Encounter Follow Up Steps

After a patient visit, the Follow-up tab in the Encounter form allows you to take important actions to ensure continuity of care, such as scheduling a return visit, sending internal messages, or setting future reminders for yourself or other team members. Here's how you can manage follow-ups effectively:

Sending Internal Messages

To communicate with another user in your practice:

1. Click "Add a Message": The message will automatically include the patient’s name, phone number, and the current date and time.
2. Select the recipient: Choose the user within your practice.
3. Choose an action: For example, in a busy practice, you might select "please call" or "action required" to ensure prompt attention.
4. Add a note: This is optional but helpful for clarity. For instance, you could note, "Please follow up on lab results for John Doe."

Once sent, the message will show up in the selected user’s notifications, helping streamline internal communication, especially in fast-paced environments where follow-ups are critical, like holistic clinics or integrative health centers.

Setting Task Reminders

Reminders can be set for any future date, ensuring nothing slips through the cracks:

1. Click "Add a Reminder": It will pre-fill with patient information.
2. Select the user and date: You can assign the reminder to yourself or another team member. For example, you may want a reminder for the front desk staff to follow up with a patient in two weeks.
3. Choose an action: Actions might include "schedule follow-up" or "send refill."
4. Add a note: You might include details like "Check in with patient regarding treatment progress" or "Confirm next therapy session."

The reminder will only appear in the recipient’s notifications when the due date arrives, making this feature particularly useful for multi-provider practices where different roles collaborate on patient care.

Scheduling a Follow-up Visit

To book a follow-up appointment:

1. Check next scheduled visit: If the patient already has an appointment scheduled, it will appear at the top.
2. Search for available times: You can choose timeframes from this week up to six months out. For example, a chiropractor in Seattle might want to follow up in four weeks to reassess spinal alignment.
3. Select visit duration: The duration defaults to match the current visit, but you can adjust it to suit the next session's needs.
4. Schedule the visit: Click on an available time slot, which opens the Add Visit window with details already filled in. You can add any extra notes or chief complaints here.

For more information on scheduling follow-ups, the Knowledge Base article on Adding a Visit will guide you further.

By using these follow-up features, you can keep patient care on track, ensuring timely communication and smooth scheduling, which are crucial in holistic or integrative health settings.