This guide will help you ensure that Cubiko accurately calculates schedule hours and utilisation metrics by correctly setting up and managing schedules and appointments in Zedmed.
Cubiko extracts data such as scheduled hours, appointments, and billings from your Practice Management Software (PMS). We calculate utilisation by examining the scheduled hours and measuring how much of that time is spent on patient appointments. Proper schedule management is essential, as it affects metrics like billings per hour.
The sections included in this article are:
- Hours definitions
- Steps to Set Up and Manage Scheduled in Zedmed
- FAQ's
Hours definitions
We have variations on how we define the time spent by your Practitioners within Cubiko. Understanding these definitions will help you use the best time measurement for your practice.
Schedule hours:
This figure represents total schedule hours for the period selected. Schedule hours includes the time opened up in your diary (either via the schedule setup screen or appointments made available). Excludes practice closures, days away and right click - unavailable.
Booked hours
This figure represents total booked hours for the period selected. Booked hours include all the patient appointment slots which are attended, booked and double booked.
Consulting hours
This figure represents total hours spent consulting for the period selected. Consulting hours include all the patient appointment slots which are attended and booked (excludes double booked appointments).
Admin hours
This figure represents total admin hours for the period selected. Admin hours include all non-patient appointments and right-click unavailable time.
Clinic booking utilisation
This figure represents the proportion of available time that has been booked. Utilisation is calculated by dividing the duration of all booked appointments (attended, booked and double booked) by the total available schedule hours.
Clinic consulting utilisation
This figure shows the proportion of available time that has been spent consulting with patients. Utilisation is calculated by dividing the duration of all consulting time (attended and booked) by the total available schedule hours.
Set Up Schedules and Activity Types
- Set up and review your schedules in Zedmed. Follow the Zedmed guide on how to do so - Create a schedule.
- Time in the Zedmed Appointment Book is divided into schedules, and each schedule has an activity type to determine the types of appointments that can be booked at that time. It is important to have schedules set up for doctors and resources like practice nurses and Activity Types like as short consult, long consult, new patient, walk-in and review.
- Important: Avoid including breaks (like lunch) in the schedule, as these will appear in Cubiko as "scheduled hours."
Note: Deleting a schedule removes all historical data, which impacts Cubiko’s ability to pull past information. Instead, end a schedule rather than deleting it.
Book Appointments on Defined Schedules
- Only book appointments on a Schedule: Ensure all appointments are booked on an "schedule” in Zedmed. Learn how to create a schedule.
- Extending Schedules: Use the “extend schedule” function for one-off schedule adjustments. See how to extend a schedule.
Important! Booking appointments outside scheduled hours such as overriding will affect metrics like billing per consulting hour.
In Zedmed, appointment types have a default duration.
When an appointment does not align with a set schedule, the system defaults to the appointment type's duration. This can lead to inaccurate billing per consulting/booking hour calculations if the slot duration is shorter than expected.
Align Appointment Duration with Schedule Slots
To avoid issues as highlighted above be sure to:
- Match Appointment Length: Set appointment types to match or exceed the scheduled slot length. For instance, if slots are 15 minutes, ensure appointment durations are 15 minutes or more.
- Where to Adjust: Update appointment durations in Practice Setup >> Appointments >> Appointment Types in Zedmed.
Note! Changes apply only to new appointments after adjustment.
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Mark Unavailable time
For events like public holidays or leave, use the “Mark a period as unavailable” function in Zedmed to ensure accurate scheduling. More on marking time unavailable. This ensures the time is not counted as "Scheduled time".
This will close off the appointment book and remove the scheduled time.
If you use the "Right click" Unavailable option this will be counted as "Admin hours" in Cubiko.
FAQ's:
Q: Can Cubiko include an appointment type without a set duration?
A: No, Zedmed automatically assigns duration based on appointment type, aligning with slot lengths unless specified otherwise.
Q: Can I adjust the duration of existing appointments?
A: Yes, manually adjust the end time or duration to align with your schedule slots, which can prevent mismatches in future data