Hello: I have two questions related to the same topic:
When selecting “Create New Encounter”, save.php in forms/save.php sets the $providerID to: $provider_id = $userauthorized ? $_SESSION[‘authUserID’] : 0;
Can someone explain this statement to me? I am asking because it does not seem to mater which provider is set in the patient’s demographics > choices > Provider… the new encounter always has a providerID set to 1.
so I’m wondering:
How do I set a default provider for a patient so when a new encounter is created, the defaults to that provider, and
If Phil Belford is a patient of Donna Lee & an appointment has been scheduled with Dr. Lee, the Front Desk automatically creates a new encounter for her as the provider with “arrived”. If this does not occur; Donna Lee, after login, can create the new encounter herself.
If Phil Belford is seen by Fred Stone instead because Dr. Lee has been called away to the ER, F. Stone can also create the new encounter.
Only Administrator, Physician or Clinician can create encounters. Front Desk is unable to do so independently of the auto-create feature.
Is there a way to edit the encounter’s ProviderID?
For small offices, where the front-desk staff wants to be “administrator”, if they create an appointment for a walk-in, as is perfectly legal in the program, it’ll store a bogus providerID for that encounter. For walk-ins, you have to create an appointment and THEN mark them as Arrived. That seems like a lot of clicks! but I kind of understand that it would help in tracking…
Seems like a bug to me… should default to Patient’s provider… no?
There is a way to edit provider_id in the database, but there is no good reason to do so.
If Fred Stone sees the patient, instead of Donna Lee; this can be quickly changed in the Edit Event dialog. Doubtful that 5 clicks for this auto-create will cause Repetitive Motion Syndrome.
Extremely bad idea to grant Administrator ACO’s to the Front Office.