Hospital Schedule Screen
- Cathy Allison
Hospital Schedule Screen
The Schedule Screen in the hospital is where you create appointments for PAs and requests. Appointments must be added to Time Slots for the majority of users, although users with elevated privileges may be apple to schedule appointments anywhere on a schedule, as well as manage the schedules including creating and applying templates, hiding schedules temporarily, and creating special days.
Note: Many parts of the Schedule screen are context sensitive, and the options you see will depending on your individual privileges as well as your hospital's settings. If you believe you should have a button or menu option and you do not see it on your Schedule, contact your supervisor.
For an overview of the schedule system in VetView 2.0 please see the Scheduling System page. Links to detailed How-To pages for Appointments and Managing Schedules are also available on that screen, and can be found in the How-To Guides for Students and Staff on this Wiki.
Left Panel (Quick Calendar, Schedule List, Working Appointments)
The left panel on the Schedule screen contains a navigable mini calendar, a list of available schedules, and any working appointments objects that were either brought in from another screen or generated on this schedule screen itself.
The whole left panel itself can be collapsed and hidden when not in use, allowing the central Schedule panel to expand to fill the whole screen. This is controlled by the small double arrow icon at the very top right corner of this panel.
Quick Calendar
The Quick Calendar widget allows for navigation forward and backward without reloading the central panel, which speeds up searching for a specific date. There are three views: A view of a month, a view of an entire year, and a view of years within a decade. Each view can be navigated back and forth with arrows. To view a year in more detail from Decade view, click on that year. To view a month in more detail from the whole year view, click on that month. Clicking on a date in Month View will jump the central panel to that date.
Month View
Whole Year View
Decade View
| Field | Description |
|---|---|
| Calendar | Click on the small triangle next to Calendar to open and close the widget. This allows for additional space to see the list of schedules when you are not actively navigating from month to month. |
| Go To Today | Jumps from whatever month and day you had selected to the current date, and reloads the central panel to today. |
| Month View and Navigation | Press the left and right arrows next to the month name to jump forward to the next month or backward to last month. |
| Whole Year View | Click on the month name to switch to Whole Year View. This view displays all 12 months at once, allowing for quicker navigation to months that are further away. |
| Decade View | While in Whole Year View, click on the Year in the center to open the Decade View. This allows you to switch years quickly, rather than having to go through all the months to reach next year or the previous year. |
| Dates | In Month View, click on a specific date. The central panel will load the schedules for that date automatically. |
View Schedules/Search
You can set default schedules under the User Preferences (see the Central Panel section.) These are the only schedules that will appear when Show My Default Schedules Only is checked.
When the flag is not checked, then all schedules in the system become available to view. If there are many schedules, you may also have a scroll bar to be able to see them all within the space of the panel.
Like the Calendar, the Schedule list can be expanded or collapsed to provide more space for working appointments as necessary.
Working Appointments
This section displays any existing appointment objects you have available to work with, and also includes a quick search to find PAs in the system and schedule them.
In the example below, Quick Search found a PA. The blue background indicates it does not yet have an appointment on it (New status.)
Drag this appointment into a time slot on the central panel to schedule it.
Working Appointments can also hold more than one appointment object. For example, if you come in from the Appointment Search Screen using the Reschedule button, you can have as many appointments as you selected available on the list.
Click on the appointment box to expand it for more details, and change it to the current working appointment.
Then you can drag and drop it onto the central panel or task panel as appropriate.
Right Click Menus on the Left Panel
The right click menus on the Left panel are different depending on where you are clicking. The Quick Calendar only gives you the options to Save or Reset the layout (including whether the left and right panels will default to Open, and the Show Default Schedules flag.)
Users with the Manage Schedules privilege will also see the Show/Hide schedule option under the View Schedule / Search section. This feature is used to temporarily disable a schedule without setting it as inactive in the system.
Working Appointments will display different options depending on the status of the appointment you right clicked. In this example, the Working Appointment was created from rescheduling in the Central Panel, so the only option is to cancel the reschedule. You may also get the option to Remove if you used the Schedule Another Appointment option.
Central Panel (Calendar or List View, Navigation, User Preferences)
The central panel contains the actual schedules and can be manipulated using drag and drop and right clicks on all appointment objects.
