External Scheduling Rules

Before you can use this feature, your practice must set up these templates and mappings:

• Applied templates for providers at your practice
• Active mappings for providers at your practice on the Appointment Settings page (for Web Scheduling only)
• Active mappings for providers at your practice on the Appointment Type Mapping page (for Direct Scheduling only)
  Note: Only clients participating in the Direct Scheduling alpha program can access and use the Direct Scheduling functionality.

1. Display the External Scheduling Rules page: On the Main Menu, click Settings > Communicator. In the left menu, under Practice Links — Communicator, click External Scheduling Rules.
   Note: If you use both Web Scheduling and Direct Scheduling, the rules set will apply to both scheduling services.
2. Click Add/view scheduling rule.

3. Select a provider — In the first box, select a department within your practice. In the second box, you can select a single provider or choose All Providers.
   Tip: Begin typing the department or provider name to quickly jump to departments or providers starting with those letters.
4. Appointment type — Select an appointment type.
   Tip: Begin typing the appointment type to quickly jump to appointment types starting with those letters.
5. Click Add/View Rule.

Rule — Set a limit rule

6. appointment(s) per day — Enter the maximum number of appointments allowed to be scheduled through Web Scheduling or Direct Scheduling.
7. Click Specify time range to apply the limit to a certain time period of the day.
8. Select the days of the week to apply the rule.
   Note:If no days of the week are selected, the rule automatically applies to each day.
   Note: Click Add another limit to set another limit rule.

Rule — Set a buffer rule

9. minutes between appointments — Enter the time needed between appointments for this appointment type.
10. Click Save .
    The new rule appears listed at the bottom of the page.

1. Display the External Scheduling Rules page: On the Main Menu, click Settings > Communicator. In the left menu, under Practice Links — Communicator, click External Scheduling Rules.
   Note: If you use both Web Scheduling and Direct Scheduling, the rule set will apply to both scheduling services.

2. Find the scheduling rule to edit. You can either scan the list of rules or use the filters under the Add/View Scheduling Rule heading and click Add/View Rule.
3. Click edit.
4. Rule — Modify the conditions in this area as needed.
5. Click Save.

1. Display the External Scheduling Rules page: On the Main Menu, click Settings > Communicator. In the left menu, under Practice Links — Communicator, click External Scheduling Rules.
   Note: If you use both Web Scheduling and Direct Scheduling, the rules set will apply to both scheduling services.

2. Find the scheduling rule you want to delete. You can either scan the list of rules or use the filters under the Add/View Scheduling Rule heading and click Add/View Rule.
3. Click edit.
4. Click Delete .
   Note: After you delete an external scheduling rule, there is no limit to how many of each appointment type can be booked per day and there is no buffer time allotted between appointments for Web Scheduling and Direct Scheduling.
   

1. Display the External Scheduling Rules page: On the Main Menu, click Settings > Coordinator. In the left menu, under Practice Links — Direct Scheduling, click External Scheduling Rules.
   Note: If you use both Web Scheduling and Direct Scheduling, the rules set will apply to both scheduling services.

2. Select a provider — In the first box, select a department within your practice. In the second box, you can select a single provider or choose All Providers.
   Tip: Begin typing the department or provider name to quickly jump to departments or providers starting with those letters.
3. Appointment type — Select an appointment type.
   Tip: Begin typing the appointment type to quickly jump to appointment types starting with those letters.
4. Click Add/View Rule.

Rule — Set a limit rule

5. appointment(s) per day — Enter the maximum number of appointments allowed to be scheduled through Web Scheduling or Direct Scheduling.
6. Click Specify time range to apply the limit to a certain time period of the day.
7. Select the days of the week to apply the rule.
   Note:If no days of the week are selected, the rule automatically applies to each day.
   Note: Click Add another limit to set another limit rule.

Rule — Set a buffer rule

8. minutes between appointments — Enter the time needed between appointments for this appointment type.
9. Click Save .
   The new rule appears listed at the bottom of the page.

1. Display the External Scheduling Rules page: On the Main Menu, click Settings > Coordinator. In the left menu, under Practice Links — Direct Scheduling, click External Scheduling Rules.
   Note: If you use both Web Scheduling and Direct Scheduling, the rules set will apply to both scheduling services.

2. Find the scheduling rule to edit. You can either scan the list of rules or use the filters under the Add/View Scheduling Rule heading and click Add/View Rule.
3. Click edit.
4. Rule — Modify the conditions in this area as needed.
5. Click Save.

1. Display the External Scheduling Rules page: On the Main Menu, click Settings > Coordinator. In the left menu, under Practice Links — Direct Scheduling, click External Scheduling Rules.
   Note: If you use both Web Scheduling and Direct Scheduling, the rules set will apply to both scheduling services.

2. Find the scheduling rule you want to delete. You can either scan the list of rules or use the filters under the Add/View Scheduling Rule heading and click Add/View Rule.
3. Click edit.
4. Click Delete .
   Note: After you delete an external scheduling rule, there is no limit to how many of each appointment type can be booked per day and there is no buffer time allotted between appointments for Web Scheduling and Direct Scheduling.
   

You can set up a limit rule and a buffer rule to prevent externally scheduled appointments from disrupting your practice's workflow:

• Limit rule — Define the maximum number of a specific appointment type that can be externally scheduled for a time period.
• Buffer rule — Define the duration needed between two appointments of the same appointment type before the second appointment can be externally scheduled.

1. Adam Smith, a scheduler at Timber Hills Medical Group, wants to set up scheduling rules for all providers in Department One that specialize in Pediatrics. Adam needs to set up scheduling rules where providers can see infants in the mornings and sick children in the afternoons since the practice sanitizes all exam rooms in the evenings. His practice wants to allow parents to schedule appointments for their children online through the Patient Portal and to allow other practices to schedule appointments for patients through athenaOne.
2. Adam accesses the External Scheduling Rules page and selects Department One. Because he wants the new rule to apply to everyone in Department One, he selects "All providers."
3. Adam selects "Infant Visit" as the appointment type and clicks Add/View Rule. He sets a maximum number of three appointments that can be scheduled through Web Scheduling or Direct Scheduling between 8:00 a.m. and 12:00 p.m. He also sets a buffer of 20 minutes between infant visits. Adam selects all days except the weekend to apply the rule. Adam then clicks Save.
4. Adam then selects "Pediatric Visit" as the appointment type and clicks Add/View Rule. He sets a maximum number of five appointments that can be scheduled through Web Scheduling or Direct Scheduling between 1:00 p.m. and 5:00 p.m. He sets a buffer of 10 minutes between pediatric visits. Adam selects all days except the weekend to apply the rule. Adam then clicks Save.
5. Adam has successfully created external scheduling rules that will allow parents and other practices to schedule appointments that ensure a sterile environment for infant visits.