nOpening an Encounter

To add data, you must first start a new encounter. This is like opening a consultation in your practice. You can then add data to the encounter by selecting the relevant data entry category(s).

You must save the encounter for the data to write back to the patient record.

You can leave an encounter open and navigate to other screens, returning to the encounter via Encounters - Overview but you must remember to close the encounter within 90 days, or it is deleted.

It is good practice to check for any open encounters before finishing your visits.

To open an Encounter:

1. Select a patient from your Appointments Today, Patient Search or Downloaded Patients screen, the Patient Summary screen displays.
2. Select Add New Encounter .
3. Select an appropriate encounter type from the list:

   • Acute Visit - Selected by default.

   • Clinic

   • Emergency consultation

   • Follow-up/routine visit

   • Home visit

   • Medication Management Event

   • Nursing home visit

   • Other

   • Residential home visit

   • Surgery Consultation

   • Telephone call from a patient

   • Telephone call to a patient

   • Third party consultation

4. