The Queue feature allows staff to check patients in and out, track waiting times in each queue, complete documents, medicate patients, change orders, and complete other actions to expedite their workflows. It can also help facilities increase efficiency and identify areas that need improvements.
New to Queues? Click here to learn how to set up Queues for your organization.
Required Permissions:
- Any user can check patients into the Queue.
- Super Admins, Records Admins, and any role authorized under Settings > Queues > Edit Queue > Roles can perform actions in the Queue.
Queues Overview
Let's review key elements available on the Queues page.
- Queues are Location-specific, please ensure you select a Location before opening the Queue tab.
- To access Queues, click Queues at the top of the page. This screen is where users will manage all Queue workflows.
- The system displays an overview of the Expected, In Progress, Completed, and Remaining Patients.
- Expected: The number of patients expected to attend based on the patients active in the census at the end of the previous day.
- Important: Patients admitted on the current day will not be added to the Expected list until the next day (at the earliest).
- In Progress: The number of patients added to the Queue and currently in Processing status.
- Completed: The number of patients who have been Completed and Checked Out today. The total number of patients completed can be higher than the expected number in the cases when the facility includes additional patients in the Queue.
- Remaining: The number of expected patients that have not been Completed and Checked Out.
- Average Times: The average duration patients spend in each queue from Check-in to Check-Out.
- Expected: The number of patients expected to attend based on the patients active in the census at the end of the previous day.
- If you click on Expected, In progress, Completed, or Remaining, the system will provide a list of patients with demographic information including name, MR number, phone number, email, and therapist. This list can be exported to CSV, or PDF, or can be printed.
- Use Queue Filters to choose which queues are visible to your individual user profile. All queues display by default.
- Click on the Clear All button to clear the previous selection and then select the desired queue by clicking on its name.
- To automatically reselect all filters, click on the Select All button.
- Click on the Clear All button to clear the previous selection and then select the desired queue by clicking on its name.
Check Patients In
Staff members can manually Check-In patients by using the search bar and entering the Patient’s MR number, First Name, and/or Last Name.
Patient Cards
Patient Cards display relevant patient information at the time of check-in.
- Flags are displayed at the top of the Patient Card so they can be easily seen and addressed.
- The main area of the patient card displays relevant details drawn from the patient’s facesheet and orders.
- Click on Payments to open the Payments Screen to view the patient's balance due when Patient Ledger is in use. You can also add charges, collect payments, apply credits, generate statements, and collect patient signatures on transactions.
- Outstanding Balance Alert: If staff members try to check in a patient who has an amount due, the Outstanding Balance Alert will appear, reminding them to collect the payment. Click on the Continue button to skip collecting a payment and provide services to the patient (based on your facility protocols).
- Outstanding Balance Alert: If staff members try to check in a patient who has an amount due, the Outstanding Balance Alert will appear, reminding them to collect the payment. Click on the Continue button to skip collecting a payment and provide services to the patient (based on your facility protocols).
- Clicking on the Check In button allows you to check the patient into the default Queue. You can use the drop-down menu to check the patient into a queue other than the default.
Once the patient is checked in, they will appear in the In Queue table.
When the patient is ready to be seen, the user can click the Start button to being processing the patient. Queue behavior is determined by Queue Type. Standard facilities have two types of queues:
- Standard Queue: This queue is typically used to complete documentation and will open the patient chart tabs.
- Drug Screening Queue: This queue automatically opens the Lab Requisitions window, allowing the user to submit a sample for testing.
Standard Queue
When you click on the Start button for a client in a Standard Queue (not Drug Screening queues), the system automatically opens the Patient Processes tab assigned to the Queue in Queue Settings.
- Click the Start button.
- The patient chart tab selected in the Queue's settings will automatically open in the pop-up window. Because we assigned the Clinical tab to the counseling queue, the Clinical tab of the patient's chart appears in the pop-up window.
- From this screen, the user can add documentation, collect patient signatures, and complete any other actions needed for the visit.
- Next, if you're done with the patient, you can use the Send to button and select the next queue to send them to. Or, if the patient is done with their visit, click Complete & Checkout.
Drug Screening Queue (Labs Interface)
Let's review how to process a Lab Requisition for patients in the Drug Screening Queue. This Queue is for facilities that have a Lab Integration, allowing staff to manage lab requisitions without leaving Queues.
- Click the Start button.
- The Lab requisition screen appears in a pop-up window.
- To create a new order, click the Create button.
- The system will populate the Patient Name, Location, Lab, Lab Interface, and Specimen. Click Create.
- Complete the Lab test requisition by entering the Specimen number and collecting the patient’s signature.
- Note: You can easily collect the patient signature (in situations where a signature pad is not available) by clicking on the arrows in the upper right corner and then clicking the lock icon. This locks the system screen to prevent the patient from navigating away from the collect signature screen. Use your password to unlock the screen after signature collection.
- Collect the patient’s signature by clicking on the Sign Consent for Testing button. Click Save & Send once you are ready.
- If the order has already been sent, you can collect the patient's signature by clicking on the Edit icon.
- Then, choose Sign Consent for Testing at the end of the window.
- If the order has already been sent, you can collect the patient's signature by clicking on the Edit icon.
- Next, if you're done with the patient, you can use the Send to button and select the next queue to send them to. Or, if the patient is done with their visit, click Complete & Checkout.
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