Encounters

An encounter connects the patient, clinician, visit type and scheduled time. It also carries arrival, start and end timestamps as the visit progresses. Clinical notes, observations, specimens, pharmacy dispensations and charges each point back to the encounter. Staff can open one visit and understand which evidence belongs to that care episode.

The Clinical Coordinator plans the visit and maintains its operational state. The Licensed Clinician contributes care evidence during the visit. The Clinical Reviewer reads the resulting record when review is needed. The Business Overview page offers a starting view of encounter intake and state distribution, while the encounter screens support the individual handoff.

• Plan. Link the known patient and clinician and record the visit type and scheduled time.
• Run. Record arrival and start, then attach clinical evidence to the same encounter.
• Close. Move the visit into review, check the linked evidence and record its end time and completion.

Agree what each visit type means, who records arrival and which clinician is named on the encounter if several people contribute care. Set a routine for changing the clinician before the visit, and retain the patient link when rescheduling. Decide which evidence the coordinator and reviewer expect before a visit can be completed. Agree when a visit needs review before the coordinator marks it completed.

Also decide how cancellations are recorded. Keeping a cancelled state visible lets the coordinator distinguish a visit that never took place from a completed care episode. For active visits, record the start and end times when they occur so the timeline remains useful to a later reader.

A patient is scheduled for a follow-up care visit. The coordinator opens the existing patient record, selects the clinician and schedules the encounter. On arrival, the encounter moves to arrived, and then to in progress when care begins. The clinician adds the note and observations to this encounter. After the coordinator places it in review, the Clinical Reviewer can read the linked evidence. The coordinator records the end time and completes the visit when the operational record is ready.

Rehearse a cancelled visit as well. It should remain a cancelled encounter linked to the patient, while new care work belongs to a separately scheduled visit. That gives the team a clear sequence without repurposing a cancelled record.

• Encounter Schedule — Planned and active visits with patient, clinician, timing and state in one list.
• Encounter Status Board — Visits grouped by operational state for the coordinator’s daily handoff.

Follow visit intake into care evidence review. Use implementation to rehearse an actual visit before release.