5. Patient is Cleared for Admission by Provider

Healthcare professionals can help to ensure that each patient receives the best possible care and achieves the best possible outcomes by carefully considering each patient's individual needs and providing them with the necessary information and support. Assigning a program, scheduling the admission, and providing patients with necessary information can also help to streamline the admission process, making it more efficient and less stressful for patients and their families. In addition, providing billers with adequate verification of benefits information before admission can help reduce wait times and ensure that patients receive care promptly. 

Note: This process only describes the pre-admission process for clients not using a CRM or Kipu integrated RCM products. 

Workflow Video

Workflow Steps

Let’s review the Kipu EMR’s best practice workflow for scheduling an approved patient for admission.  Once the patient is cleared for Admission by the Provider, schedule an appointment using Scheduler. 

1. From the patient chart, click on the New Document icon.
2. Add the Manage Clinical Level of Care form by clicking the Edit icon.
3. Select a Clinical Level of Care from the drop-down list.
• Note: Super Admins can customize the available level of care options under Settings > Patients. For more information on configuring clinical levels of care, click here.
4. Sign and submit the form.
5. The system will display the Clinical LOC on the top left of the patient’s chart.  
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6. Next, assign a UR Level of Care to the patient by clicking on + Add Review to complete an insurance authorization in the facesheet. For more information on adding UR LOC, click here.
7. In the Authorization window, fill out the required information (indicated with an asterisk (*) and click Save Authorization.
8. The authorization information will be available in the patient’s facesheet.
9. Once you complete the service authorization, you can find the UR LOC displayed at the top of the patient’s chart. Usually, the facility chooses to treat the patient at the level of care authorized by the payer/insurance, meaning both the clinical level of care and UR level of care will match.
• Important: In some cases, insurance may authorize a lower level of care. If the facility decides to treat the patient at a higher level of care, the clinical level of care and UR level of care will not match.
  
10. Next, let's assign the patient to a Program. Click on the Edit Patient button in the Information tab.
    
11. Select the desired program from the drop-down menu options. Once a patient is assigned to a program, the information appears on the landing page, occupancy view, and bed board.
• Note: Super Admins can customize the available Program options under Settings > Patients. For more information on programs, click here.
  
12. Once you have completed the steps above, there are two routes to clear the patient for admission, depending on whether the facility provides inpatient or outpatient care.  

Inpatient Care Workflow 

Inpatient care facilities require patients to stay overnight for monitoring. For inpatient facilities, you will need to review occupancy for bed capacity. 

1. Click on the Occupancy tab. This screen provides an overview of each facility building to review the bed capacity. For more information on the Occupancy tab, click here. This page displays the following information:
   1. Assigned Beds: Displays the current census with beds assigned by gender.  
   2. Available Beds: Open beds available for assignment.  
      • No Bed Capacity Available: If your facility has no beds available, you may refer the patient to an outside agency based on your facility’s protocols .  
      • Bed Capacity Available: If your facility has open beds, you can proceed. 
   3. Anticipated Discharge Date: The estimated date and time the patient will be discharged.  
   4. Unassigned Patients: Active patients without assigned beds. 
2. You can also run an occupancy report that includes the patient names, beds, and anticipated discharge dates for a more detailed look. To learn more about clinical reports for occupancy, click here.
3. Next, assign the patient a building, room, and bed. Open the patient's chart, and from the Information tab, click the Edit Patient button.
   
4. Add the Admission Date, Building, Bed, and Location Date based on availability.
5. Next, update the pre-admission status in the patient’s chart.
6. To schedule the Admission/Intake appointment, click the Schedules tab, and then the Scheduler tab.
   
7. Click on the + Add button to schedule the appointment.       
8. Fill out the required appointment details (indicated with an asterisk (*)) and click Save to schedule the appointment. For more information on adding appointments to the Scheduler, click here.
   
9. The patient will receive a notification by email or text that the appointment has been scheduled (depending on how you have set up the appointment communications).  Click here to learn more about appointment communications.

Outpatient Care Workflow 

An outpatient facility provides services that do not require the patient to remain overnight, so a bed assignment is not needed. Some facilities may work with capacity limits, meaning the facility has a maximum number of patients that can be served based on staff availability. 

Capacity Limits 

If your facility operates with capacity limits, assign an admission date and assign a bed in the patient’s chart. In this case, beds are being assigned to count towards capacity. 

1. Click on the patient’s chart, select the Information tab, and click Edit Patient.
   
   
2. Add the Admission Date, and assign the Building, Bed, and Location Date based on availability.
3. Next, update the pre-admission status in the patient’s chart.
4. Click the Schedules tab, and then the Scheduler tab. Click on the + Add button to schedule the appointment. 
5. Fill out the required appointment details (indicated with an asterisk (*)) and click Save to schedule the appointment. For more information on adding appointments to the Scheduler, click here.
   
6. The patient will receive a notification by email or text that the appointment has been scheduled (depending on how you have set up the appointment communications).  Click here to learn more about appointment communications.  

Without Capacity Limits 

If the facility does not operate with a capacity limit, there is no need to assign a bed. Proceed to add the admission date, change the pre-admission status, and create an appointment through Scheduler. For more information on adding appointments to the Scheduler, click here. 

Workflow Deviation 

If the facility does not use Scheduler, follow the steps above and schedule the admission appointment in your calendar of choice.