There are four views on this panel which are controlled using the drop down menu at the top. The most appropriate view for your task can be set under User Preferences.
| Field | Description |
|---|---|
| Find | Opens the Find feature to search for an open time slot on this schedule, or other schedules, based on selected criteria. This tool ignores any time slot with an appointment in it. Use Search for appointments. |
| Opens a PDF view of the schedule that can be printed out. This may be useful for clinical staff who may not always have a computer immediately accessible in their service area. The schedule can be printed out for one day, or a whole date range. | |
| Local Reports | Opens any custom reports that have been added to your system for the schedule screen, beyond the standard Schedule report. (For example, printing out appointments that have a specific keyword in Main Reason or have a specific Client Type.) |
| Calendar View Selector | Choice of Day Calendar View, Day List View, Week Calendar View, and Week List View. Each view provides a slightly different layout of days, time slots, and appointments. Day List and Day Calendar views provide more details about each appointment, whereas Week List and Week Calendar views provide a better overview of the schedule for the week. You can change between them freely, and also set your preferred view as a default in User Preferences. |
| Date | The date or date range will appear in the center of the calendar, alongside arrows to navigate back and forth on the schedule. Use this tool if you only need to travel a few days. To travel further back in time or forward in time, consider using the Quick Calendar on the left panel to rapidly switch between months and years. |
| Search | Opens the Appointment Search Screen to allow for a search of scheduled appointments. Unlike the Find button, Appointment Search ignores empty time slots. |
| User Preferences | Opens the User Preference window to set the defaults that will load on your screen. This includes the default central panel schedule view, the default schedules on the left side, and default start and end times for tasks on the right panel. You can also choose to show cancelled appointments, or change to a 24 hour schedule view. |
| Schedule Name | On the Calendar views and Week View List, the Schedule Name always appears in the top row. For Day View List, the Schedule name shifts to a column. |
| Personnel | On the Calendar views and Week View List, Personnel will appear in the second row. The info dot will display all the names if they extend greater than the width of the column. For Day View List, these columns split into Attending DVM and Assigned Students. |
| Comments | On the Calendar views, Comments appear on the third row. If the whole day has been blocked out or it is set as a custom Special Day, this will be added to the Comment section. Comments only appear on the individual appointment rows for Day List View. |
| Info Dots | Info dots appear frequently on the Schedule screen. Mouse over the info dot to display additional information, such as brief appointment details or information too long to fit in the column. |
| Time Slot | A time slot on a Schedule is a block of time that has been carved out on that schedule. It can be set to only one appointment type, or many. Personnel can be pre-assigned to time slots individually, as well as pre-assigned to a whole day or whole schedule. Time slots are required for users with only basic access to the Schedule. To schedule appointments outside of a time slot, users must have a unique privilege called Freeform Time Slots. |
| Regular Appointment | An appointment is a time slot that has been linked to a PA inside VetView. Appointments can be created without a patient or client on the Schedule screen, but that information must be added before the PA can be checked in. A PA can have multiple appointments. Appointments in the main schedule of the central panel are considered "regular" appointments. Regular Appointments will display color codes and icons to indicate the appointment type, underlying episode status, or additional information about the episode. |
| Drop Off | Drop off appointments are a special time set aside on the schedule for patient receiving. For units such as an oncology department where the patient is seen by multiple clinical teams for an entire day, this may be a better choice for patient tracking. Drop Offs can also be used in conjunction with regular appointments. |
| Pick Ups | Pick up appointments are a special time set aside for a client to retrieve their patient. This can be coordinated alongside the clinical staff, who can view the Pick Up time during the Discharge process, or create a Pick Up if one does not exist. Use this feature for accurate patient tracking, when a patient is discharged before their owner is able to return. |
Find
This tool allows you to find the next open time slot on a selected schedule, also considering other criteria such as appointment type or the personnel assigned to the time slot.
