Scheduling a Patient Call Back

Call Backs is a diversion control tool used to schedule and complete random medication counts for patients. Generally, patients are contacted at random for Call Backs once per quarter and given 24 hours to come into the clinic with their medication(s). Once the patient arrives, a nurse will count their remaining medication(s), complete urinalysis, and check medication packaging for tampering.

In this article, we'll review the process for scheduling a patient for a call back. 

Required User Roles: Super Admins, Records Admins, Doctors, and Nurses can use the Call Backs feature.    

The Call Backs Board

In the Call Backs Board, users will find the patients that have been selected must be called back at the beginning of the day. They can also document patients who have already been contacted, notify patients that they need to come in the next day, confirm appointment dates, and complete call back documentation forms. The tab shows the current date by default and displays information on each status column based on the date selected.  

Patients will appear on the Call Backs board according to the configurations chosen in Call Backs Settings.

1. To begin, select the desired location from the Locations drop-down in the header. Then click on the Schedules tab followed by Call Backs.
   • Note: If you don't select a specific locations option from the drop-down list, you will receive an error message.   
2. The Call Backs Board tab opens by default.
3. If desired, you can search for a specific patient by name, MR number, or Patient ID using the Search field. If you want to search by a specific date, use the Date field. You can also use the search bar and Date field together to find information about a specific patient on a specific date. If you do not enter any information, the system defaults to the current date. 
4. The Pending, In Progress, Scheduled, and Completed columns represent different statuses and show the patients whose Call Back appointment statuses correspond to the column. 
   1. Pending: Lists all the patients who have been randomly selected by the system for a call back the following day. If you call the patient on the day they appear in the Pending list, they will have 24 hours from the next calendar day to show up at the facility. If no action is taken, they will remain in the Pending column, and their call back date will likewise move to the day after.
   2. In Progress: Lists every patient who has been contacted by phone or SMS but has not replied. 
   3. Scheduled: Lists all patients who confirmed their visit to the facility after receiving a call or SMS. 
   4. Completed: Patients who have finished a Call Back for the day are listed in the Completed column.  
5. While each column has different elements, the following are shared across all four.
   1. Ascending/Descending: Sort patients alphabetically in ascending or descending order. The direction of the arrow indicates the sort order. 
   2. Clicking on arrows at the corner of each patient card will expand it and allow you to perform different actions depending on the status of the callback. 
   3. Additionally, clicking on the patient’s name will open their chart in a new tab. 

6. Icons: You'll encounter the following icons on the Call Backs Board.

   	The patient has not signed the SMS consent form and can only be contacted by phone
   	The patient has signed the SMS consent form and can receive automated text messages
   	The patient’s MR or Patient ID
   	The number of times the patient has been unsuccessfully contacted
   	The expected number of remaining medication doses
   	The time beside the clock in the In Progress column indicates the time the patient was last contacted
   	The number beside the clock in the Scheduled column indicates how many hours ago the patient confirmed their appointment. The clock will be green if it was less than 24 hours ago, and red if it was more.
   	Click on this icon to open the Call Back form.

Pending Column

The Pending column lists all patients who have been randomly selected and are expected to report to your facility within 24 hours.  

Working the Pending Column

1. Click on a patient tile and drag it into the desired column to automatically update the status.
2. To review contact history, document a call, or reschedule the patient, click on the expand arrows to open the patient’s information.
   
3. In the pop-up, the system will display all the patient’s information and you will be able to perform a number of other actions.
   1. Patient Information: This section contains the patient’s name, date of birth, preferred phone number, MR number or patient ID, and status. 
   2. Medications: This section shows the patient’s medications. Each icon represents a bottle with the number of expected doses in each. 
   3. Contact History: If you click on the down arrow beside Contact History, you will see the full record of previous actions taken. Clicking on the up arrow will collapse the history again.
   4. Choose one of the following options:
      • Record Call: Allows you to document information while on a call with the patient.
      • Send SMS: Available for patients who have signed the SMS Consent form. These messages are configured under Settings > Call Backs.
      • Note: The system will send the first SMS message and the following SMSs will be sent automatically based on the SMS intervals configured in Settings > Call Backs.  
      • Edit Return Date: Allows you to manually change the call back date to one that works for the facility. Choosing this option will update the patient’s call back date and remove them from the board for the current date. When the new date arrives, the patient will re-appear in the Pending column.
        
