# Visit category list needs to be editable **URL:** \ **Category:** Day-to-Day Users\ **Created:** [February 4, 2018, 10:19am UTC](https://community.open-emr.org/t/visit-category-list-needs-to-be-editable/9604 "2018-02-04T10:19:31Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 6\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Harold\_Kornylak](https://community.open-emr.org/user_avatar/community.open-emr.org/harold_kornylak/32/11357_2.png) [@Harold\_Kornylak](https://community.open-emr.org/u/Harold_Kornylak)\ **Post date:** [February 4, 2018, 10:19am UTC](https://community.open-emr.org/t/visit-category-list-needs-to-be-editable/9604/1 "2018-02-04T10:19:31Z")
I note the visit category on the NEW ENCOUNTER form is NOT an editable list. Can that be fixed? Minor- I would like to delete Opthamologic Major - I would like to add a NO SHOW category. I feel no show is a very important thing to track, I am frustrated that I find no way to do it currently. ---
**Author:** ![rmagauran](https://community.open-emr.org/user_avatar/community.open-emr.org/rmagauran/32/11435_2.png) [@rmagauran](https://community.open-emr.org/u/rmagauran)\ **Post date:** [February 4, 2018, 1:42pm UTC](https://community.open-emr.org/t/visit-category-list-needs-to-be-editable/9604/2 "2018-02-04T13:42:24Z")
Hi Harold, Here are the steps you need: No show is an appointment status, and is editable here: **Administration-\>Lists** There select Appointment Statuses and you will see those options. Visit Category is located here: **Administration-\>Other-\>Calendar** Click Categories and create/delete/alter the visit categories as you desire. Next, navigate to **Administration-\>Practice** and select Documents. Here you should delete the Eye related document categories, and perhaps create any you desire. Lastly, navigate to **Adminstration-\>Other-\>Forms** and disable the Eye form. Hope that helps to get you started, Ray ---
**Author:** ![cverk](https://community.open-emr.org/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/c/7cd45c/32.png) [@cverk](https://community.open-emr.org/u/cverk)\ **Post date:** [February 5, 2018, 6:58pm UTC](https://community.open-emr.org/t/visit-category-list-needs-to-be-editable/9604/3 "2018-02-05T18:58:03Z")
I think what he is asking about and I would also find helpful would be to be able to create an encounter entry that does not involve generating a billing episode to use to document things like a no show event or a phone call that is unrelated to an in office visit. My work around has been to write notes in windows word pad, convert them to pdf, label them as say a phone call and date and then import them as a document. This is kind of a pain, but both of these areas are important for stuff like the no show or phone call stomach ache that later turns out to be a burst appendix. ---
**Author:** ![Harold\_Kornylak](https://community.open-emr.org/user_avatar/community.open-emr.org/harold_kornylak/32/11357_2.png) [@Harold\_Kornylak](https://community.open-emr.org/u/Harold_Kornylak)\ **Post date:** [February 5, 2018, 8:51pm UTC](https://community.open-emr.org/t/visit-category-list-needs-to-be-editable/9604/4 "2018-02-05T20:51:50Z")
cverk is correct. I specifically want to edit the drop down list of encounter types, to add a no show/cancellation. And I think I would also add phone call. And then I could still enter data relevant without it creating a billing record. I want it to appear in the encounter list and reports, not just on the appointment schedule. I want the no show, or a cancellation, with the stated reason for the cancellation, to be in the history of encounters. How can I do this? I presume the list of possible encounter types needs to be moved to the editable lists under the admin tab. I can not think of any reason for it not to be. So far I am using the “reserved” type. ---
**Author:** ![Mohammad](https://community.open-emr.org/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/m/e274bd/32.png) [@Mohammad](https://community.open-emr.org/u/Mohammad)\ **Post date:** [September 16, 2026, 10:48am UTC](https://community.open-emr.org/t/visit-category-list-needs-to-be-editable/9604/5 "2026-09-16T10:48:04Z")
Follow up on this…i need to add telemedicine to the list , how to edit it without breaking links and still generate billing ? ---
**Author:** ![moussa](https://community.open-emr.org/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/m/90ced4/32.png) [@moussa](https://community.open-emr.org/u/moussa)\ **Post date:** [September 16, 2026, 12:25pm UTC](https://community.open-emr.org/t/visit-category-list-needs-to-be-editable/9604/6 "2026-09-16T12:25:37Z")
Hi @Mohammad , This answer from claude: Adding a new category is safe — go to Administration → Clinic → Calendar → Categories, click Add, and name it “Telemedicine.” That just creates a new category ID; it won’t touch or renumber existing categories, so nothing already linked to another category breaks. The only way to break links is deleting or reusing an existing category, not adding a new one. One thing worth clarifying though: visit category in OpenEMR is a scheduling/calendar classification (coloring + filtering the appointment list), not a billing object. It doesn’t itself “generate” billing. Billing comes from whatever codes are entered on the encounter’s Fee Sheet — E/M code, ICD-10, Place of Service, modifiers — independent of which category the appointment was tagged with. So for telehealth claims to go out correctly, what actually matters is: - Set Place of Service to 02 (Telehealth) or 10 (Telehealth in patient’s home) on the encounter/claim Hope that helps 🙂. - Moussa