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Appointment Scheduling

Manage provider schedules and patient appointments

Overview​

Turtle RCM's scheduling module provides:

  • Visual calendar for all providers
  • Automatic prior authorization checking (CRD)
  • Conflict detection
  • Appointment reminders (Phase 2)
  • Telehealth session support

Calendar Views​

Day View​

  • Hourly slots for selected provider
  • Shows all appointments for one day
  • Detailed view of each appointment

Week View​

  • 7-day overview
  • Multiple providers side-by-side
  • Quick availability check

Month View​

  • Full month calendar
  • Color-coded by provider
  • Click date to see day details

Scheduling an Appointment​

Quick Schedule​

1. Select Date & Time

  • Click on calendar at desired time slot
  • Or click "New Appointment" button

2. Fill Required Fields

  • Patient: Search and select
  • Provider: Choose clinician
  • Visit Type: Select service (e.g., "Individual Therapy 60min")
  • Duration: Auto-filled based on visit type

3. Check CRD Notice

🏥 Automatic Prior Authorization Check

Coverage Requirements Discovery (CRD):

When you schedule an appointment, Turtle RCM automatically:

  1. Queries payer's FHIR CRD endpoint
  2. Checks if prior authorization required
  3. Shows requirements in real-time
  4. Provides guidance on how to obtain auth
If prior auth needed, you'll see:
  • 🟡 Yellow notice: "Prior authorization required"
  • Payer requirements and timeline
  • Link to start authorization request
  • Warning if appointment scheduled before auth obtained
This prevents claim denials for missing authorization.

4. Optional Details

  • Notes (internal use)
  • Telehealth vs. in-office
  • Room/location
  • Appointment status (scheduled, confirmed, completed, no-show)

5. Save Appointment

  • System checks for conflicts
  • Sends to calendar
  • Notification to provider (Phase 2)

Visit Types​

Standard Visit Types​

Common behavioral health services:

Visit TypeCPT CodeDurationDescription
Initial Assessment9079160-90 minDiagnostic evaluation (no medical services)
Initial w/ Medical9079260-90 minDiagnostic evaluation with medical services
Individual Therapy 309083230 minPsychotherapy
Individual Therapy 459083445 minPsychotherapy
Individual Therapy 609083760 minPsychotherapy
Crisis Intervention9083960 minCrisis psychotherapy
Group Therapy9085390 minGroup psychotherapy
Family Therapy9084760 minFamily therapy with patient

Custom Visit Types​

(Admin can add)

  1. Go to System Configuration (admin panel)
  2. Click "Visit Types"
  3. Add New:
    • Name (shows in scheduler)
    • CPT code (for billing)
    • Default duration
    • Telehealth eligible (yes/no)
  4. Save

Use case examples:

  • "Intake Assessment - New Patient"
  • "Medication Follow-up 15min"
  • "School Consultation 30min"
  • "Court Report Preparation"

Managing Appointments​

Editing Appointments​

Quick edit:

  • Click appointment on calendar
  • Modify details
  • Save changes

Reschedule:

  • Drag appointment to new time slot
  • System checks conflicts
  • Confirms move

Cancel:

  • Click appointment
  • Select "Cancel Appointment"
  • Enter reason
  • Choose: No-show vs. Patient canceled vs. Provider canceled

Appointment Status​

StatusMeaningAction
ScheduledInitial statusDefault
ConfirmedPatient confirmed attendanceMark after reminder call
Checked InPatient arrivedMark at front desk
In ProgressSession startedAuto-marked when documentation opened
CompletedSession finishedMark after session
No ShowPatient didn't attendMark after 15 minutes
CancelledAppointment cancelledWho cancelled + reason

Recurring Appointments​

For ongoing therapy:

  1. Schedule initial appointment
  2. Click "Make Recurring"
  3. Select pattern:
    • Weekly on [day]
    • Every 2 weeks
    • Monthly
    • Custom
  4. Set end date or number of occurrences
  5. System creates all appointments

Benefits:

  • Schedule months in advance
  • Patient knows their standing time
  • Can edit/cancel individual occurrences

Provider Availability​

Setting Availability​

(Admin or Provider)

1. Go to provider settings 2. Click "Availability" 3. Set regular hours:

  • Monday: 9 AM - 5 PM
  • Tuesday: 10 AM - 8 PM
  • Wednesday: Off
  • Etc.

