Site and Encounter templates can be created and added to the Encounters folder of the patient file. Information required to bill the patient for the visit (i.e. CPT codes, diagnostic codes, insurance coverage) are entered into this template which can then be sent via an HL7 interface to your billing program.

Encounter are designed to work with appointments/patient visits - each type of appointment can be configured to automatically trigger an encounter template which can comprise of one or more billing items/CPT codes.

For a guide on how to apply encounter templates to patient records click here Encounters & the Patient Record

1 Pre requisite configuration ;
- 1.1 Configuration - Encounter template type
  - 1.1.1 To create a new appointment type and therefore encounter template type;
- 1.2 Configuration - Billing items
2 Create a new encounter template

Pre requisite configuration ;

Configuration - Encounter template type

Encounter templates are assigned a Type from a drop down list. The type is anything configured as an appointment type in DTP, or anything configured as a drug - Config. - Drugs, test and procedures (DTP) . Essentially the type is the appointment name the encounter is associated with.

To create a new appointment type and therefore encounter template type;

Create an ‘other’ item in DTP

Click new
Add name of encounter template
Select type ‘other’
tick ‘add to appointment list’

This allows you to associate encounter templates with appointment types which can then be created directly from the appointment diary.

For example, a ‘new patient’ appointment might be associated with an encounter template comprising of CPT codes/billing items for venepuncture (36415), ultrasound (76830), and typical new patient visit codes (99241, 99242, 99243, 99244). Additional codes may be added to the encounter within the patient file if required.

Configuration - Billing items

To be detailed in an encounter template, an item to be billed must be present in the DTP area as ‘Drug’ or ‘Other’, and configured to contain the price to be billed to the patient.

NOTE: if you change a price in DTP, you will need to go to any encounter templates containing that item, remove and add again, to obtain the updated price (or manually edit the item each time it occurs in an encounter template

To create a billing item in DTP , if the item is not there already;

DTP Config. - Drug

DTP Config. - Other (appointments and procedures)

click ‘New’
Add name of billing item
Select type ‘other’ or ‘drug’
if ‘other’ ensure that ‘include in appointment list’ is ticked
Click invoicing tab to provide information on the billing price, CPT code and defaults on how the item should be billed

Create a new encounter template

Go to the Encounter Templates section of System Configuration. (File > System configuration > Drugs, Tests and Procedures)
Click ‘New’

Encounter tab

Select a type from the drop down menu - see information above to configure what appears on this drop down
You can select
- Site
- Place of Service here,
- Method of Payment,
or leave blank

Billing items tab

Click ‘Edit’ and then ‘Add’ to add items to the template.
You can add a CPT code from the drop down

These codes will always be available for selection when the encounter is added to the patient file.

If you want the CPT code to be selected by default in a new encounter, just enter a quantity of '1' in the Qty column. If not, leave it blank

Refer to IDS6905 How-to create a new CPT code if the CPT code is not available for selection.

Treatment plan items tab - Adding Associated treatment plan events - with CPT/billing codes

more information coming soon!

Treatment plan events can be associated with specific billing codes ,allowing you to select an event in the Encounter 'Treatment Plan Items' section and have it drop a charge into the Billable Items section.

In this example we will associate a 76830 billing code with both baseline and tracking ultrasounds.

Go to the Drugs, Tests and Procedures section of System Configuration (File > System configuration > Drugs, Tests and Procedures).
Select the Vaginal Ultrasound item linked to the 76830 billing code.

Go to Invoicing Tab
In Associated Events, add a Baseline and a Tracking ultrasound event
This means that whenever any of these associated events are identified in an Encounter, they will be automatically linked to this billing code and associated prices, and will be billed as per the details here

Eg in practice - Creating an Encounter with a tracking scan as a treatment plan item

Because, in this example, a tracking scan event has been associated with the Vaginal ultrasound billing code;

a vaginal ultrasound has billable item has automatically been added.

Use the arrows to move items up and down the list, and the trash can at the end of each line to remove an item
When the template is complete click save