Dear Colleagues, This follows on from the stuff I was discussing in my email from last week: "Apr 29, 2010 Your cancellation policy". The appointment Manager wants one of two options: Either (a) all its emails sent out to patient's use the therapists emails address and are signed off by the therapists name (from), Or (b) all its emails sent out to patient's use administration email address and are signed off by Phil(from). On Friday I found a way to jig this so that we can send out the emails from two addresses. Unfortuantely, it is still not possible to vary the sign of from Phil or yourself - you must choose one or the other for the practice as a whole! What I have done, then, is to set up the emails as 'from' yourname@psychotherapy.me AND admin@psychotherapy.me . ________________________________________________________________ 1. Emails from appointment manager are now signed off by you. 2. Replies to Appointment manager emails will get sent directly into your email box to action. 3. A copy of that reply will be received by Phil. 4. This means that there is a shift in the relationship so that the patient's will address the therapist first, as against the Reception Team or Phil. ________________________________________________________________ IF YOU ARE HAPPY WITH THIS: Please let Phil know that you will take appropriate action on all such email, and that he need not folow through on copy mail that he gets. Practically - Phil will get in touch this week to say that he is holding copy mail - and ask if you want him to action it. If you reply to the first five or so saying 'Not to worry - I can handle it Phil!' or something to that effect - we will get the message and stop bothering you. ________________________________________________________________ IF YOU ARE CAUTIOUS WITH THIS: You might feel that your grasp of the appointment manager is not good, or have other reasons why you want Phil to keep an eye on things. Phil will let you know he has copy email, and ask if you want his help/input/action. If over the next few days or ten or so emails we seem to get responses that ask Phil to do stuff for you, we will keep this style of things going - and Phil will always keep in touch with you about incoming email. ________________________________________________________________ IF YOU DONT WANT THIS: Let Phil know as soon as possible that you prefer all patient matters to do with your diary to be handled by himself & reception. Please reply to his enquiries about copy mail something to the effect: "Phil - you'd better carry on doing stuff for me - just let me know if there's anything out of the ordinary!" or words to that effect. Although we cannot stop emails now getting sent out in your name, we can remove your email address as 'from' - leaving only the admin email address. Your inbox will not be bothered - and Phil will manage your diary for you as best he is able. ________________________________________________________________ I am thoroughly around and available all this week to chat about this and the earlier mail. If I can clarify - 0033 556 520 359 Thanks! Donald Kirkpatrick Subject: Your cancellation policy From: "Lacap" <mail@psychotherapy.me> Date: Thu, April 29, 2010 2:37 pm Priority: Normal Mailer: SquirrelMail/1.4.10a Options: View Full Header | View Printable Version | Download this as a file Dear Colleague A reminder that LACAP services can be cherrypicked to suit your practice, and need not be taken wholesale. For instance, while LACAP does make 'on-line' cancellation available to the patient at 48 hours notice, it is off course possible for you to agree other cancellation policies with the patient. For instance, more than one therapist with LACAP disallows patients from cancelling this way, and instruct the patient that they will only accept cancellations by mobile phone call direct with the therapist (thus raising the 'hurdle' for cancellations somewhat). You have other variations, permitting/disallowing mediums, but in essence agreeing with the patients that cancellations/reschedules are a matter between the therapist/patient and are in effect a part of the treatment. As it is, there is an argument that by proposing to accept cancellations by any route and medium available (phone & mail to recetion, on-line), the hurdle is neither a personal one nor a particularly significant one. You might wish to reconsider how you agree the terms of your contract with your patient's, should you have concerns that the ease and fluidity provided by all mediums at all hours via reception is undermining establishing the working relationship. Should you wish to extend this to avoid your patient's making mistakes, we can (and do) put a prominent note on the records that reception are to not accept late cancellations/reschedules etc etc until it has been asked for by you, as their therapist. We note that across the practice as a whole cancellation rates are at 35%. We do think that this variable is worth your consideration. I am of course available to discuss this further, if I can add any clarity to what I am talking about. Best Regards, Donald Kirkpatrick PS Historically the online cancellation and email to reception cancellations were put together because therapists were not handling their administration of these things timeously nor efficiently. These facilities do unfortunately need to remain, because some therapists choose not to administer in these areas. However, in my mind these are 'bottom line' safety nets. Therapists that are aiming at best practice and/or maximising the transference relationship can take more control of these variables by 'upping the game', and making sure that the patient understands what the therapist expects in the way of cancellation proceedures, routes, payments etc.