to Patient/Client Details.
  2. Go to the Personal tab.
  3. Click the Record button.
  4. Say the patient/client’s name into the PC microphone.
  5. Click the Stop button.
  6. Move the cropping bars to appropriate positions to trim off the excess parts of the recorded sound.
  7. Click the Play button to check that the name sounds acceptable.
  8. Repeat steps 6 and 7 as needed, or go back to step 3 to record the sound again.

To record the lead-ins, lead-outs and cues:

  1. Go to Setup|Settings
  2. Go to the Sounds tab
  3. Click the Create button to create the required sound entry.
  4. Key an appropriate name for the sound.
  5. Right click on the new sound entry in the When Used column.
  6. Nominate when the sound is to be used.
  7. Right click on the new sound entry in the Where Used column.
  8. Nominate where the sound is to be used.
  9. Left click on the new sound entry to select it.
  10. Click the Record button.
  11. Speak the appropriate words into the PC microphone.
  12. Click the Stop button.
  13. Move the cropping bars to appropriate positions to trim off the excess parts of the recorded sound.
  14. Click the Play button to check that the sound is acceptable.
  15. Repeat steps 13 and 14 as needed, or go back to step 10 to record the sound again.

Assistance Alerts

Capable 21C can instruct patients/clients to go to the front desk for assistance if there is a problem on their patient/client file. The following assistance alerts can be automatically generated by Capable 21C.

  1. Patient/Client balance is positive (indicating money owing).
  2. The patient/client does not have another appointment booked.
  3. The patient/client is on a periodic payment plan and the next payment is due.
  4. The patient/client is a new patient/client

Operators can also create manual assistance alerts for any patient/client if they wish for them to be stopped before going to the treatment area.

Assistance alerts are visible both on the appointment book and the treatment area window as a red stop sign beside the patient/client’s name. If the operator holds the mouse over the stop sign momentarily, the reason for the alert can be seen.

To enable or disable the automated assistance alerts:

  1. Go to Setup|Settings.
  2. Go to the Workflow tab.
  3. Select or deselect the automated assistance alerts required.

To action an assistance alert, the operator may either:

  1. Address the issue that caused the alert (eg book another appointment, process a payment, etc).
  2. Cancel the alert entirely (for the current day).
  3. Delay the alert to a later date

To Cancel an assistance alert entirely:

  1. Right click on the appointment.
  2. Select Assistance Alerts from the Patient/Client submenu.
  3. Click on the alert to be cancelled in the disable column.

To Delay an assistance alert:

  1. Right click on the appointment.
  2. Select Assistance Alerts from the Patient/Client submenu.
  3. Click on the alert to be delayed in the date column.
  4. Key the date that this alert should re-activate.

To introduce a manual alert:

  1. Right click on the appointment.
  2. Select Assistance Alerts from the Patient/Client submenu.
  3. Click the Add button.
  4. Enter the text describing the reason for the assistance alert. Click Ok.

This knowledge resource is designed for use on a Windows (tm) XP system operating at a screen resolution of 1024x768 or better. Windows Media Player must be installed for this training resource to operate correctly.

Copyright 2008 Capable Software Pty Ltd

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