Best practices for booking, canceling, and rescheduling appointments

In this article, we’ll share some tips to avoid common pitfalls like canceling those first appointments or feeling overwhelmed with bookings that aren’t the right fit. This article also reviews rescheduling vs. canceling appointments, how clients schedule and book appointments with you, setting availability and caseload, and when to contact Rula's support team if you need to initiate a rematch. By partnering closely with us and following the best practices outlined here, you can achieve smooth onboarding and set your practice up for long-term success.

Importance of Avoiding Initial Session Cancellations

Why Avoiding Cancellations is Crucial

  • Canceling a client's first visit can be disruptive and distressing for clients in need of immediate care. Restarting the matching process delays their access to the necessary support, potentially by days or even weeks.

Rescheduling vs. Canceling

  • If you need to change a client’s first appointment, we suggest finding a new time that works rather than canceling altogether. Rescheduling instead of canceling reduces disruption for the client and allows you to maintain an ongoing relationship.

Timeliness in Rescheduling

  • Whenever you need to shuffle things around or find a new slot, jumping into action sooner rather than later is key. The quicker we address it after getting a booking, the better we can keep things on track for our clients. Your swift response plays a crucial role in making sure they get the care they need without any bumps in the road

Understanding Client Bookings

Scheduled Appointments

  • Scheduled appointments are Rula clients that have gone through the matching process and have been booked on your calendar. Rula alerts you about scheduled appointments, emphasizing the commitment involved.

Partnering with Rula for a Positive Experience

  • We encourage you to collaborate with Rula to create a positive client experience. This involves keeping scheduled client appointments, maintaining clear communication regarding schedule changes, and ensuring accurate availability information.

Setting Availability and Caseload

  • Carefully consider your availability and caseload capacity, aligning them with your start date. You can update your availability and desired caseload in the Rula provider portal. Utilizing the tools provided by Rula to manage caseload preferences is essential for a smooth client matching experience. Caseload preferences can be managed in the provider portal under the Practice tab.

Canceling and Rescheduling In-Person Appointments

  • You and your clients can cancel and reschedule in-person appointments through your Rula portals. 
  • Additionally, if you need to change the location of your appointment, for example, if the appointment is scheduled as telehealth and you need to change it to in-person, you cannot edit this. You will need to cancel the appointment and create a new appointment with the correct location. This includes if a patient who has had in-person appointments with you decides to switch to telehealth as their preferred appointment method. 

Initiating a Rematch

Identifying Incompatibility

  • Best clinical practice is to meet with your client for an initial assessment to determine fit and compatibility, as clients may present differently in session than reported in intake forms. It is possible that doing an initial intake may not be the best scenario for the patient experience. Rula defers to providers to make the most responsible, clinically informed, and patient-centered decision regarding rematching in these situations. If you feel a client isn’t a good match based on your expertise, let us know right away. Acting quickly allows us to find them a provider who is a better fit. You can initiate a rematch through the new Provider Care Coordination Form. This form can be found on the Resources tab of the provider portal, under Weblinks.
  • If you continually receive referrals that feel inappropriate for your skillset or identified client populations, please contact your PSA to determine what adjustments need to be made to receive more appropriate referrals.

Contacting Rula Support

  • You can also contact Rula support via chat or by calling (323) 676 -7425 to initiate a rematch. This step ensures that both you and the client find a better match for their needs.

Practice Management Settings

  • Reviewing practice management settings is essential to prevent similar future bookings. You can make necessary adjustments to their settings for a more streamlined matching experience. For an overview of how practice management settings work together, see Managing your practice settings in the provider portal.

By adhering to these guidelines, providers can enhance the Rula matching experience for both themselves and their clients. If you have any further questions or require additional assistance, please don't hesitate to reach out to Rula support. We're here to help you provide the best possible care to your clients!

Additional Resources

Updated

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