      • Note: This option is usually reserved for days when a facility is under-staffed or wishes to prioritize patients with large take-out medication orders over patients with a single dose, etc.
   5. Status: Use the status drop-down to move the patient to the appropriate column. These options only appear if Record Call is selected. 
      • No Response: This status indicates that the patient was contacted, but no response was received. The patient is moved to the In Progress column/status. 
      • Scheduled: This status indicates that the patient was contacted and confirmed their visit. The patient is moved to the Scheduled column/status. 
      • Declined: This status indicates that the patient was contacted and declined to come to the facility with no valid reason. The patient is moved to the Completed column/status and a Failed Call Back record is added (see the Completed Column section for more information). 
      • Rescheduled: This status indicates that the patient was contacted and was unable to return to the facility on the required date for a valid reason (e.g., hospitalization, travel, work, etc.). This selection updates the patient’s Call Back Date and removes them from the board for the current date. When the new date arrives, the patient will re-appear in the Pending column. 
   6. Notes: Allows you to add any necessary notes. These are the notes that will display in the Notes section of Contact History. The Notes section only appears if the Record Call option is selected. 
   7. Attachment: Click on the Choose File button to upload an attachment.  
4. Click Save to record your entries. If you click anywhere outside the window or click the x button, the window will close without saving your changes.

In Progress Column 

The In Progress column lists all patients who have been contacted but have not confirmed that they will come to the facility. This status includes patients who have been called but did not answer and those who have received an SMS but have not responded. 

Working the In Progress Column

1. Click on a patient tile and drag it into the desired column to automatically update the status.
2. To review contact history, document a call, or reschedule the patient click on the arrows to open the patient's Call Back window.
   
3. In the pop-up, the system will display all the patient’s information and you will be able to perform a number of other actions.
   1. Patient Information: This section contains the patient’s name, date of birth, preferred phone number, MR number or patient ID, and status. 
   2. Medications: This section shows the patient’s medications. Each icon represents a bottle with the number of expected doses in each. 
   3. Contact History: If you click on the down arrow beside Contact History, you will see the full record of previous actions taken. Clicking on the up arrow will collapse the history again.
   4. Choose one of the following options:  
      • Record Call: Allows you to document information while on a call with the patient. 
      • Send SMS: This option will no longer be available, as patients with SMS capabilities will automatically receive a second and final message automatically as configured under Settings > Call Backs. 
      • Edit Return Date: Allows you to manually change the call back date to one that works for the facility. This option will update the patient’s call back date and remove them from the board for the current date. The patient will re-appear in the Pending column when the new date arrives.
        
   5. Status: Use the status drop-down to move the patient to the appropriate column. These options only appear if Record Call is selected. 
      • No Response: This status indicates that the patient was contacted, but no response was received. The patient remains in the In Progress column/status and the contact count will update. 
      • Scheduled: This status indicates that the patient was contacted and confirmed their visit. The patient is moved to the Scheduled column/status. 
      • Declined: This status indicates that the patient was contacted and declined to come to the facility with no valid reason. The patient is moved to the Completed column/status and a Failed Call Back record is added (see the Completed Column section for more information). 
      • Rescheduled: This status indicates that the patient was contacted and was unable to return to the facility on the required date for a valid reason (e.g., hospitalization, travel, work, etc.). This selection updates the patient’s Call Back Date and removes them from the board for the current date. When the new date arrives, the patient will re-appear in the Pending column. 
   6. Notes: Allows you to add any necessary notes. These are the notes that will display in the Notes section of Contact History. The Notes section only appears if the Record Call option is selected. 
   7. Attachment: Click on the Choose File button to upload an attachment.  
4. Be sure to click Save to record your entries. If you click anywhere outside the window or click the x button, the window will close without saving your changes.

Scheduled Column 

The Scheduled column lists all patients who have confirmed that they will return to the facility for their call back by phone or SMS. Once in the scheduled column, you can reschedule the patient for a later date or complete the patient's Call Back Form. 

Working the Scheduled Column

1. Click on the arrows to open the call back window.
2. In the pop-up window, the system will display all the patient’s information and you will be able to review the patient's contact history or edit the return date. 
3. If needed, Edit Return Date. This field allows you to manually change the call back date to one that works for the facility. This option will update the patient’s call back date and remove them from the board for the current date. When the new date arrives, the patient will re-appear in the Pending column.
   
   • Note: This option is usually reserved for days when a facility is under-staffed or wishes to prioritize patients with large take-out medication orders over patients with a single dose, etc. 
4. Be sure to click Save to record your entries. If you click anywhere outside the window or click the x button, the window will close without saving your changes.