Keywords: appointment types, appointment classes, schedule template, templating, appointment setup, code, description, minutes, scheduling
Summary
This article explains the difference between Appointment Types and Appointment Classes in Cloud 9 and how they work together. It walks through how to set up both, assign types to classes, and add them to a schedule template.
Overview
In Cloud 9, Appointment Types and Appointment Classes work together to organize scheduling, templating, and reporting. Understanding the difference between the two is important before setting them up.
Appointment Types describe the specific appointment being scheduled. Examples include a consultation, records appointment, separator placement, adjustment, debond, or retainer check. They define the treatment or service planned and are used for scheduling rules, duration, provider assignment, and reporting. An Appointment Type is what is actually scheduled for the patient.
Appointment Classes are broader categories used to group one or more Appointment Types together. They typically organize visits by a general purpose or workflow such as treatment, records, emergency, or hygiene. A practice may have several Appointment Types within one class. For example, multiple adjustment types could all fall under a treatment-related class.
Appointment Types are assigned to Appointment Classes in Edit > Setup > Appointment Classes, where you can select the Appointment Types you have already created and place them into the appropriate class. Both Appointment Types and Appointment Classes can be used for templating and searches in Cloud 9.
Tip: There are two reports available to view your existing setup. Navigate to Reports and select Appointment Type Report to see a list of your Appointment Types, or Appointment Class Report to see a list of your Appointment Classes.
Please Note: Appointment Types must be set up before they can be assigned to an Appointment Class. It is recommended to set up your Appointment Types first, then create your Appointment Classes and assign the types to them.
Appointment Type Setup
Adding an Appointment Type
Step 1: Navigate to Edit > Setup.
Step 2: Select Appointment Types.
Step 3: To add a new Appointment Type, click + Add.
Step 4: Fill in the required fields:
- Description: The name of the appointment type.
- Code: A unique identifier for the appointment type.
- Minutes: The default duration of the appointment.
- Background Color: The color that will display on the schedule for this appointment type.
Under the General tab, select the applicable Appointment Class to place this Appointment Type into the correct class.
Note: If an Appointment Class has not been created yet, it will not appear in the list. Follow the Appointment Class setup steps below first, then come back and edit the Appointment Type to assign it to the class.
Editing an Appointment Type
Step 5: To edit an existing Appointment Type, follow Steps 1 and 2 above, then click on the Appointment Type you wish to edit and click Edit.
Step 6: Make the desired changes. If you want to assign an Appointment Class, place a checkmark in the box next to the applicable class and click Save.
Appointment Class Setup
Adding an Appointment Class
Step 1: Navigate to Edit > Setup.
Step 2: Select Appointment Classes.
Step 3: To add a new Appointment Class, click + Add.
Step 4: Fill in the required fields:
- Code: A unique identifier for the class.
- Description: The name of the appointment class.
- Minutes: The default duration for this class.
- Background Color: The color that will display on the schedule for this class.
Select the applicable Appointment Type or types for this class by placing a checkmark in the box next to each one, then click Save.
Note: If an Appointment Type has not been created yet, it will not appear in the list. Follow the Appointment Type setup steps above first, then come back and edit the Appointment Class to assign the types.
Editing an Appointment Class
Step 5: To edit an existing Appointment Class, follow Steps 1 and 2 above, then click the checkbox next to the Appointment Class you wish to edit and click Edit.
Step 6: Select or deselect the desired Appointment Types and click Save.
Adding to the Schedule Template
Once your Appointment Types and Appointment Classes are set up, you will want to add them to your Schedule Template. See the Setting Up Schedule Templates article here for step by step instructions.
As always, if you have any further questions, please do not hesitate to reach out to Cloud 9 Support by emailing us at cloud9support@planetdds.com, or chatting us online using the chat bubble on the lower right at https://cloud9support.planetdds.com/hc/en-us, or giving us a call during our business hours of 8:00 AM EST to 8:00 PM EST at the 1.800.394.6050 option 2.