User Preferences
Schedule preferences are set by clicking on the gear icon next to the Search button at the top of the schedule. This opens the User Preferences window.
| Field | Description |
|---|---|
| Default Schedule View | This s the view that the Central Panel when load when you first go to the Schedule screen. Change this to the view that matches your tasks best on the Schedule screen. |
| Minimum Column Size | The column size on Calendar views. This can be adjusted depending on your monitor size to either show or eliminate a scroll bar on larger Calendar schedules, and ensure the details on a a time slot or appointment are visible. |
| Time Scale | The row size on Calendar views. Choices between 15 minutes, 30 minutes, and 60 minutes. |
| Auto Refresh | How frequently the schedule screen updates automatically with changes from other users in the system. For users interacting with smaller schedules that update often, a shorter refresh rate may be better. For larger schedules that update less often, you can have a longer auto refresh, which may improve performance. |
| Default Drop Off Time | When a drop off is created by dragging a regular appointment or pick up into the Drop Off section, this time will automatically fill in. If this is left blank, the user will be prompted to enter the drop off time each time a drop off is made. |
| Default Pick Up Time | When a pick up is created by dragging a drop off or regular appointment into the Pick Up section, this time will automatically fill in. |
| Show 24 Hour Schedule | Displays the 24 hour schedule as opposed to the business hours (as defined under Hospital Setup.) Use this view for emergency services and any other schedule that has patients outside of normal business hours. |
| Show Only Work Week | Displays only Monday-Friday and hides the weekend days. Use this for schedules that do not see patients on weekends. |
| Display Deceased Appointments | When this flag is turned off, appointments for patients who have been marked as deceased will not appear on the calendar (freeing up their time slot if they had an appointment scheduled in the future.) When this flag is turned on, the time slot will still display their appointment, with the time slot showing a black background. This option may be useful for those managing schedules who want to ensure these appointments are fully cancelled. (Note: Appointment reminders are not sent for patients marked as deceased.) |
| Display Cancelled Appointments | When this flag is turned off, cancelled appointments do not appear on the schedule, and users can re-use the time slot for new appointments. When this flag is turned on, the cancelled appointments will show. |
| Display Open Time Slots | For service areas that want a kiosk view that only displays actual scheduled appointments, this flag can be turned off, and only actual appointments will display. When this flag is turned on, all empty time slots will appear in all schedule views. |
| Display Hidden Days | Hidden schedules and hidden days are the means to toggle off the schedule without setting it as inactive in the Hospital Setup screen. When this flag is turned on, Hidden Days will still appear, but users without the Manage Schedule privilege cannot interact with them. |
| Hide These Schedules | This section contains all available schedules in the system. When a schedule is in the Hide These Schedules column, it will not appear on the left hand panel by default. It can be displayed on the left hand panel by turning off Show Only My Default Schedules. |
| Display These Schedules | When a schedule is in the Display These Schedules column, it will appear on the left hand panel by default. Schedules that have a check mark will also display by default in the central panel. If multiple schedules are checked, then all of them will load in the central panel in Day views. Only one schedule can display in Week Calendar view, so the system will default to the one that is at the top of the list. (Note: Schedule Unit order is set at the Hospital level, and schedules within a unit are set under the Unit Setup / Schedule Setup tab. To adjust which schedule is at the top, make sure the unit is at the top in Schedule Unit Sort, and the specific schedule is at the top under Unit Schedule Setup.) |
| Save | Saves the user preferences and reloads the screen to display them. |
| Reset to Default | Changes all user preferences back to the system default. This action can also take place on the User Management screen, if a user is running into a problem loading the schedule screen. |
| Cancel | Closes the User Preference window without saving changes. |
Schedule Image Key
This key contains a list of the icons used on the central panel appointments, and their meaning.
Time Slot / Appointment Details
To view the full Details window, right click on a time slot or appointment and choose Details. Note that any changes made to the Appointment can also be made to the time slot if you have the Free Form appointment option - this will break the link between the time slot and the appointment, freeing up the time slot to be used again. Users without the Free Form time slot option will only have their changes made to the Appointment itself, and it will not break the link.
For more information on Managing Appointments, please visit How to Manage Appointments.
Mouse Over Appointment Details
The Info Dot on a scheduled appointment will display additional details about the appointment. If there is an estimate on the PA for the episode, a View Estimate button will appear as well. Click on this button to open a PDF of the estimate.