4. Set breaks:

  • Lunch: 12 PM - 1 PM
  • Break: 3 PM - 3:15 PM

5. Block time:

  • Meetings, trainings, time off
  • Mark as unavailable
  • Or create "Admin Time" appointments

Availability View​

Calendar shows:

  • 🟢 Available slots (green)
  • 🔴 Booked slots (appointments)
  • ⚫ Unavailable (blocked time)
  • 🔵 Break time

Double-booking:

  • System warns if slot already booked
  • Can override if intentional (e.g., group therapy)

Telehealth Appointments​

Scheduling Telehealth​

1. When scheduling appointment:

  • Check "Telehealth" box
  • System notes for billing purposes

2. Billing considerations:

  • Different Place of Service (POS) code
  • Requires modifier 95 (or GT, depending on payer)
  • State-specific rules apply
  • Not all payers cover telehealth
📡 Geo-Aware Rules Engine

Turtle RCM automatically checks telehealth requirements:
  • State rules: Is telehealth allowed in patient's state?
  • Payer policy: Does insurance cover telehealth?
  • Modifiers required: Which modifier (95, GT, GQ)?
  • POS code: Use 02 (telehealth) or 10 (office)?
  • Documentation: What must be documented?
Guidance shown during claim creation: "For Aetna in Texas, use POS 10 with modifier 95. Document that HIPAA-compliant video platform was used."This prevents telehealth claim denials.

Telehealth Documentation Requirements​

Must document:

  • Platform used (Zoom, Doxy.me, etc.)
  • HIPAA compliance of platform
  • Patient location (state)
  • Provider location
  • Quality of connection
  • Any technical issues

Appointment Reminders​

(Phase 2 Feature)

Automated reminders:

  • Email 48 hours before
  • SMS 24 hours before
  • Customizable per clinic

Reduces no-shows by ~30%

Reports​

Available Reports​

Appointment Report:

  • All appointments by date range
  • Filter by provider, patient, status
  • Export to CSV

No-Show Report:

  • Patients with multiple no-shows
  • No-show rate by provider
  • Financial impact calculation

Productivity Report:

  • Sessions per provider
  • Utilization rate (booked vs. available hours)
  • Revenue per provider

Running Reports​

  1. Click "Reports" in Appointments
  2. Select report type
  3. Set date range and filters
  4. Click "Generate"
  5. Export as CSV or PDF

Tips & Best Practices​

Reducing No-Shows​

✅ DO:

  • Send appointment reminders (Phase 2)
  • Call to confirm day before
  • Have clear cancellation policy
  • Reschedule promptly if patient cancels
  • Track no-show patterns

❌ DON'T:

  • Schedule too far in advance (> 3 months)
  • Forget to confirm high-risk patients
  • Ignore repeated no-shows (intervention needed)

Efficient Scheduling​

✅ DO:

  • Block admin time on calendar
  • Buffer between appointments
  • Schedule similar visit types together
  • Use recurring appointments for ongoing therapy
  • Review schedule weekly for conflicts

❌ DON'T:

  • Double-book without reason
  • Forget breaks and lunch
  • Schedule back-to-back crisis slots
  • Ignore provider preferences

Prior Authorization​

✅ DO:

  • Check CRD notice when scheduling
  • Start prior auth 2-3 days before first session
  • Track authorization expiration
  • Request renewal early (when 1-3 sessions remaining)

❌ DON'T:

  • Ignore prior auth requirements
  • Wait until day of service
  • Let authorizations expire
  • Forget to track sessions used

FAQ​

Q: Can patients self-schedule?
A: Phase 2 will include patient portal with self-scheduling. Currently staff-only.

Q: What if patient needs to cancel?
A: Update appointment status to "Cancelled" with reason. Can reschedule from cancellation screen.

Q: How do I block time for vacation?
A: Admin can block provider availability for date range. Or create "Out of Office" appointments.

Q: Can I see other providers' schedules?
A: Yes, all staff can view (read-only). Only admins and the provider can edit their own schedule.

Q: What if I need to squeeze in emergency appointment?
A: Override double-booking warning. Mark as "Crisis" or "Emergency" in notes. Bill appropriately (90839/90840 if crisis psychotherapy).

Next Steps​

Last updated: November 2025