How to Use the Schedule Optimizer

To set up the Schedule Optimizer

You can find the Schedule Optimizer settings in the TheraOffice PE Settings window. To open this window, go to the Backstage Menu and select Administrator (you need to have access to the Administrator module to do this). Then click TheraOffice PE Settings under the Options heading.

How to turn on the Schedule Optimizer:

To set up the optimizer, you need to use the 3 controls in the Schedule Optimizer settings:

1. Check Enable to start sending Automator messages. This makes the optimizer contact the patients on the list.
2. Choose your local time zone. This shows the right slot times on the emails to your patients.
3. Add the emails of the users who should know when a patient books a slot with the optimizer.
   Note: We suggest at least one, but you might want to add more for the front-desk users.

To set a patient’s availability

You can use one of two methods:

1. From the Schedule:
   • Select the available time for the patient and click Add Available Time for Patient.
     Result: This will open the Available Time window where you can fill out the necessary information, including the patient’s name, their preferred resource, the appointment type, the date the patient is available for, and the window of time they would prefer.
   • When you are finished, select Save and then, Close.
2. From the Patient’s Information:
   • Open the Patient’s Information and choose the Schedule Optimizer tab.
   • Click Add Available Time from the upper right-hand corner.
     Result: This will open the Available Time window where you can fill out the necessary information, including their preferred resource, the appointment type, the date the patient is available for, and the window of time they would prefer. 
   • When you are finished, select Save and then, Close.

If an appointment is cancelled or rescheduled with the same length of time as what the patient on the Optimizer list requires, the cancellation or rescheduling window will show the option to Send Schedule Optimizer Invitations. By default, these will be checked to send the invitation to patients. However, you can uncheck them if you don't want to send the invitations. The invitation to book that appointment time will be emailed to the selected patients immediately upon closing the window.

To fill a time slot on your schedule using the optimizer without cancelling or rescheduling an appointment, you can do so manually by selecting the time on the schedule. Here’s how:

1. Right-click the time on the schedule that you want to fill.
2. Choose Send Schedule Optimizer Invites.
   Result: This will open the Schedule Optimizer Invitations window. The list will include any patients who have specified that time as available.
3. Check off any invites you would like sent.
4. Choose Send Invitations.

When patients use the optimizer to book a time:

1. After a patient has booked their time slot using the optimizer, all users listed for Booking Notification Emails (see: Schedule Optimizer settings in the PE Settings Administrator window) will receive an email to notify them of the successful appointment booking.

2. The patient’s appointment will appear on your schedule without any further intervention from the staff.

When an appointment becomes available during the time specified by the patient, they will receive an email. The email will include the date and time they requested, the provider they would be scheduling with, the facility’s address, and a button to Book Now. If they want to claim that time slot, they can click the button.

When a patient selects Book Now, a call will be made in the background to your database to check if the block of time is still available. If it is, the patient will be taken to a webpage that confirms their desire to book that appointment slot. If they want to proceed, they will click Confirm.

Note: If that appointment block is not available, they will see a message notifying them that it is no longer available.

The webpage will then display Appointment Successfully Booked and the patient will receive a second email confirming the booking of their appointment.

Schedule Optimizer usage is logged in the system log under the user: Patient Engagement.