Central Panel Right Click Context Menus
Manage Schedules: Right Click options for Day/Week Calendar Views and Week List View
Right click on the Day row on the Calendar. Only users with the Manage Schedule privilege will have these options. Please go to How to Manage Schedules for more details about each function. When the user does not have the Manage Schedules privilege, the browser's menu will open instead.
Right Click Header Row on Day View List
The right click menu allows you to customize the columns on this view. All users will have this option.
Right Click Appointment
This is the full list of possible options. Many of these are privilege dependent (e.g. user must have a discrete right to put the episode on Hold or to check in a patient.)
Right Click Time Slot
This is the list of all possible options. Many of these are also privilege dependent.
Right Click Empty Space on Calendar
Users with the Manage Schedule privilege can add new time slots. Users with the Free Form Schedule Appointment can manually add an appointment outside of the time slot. Time Scale Grids add extra columns on the Day and Week Calendar view, to allow for multiple time slots to be scheduled at the same time and for easier visuals of the process.
Right Click of Section Row of Day View List
To access the right click menu of Day View List and add appointments or time slots, right click on the appropriate section header.
Right Panel (Tasks and Internal reminders)
This panel contains a list overview of appointment objects that may not appear on the central panel, either due to the current view or because they haven't been linked to a time slot yet.
The appointment objects on the Right Task Panel will have many of the same right click menu options as they do on the Central Panel.
This panel can be collapsed when not in use by clicking the arrow in the upper right corner.
Drop Offs
Drop offs are appointments for your client to check in a patient at a specified time. A drop off appointment can be used independently, or in conjunction with a regular appointment. Both the drop off and regular appointment will be tied to the same PA. When a drop off appointment arrives, the patient should be checked in on the episode to indicate they are physically in the building.
Drop offs can have time slots set, just like regular appointments, if there are a limited number of animals that can be dropped off at a specific time.
Pick Ups
Pick up appointments should be used in conjunction with either a regular appointment, a drop off appointment, or both. A pick up is a scheduled time for the client to arrive to retrieve their pet.
Pick ups can also be scheduled by the clinicians during the discharge process, if they have confirmed that the client is not immediately available to come back. This allows them to complete the discharge, but indicate to the front desk or client staff that the owner will arrive at the specified time.
Waiting List
The Waiting List is a place to store appointments for patients who cannot fit into their preferred time. For example, if a client wanted to bring in their pet for a surgery, but no times are available for the next three weeks, you have the option of scheduling a regular appointment at the next available date, but also adding them to the Waiting List in case there is a cancellation on an earlier date. If the earlier date becomes available, they can be rescheduled using the Waiting List. Otherwise, once the patient has been checked in on the later episode, the Waiting List appointment should automatically close.
Needs Appointment
Needs Appointment tasks are generated by the clinical staff as a means of informing the client coordinators that they need to schedule another appointment for a patient. The scheduling team can contact the owner and once the new appointment's date and time has been verified, drag the Needs Appointment object onto the time slot in the central panel.
Internal Reminders
If your hospital uses the Patient Reminder system for Internal Reminders, these will appear on the Schedule that is associated with the unit or service area of the schedule. Use this function to contact clients, and if necessary, schedule an appointment for them. For example, if an internal reminder was set for a unit pending lab results in 10 days, the reminder can be set to appear on this screen, and then the client coordinator can verify the results, contact the client, and schedule the follow up appointment.
These Reminders can also be marked as completed from this screen when necessary.
Unlike the appointment objects in the Task bar, which have the same right click menus as the central panel, the Internal Reminders have a unique right click menu with options to Edit Reminder and Schedule.
Adjusting the Right Task Panel Layout
The Task Panel uses the same UI options as the Day List View. If your service area is not going to use a feature, you can remove the group entirely. Right click on the group name, and choose Remove Group. Right click another group heading and Save Layout. The group will not load again the next time you open the Schedule page. It can be added back any time in the future if your service area will start using the feature.
If you collapse the Right Task Panel and Save Layout, the next time you load the schedule screen, the Task Panel will still be closed.
VetView Wiki Most recent releases of VetView: Version 5.0.2 and 4.2.8 Hotfix (Released 12/20/2024)
To see commonly used terms in VetView Hospital, please visit our Hospital Glossary of Terms.