This second installment in our ongoing series of OnTarget tips from the support desk is dedicated to our scheduling module.  Specifically, how schedules and notes relate to one another and how to avoid some common mistakes in your workflow that will save you valuable time.

For many customers the scheduling module is the EHR equivalent of grand central station.  Nearly every staff and client event begins as a scheduled item, and most end with a clinical note.  The coordination of these events is complex, and we have added many enhancements to help ensure that your “clinical traffic” runs smoothly and gets to its proper destination.  

Here are a few things to think about as you embark on your scheduling travels:

• When a note is created from a schedule item it is locked to that schedule item, the schedule item cannot be deleted unless the note is zero’d out
• When a note is zero’d out the link from the note to the schedule item is removed. This allows the schedule item to be linked to a new note or be deleted.
• If you import from schedules to Time grid, the schedule item is locked to that piece of Time. If you delete the Time the schedule item will then be available to link to a note.
• It is recommended that instead of changing schedule items you should delete them first and then create a new correct schedule item, this will keep you from moving a schedule item that is already linked to a note or a piece of time.
• When deleting a schedule item and an error message appears that the item can note be deleted, open the item and hit the add/edit note button in the bottom left to see what note the schedule is linked to.  Note that if the note doesn’t match the schedule item it indicates that someone has edited the schedule item after the original note has been created.
• If you do change a schedule item that is already linked to a note or piece of Time, that schedule item will not be available to create any new notes or Time
  • This may manifest itself when trying to import into Time from schedule items, you may see a schedule item and it will not import because it is already attached to a piece of time on a different date/client/service, etc.