The following outline explains how Patient Flow is managed with the Team Chart Concept.  Each step is numbered.  Under each numbered step is a list of information that is either entered into, or received from the Team Chart Concept.  

While perhaps appearing complicated, Patient Flow is actually extremely efficient and fast with the Team Chart Concept.  Several different Status Screens are available for management of Patient Flow so that each staff and provider only see information directly related to the current task at hand.  In other words, the provider will only see a list of patients currently in the exam room and ready to be seen.  The nurse will only see a list of patients in the waiting room and ready to be moved to an exam room.  For each of those patients, any and all demographic, and/or clinical information is one or two mouse clicks away on the afore mentioned Status Screens.

Here then is a general overview of Patient Flow in the Team Chart Concept:

1. 1. The Patient calls to make an Appointment.  The Receptionist enters

Name, Phone #, Appt Time       =>  Team Chart Concept

2. 2. The Patient appears at front window for Appointment.  The Receptionist verifies and/or enters:

    

   Demographic Info               =>  Team Chart Concept

   Insurance Info                 =>  Team Chart Concept

3. 3. The Patient moves to the waiting room.  The Receptionist records

Patient Status of

“Ready to be Seen”             =>  Team Chart Concept

 

4. 4. The Nurse checks list of patients waiting to be seen.

"Ready to be Seen" Patients    =>  Nurse

 

5. 5. The Nurse leads patient back to the exam room and records

Patient Status "With Nurse"    =>  Team Chart Concept

Exam Room Number of Patient    =>  Team Chart Concept

 

6. 6. The Nurse records vitals and any relevant medical information.

    

   Vital Signs                    =>  Team Chart Concept

   Medical History                =>  Team Chart Concept

   Medications, Allergies         =>  Team Chart Concept

   Chief Complaint                =>  Team Chart Concept

   In-house Lab Tests             =>  Team Chart Concept

7. 7. The Nurse leaves Exam Room

Patient Status

“Ready for Physician”          =>  Team Chart Concept

 

8. 8. The Physician checks list of patients waiting to be seen.

"Ready for Physician"          =>  Physician

 

9. 9. The Physician enters the Exam Room and examines the patient.

    

   Patient Status of

   “With Physician”               =>  Team Chart Concept

   Previous Encounters,

   Prescriptions, Lab Values,

   Risk Factor Reports, etc.      =>  Physician

   Physician Dictation            =>  Team Chart Concept

   New Procedures / Diagnoses     =>  Team Chart Concept

   New Prescriptions              =>  Team Chart Concept

   Referrals                      =>  Team Chart Concept

   Excuses                        =>  Team Chart Concept

   Physician Dictation Complete   =>  Team Chart Concept

   Physician Electronic Signature =>  Team Chart Concept

   Same Day

   Ready-To-Bill Insurance        =>  Team Chart Concept

    

10. 10. The Physician Leaves the Exam Room and records (or the Nurse records):

Patient Status of

“Check Out”                    =>  Team Chart Concept

 

11. 11. The Patient moves to the check-out window.  The Receptionist processes

     

    Patient Payment                =>  Team Chart Concept

    TCC Rx’s, Excuses, Referrals   =>  Patient

    Receipt of Payment             =>  Patient

    Next Appointment Time          =>  Patient

    Peronalized Medical Literature

    on the Patient's Condition     =>  Patient
    

12. 12. The Patient exits the medical facility.  The Receptionist records:

Patient Status of

“Discharged”                   =>  Team Chart Concept

 

13. 13. The Billing Staff can then perform the following routines:

    TCC Claims (Paper/Electronic)  =>  Insurance Company(s)

    Insurance Payments             =>  Team Chart Concept

    Statements                     =>  Patient

Nearly all of the information recorded is done via one or two mouse clicks.  No typing is required except for one time entry of such things as the patient's address and phone numbers (if not already in the system).  This is a very fast method of managing the flow of patients in your medical office. It will become second nature for the staff and provider.  Also, please note that there is no paper involved, no superbill, no routing slips, and most important, no lost charts.

The time of every station change (waiting room, exam room, etc.) that a patient travels through is recorded automatically by the Team Chart Concept.  This allows for reporting on how much time patients spend in the waiting room, how long the provider spends with each patient etc.  This type of information may or may not be useful to you, but it can be turned on and recorded if desired.

This patient flow mechanism allows interested parties to:

• Know where any Patient is at any time.
• Know where any Provider is at any time.
• Handle multiple Providers and Facilities.
• Handle a much larger volume of Patients/Providers/Facilities.
• Know the time that any one Provider or Patient has been at any one place.
• Know who the next Patient to be seen is, based on arrival time, wait time, condition, provider, or original appointment time.
• View the flow of patients in other facilities.
• Run reports on patient flow and efficiency.
• Determine bottle necks in patient flow.
• Find an Open Exam Room.
• Support selection of a certain level-of-care E/M code based on time spent with the patient.

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