Introduction

Appointment reason groups and reason types are used in appointment scheduling, client communication and consultation workflow. Reason groups help categorise specific appointment reason types so that clients and staff can select from a list of limited options depending on the nature of the visit instead of having to browse a large list of mixed reasons. Reasons allow detailed control and define the available appointment times. This is especially useful in online booking.

Adding Reason Groups

A common approach is to create reason groups based on general veterinary fields such as dermatology, neurology, vaccinations, surgery, exams etc., but defining the reason groups and reasons is entirely up to the clinic. If you do not want to use groups, you can also create just one group and add all reasons to it.

1. Go to Settings > Items & Lists > Reasons.
2. In the Reason groups section, select + Add. The Create reason type group dialogue opens.
3. Select the Department you want to add the reason group for. If you do not select a department, the reason group will be available for all departments. 
   
   Note: If reason groups are shared by all departments, editing a reason group changes the information for all departments. In addition, default items cannot be used if reason groups are shared and multiple department item lists are used. If you want departments to have individual editing privileges to their reason settings, it is not recommended that reason groups are shared.
4. Give the reason group a Name and select Save to add the group.

You can edit or remove existing reason groups using the pen and trash bin buttons on the reason group row. Note that removing a reason group also removes all reasons that belong to it.

Adding Reasons

1. Create a new reason.

In the Reasons section, select + Add. The Create Reason type dialogue opens.

2. Fill in the reason details.

Required information:

• Name: The reason name is shown to both Provet Cloud users and your clients.
• Duration: The duration setting defines the default appointment duration when this reason is used. The duration is set in minutes. In online booking, the client is offered a list of available starting times for the appointment based on the reason, and the appointment duration is set automatically. The duration can be modified later by the clinic in the appointment calendar if necessary. 
• Group: Select the reason group for the reason. In online booking, the client first selects a reason group and will then have reason options based on the group.

Appointment confirmation and reminder settings:

These settings are used for appointments when this reason is selected for an appointment. If you do not specify reason-specific settings, the non-reason specific, default appointment reminder settings are used.

• Instructions: You can add a custom text that is included in the confirmation and reminder messages for this appointment reason (in addition to the general email greeting text defined in the default settings).
• Email message: Select whether to only use the general instructions text added in the Instructions field for both the confirmation and reminders messages, or if you want to add additional instructions for confirmation and reminder messages. Add the additional texts in the fields.
• SMS message: Select whether to use the non-reason specific default SMS confirmation and reminder messages or add reason-specific messages. Add the reason-specific messages in the fields. The message texts can be up to 1000 characters long, split into several SMS messages. The message fields show the number of characters used and the number of messages the text is split into. Each separate SMS message uses an SMS credit. 
• Prevent reminder sending methods by default: You can disable sending email reminders, SMS reminders, or all reminders when this reason is used.
• Prevent confirmation sending methods by default: You can disable sending email confirmations, SMS confirmations, or all confirmations when this reason is used.
• Exclude from appointment reminders and confirmations: You can select Appointment time and/or Veterinarian to be excluded from the appointment information in confirmation and reminder messages.
• Appointment reminders sent before: Add how many hours or days before scheduled appointments reminders are sent to clients for this appointment reason. The next setting defines whether this number is hours or days. 
• Appointment reminders send time type: Select whether reminders are sent hours or days before appointments.
• Appointment reminder specific send time: If you selected the 'days' option, add the specific time of the day when reminders are sent.

Note that if you make changes to the email and/or SMS texts and want to update them also to all unsent confirmation and reminder messages for existing appointments for this reason type, select the Update appointments / appointment reminders button. If you do not select this button and only save your changes, the changes are applied only to new appointments created after the update.

Other information:

• Colour: You can set a colour used for the reason in the appointment calendar. This setting is not used in customer communication.
• Proficient staff: You can select staff members whose appointments with this reason can be booked for. This helps to ensure that clients book appointments with the correct vet, nurse or team depending on the problem. If you do not select anyone, all staff is available.
• Available online: NOTE: If you want this reason to be available for online booking, make sure that this setting is selected. With Available from and to, you can define a time period during the day when this reason is available in online booking. Note that this setting works together with the duration setting, and the duration must fit within the available period entirely. For example, if the available time is defined to be from 10 to 12, the duration is set to 60 minutes and the calendar time slot size is 15 minutes, the available times for clients will be 10:00, 10:15, 10:30, 10:45 and 11:00. 
• Default resources, items and clinical notes: You can select resources, treatment items and a clinical note template that are added to the consultation automatically when this reason is used. This helps standardise common appointments and makes the consultation workflow faster.
  
  NOTE: Default items cannot be used if multiple departments (locations) with different item lists are in use and reason groups are shared across the organization. 
• Shift types: You can select the shift types this reason can be used with. If you select none, the reason can be used with all shift types. Note that the shift type setting works in sync with the reason type setting in the shift settings, meaning that when you make changes in one place, the corresponding settings are also updated in the other. To apply the setting to existing shifts, select the Update existing shifts checkbox. Note that updating does not cancel any existing appointments that may conflict with the setting.
• Species: You can add specific species that the reason type is available for in online booking. If you select nothing, the reason type is available for all species.
• Pre-registration questions: If enabled in the pre-registration settings, you can define pre-registration questions for the clients to answer when checking themselves in. Because the questions are defined in the reason settings, you can add specific questions to different appointment reasons related to the nature of the appointment. Select the + Preliminary question button and type the question in the Question field. Select the button again to add more questions. To remove a question, select the red x button on the question row.

3. Save the reason.

When ready, select Save to add the reason. You can edit or remove existing reasons using the pen and trash bin buttons on the reason row.

Related Settings

Settings > Department > Client interactions

Enable pre-registration / self check-in

Pre-registration allows clients to confirm their general information and pet's information before arriving to a scheduled appointment. You can enable pre-registration to all or selected reason types.

Disable self check-in for reason types

Self check-in allows clients to mark themselves as arrived to their scheduled appointment. You can disable this function for specific appointment reason types.

Settings > Department > Department settings

Enable species-specific reason types

This setting applies to online booking. When this setting is enabled, the client must first select the species of the patient. Only relevant reason options are then available.

See Also

Scheduling Appointments

Setting Up Online Booking

Online Pre-registration and Self Check-in