I have been in the process of customizing OpenEMR for a non-profit outpatient mental health facility. There has been a bit of customization required to make it relevant to a mental health practice, but I am thankful for a few old threads on the forum providing some insight into the customization (I’m a novice at this). However, I need a bit of guidance on customizing. I tried to look for other threads, and if you know of an answer in another thread, please feel free to direct me there. Sorry for the list of questions. Thanks!
New Encounter form
Can I change the visit category listbox (i.e., established patient, new patient, office visit, reserved) without making the system go crazy and disrupting other scripting? I would like the listbox to say things like Screening, Evaluation, Psychotherapy Visit, Telephone Consultation? If so, how can this be changed?
Is there another section of OpenEMR that is recommended for documenting telephone calls to patients other than generating an encounter for the call?
Fee sheet
Our agency will not be using the “New Patient” and “Established Patient” listboxes for service types. Is there a way that we can reprogram those listboxes to be our own services with the proper CPT codes. I have already added our common CPT codes into Administration->codes. Can I just change the list in the Administration->lists->Fee Sheet to our own procedures and codes or will things go crazy?
When we are justifying CPT procedures, it seems as though the only way to justify is to search ICD9 for the code, input it, and then justify the CPT procedure with the ICD9 code every time the patient comes in. However, it would be a lot easier if the fee sheet was able to have a listbox of that specific patient’s medical problems from which to select the ICD9 code instead of searching every time.
I hope these questions make sense and thank you everyone for taking the time to look and think about them.
NE.1.
We just reused the predefined categories by renaming them. Later we added more. No issues yet.
NE.2.
If you are not going to bill for the call then you could use messages/notes to build a log. Also depends if users are going document clinically relevant data with call record. Then it should be issues.
FS.1.
If you rename the categories, it will automatically change the predefined layout. As you configure services, you will control the fee sheet layout.
FS.2.
We ended up with our own fee sheet that pulls codes from patient issues with preference to encounter issues. We also converted the dropdown to check boxes to speed data entry. With some development and using newer jQuery components, our custom Fee Sheet now is tuned for 30 secs to a minute turnaround - most boring minute for many MDs.
For FS 2 in 4.1.2, after choosing a procedure code, you can click on its code to be presented with a list that includes the patient’s problems ordered based on: already part of the encounter, encounter issues, or other issues from the problem list.
There is also an “auto-complete” code search available from that options.
To change Categories in the Calendar; Administration >Other >Calendar >Categories, then modify and also change colors if desired. See first attachment. Don’t modify “In Office” and “Out of Office” to avoid wrecking havoc on the Calendar.
We don’t use the Message Center in our office, therefore we don’t use the Notes module in the Patient Summary. To document telephone calls, we use the Disclosure module instead. Despite its title, it functions well to record phone conversations without generating an encounter because we don’t charge for phone calls.
To customize the Fee Sheet; Lists >Fee Sheet; change the Groups, Options and the corresponding CPT codes. See second attachment.
In many practices, the coding person knows the ICD9 codes by heart; therefore a search is rarely necessary. If that is not case in your office, Kevin’s enhancements are great features. Bear in mind that we are not paid by the number of ICD9 codes. Whether you have 3 or 1 code, the reimbursement is the same.
Hi Kevin,
Nice video. Will embed it into the Wiki as soon as a right spot is found.
At the risk of causing embarassment, nice baritone (please forgive an old person).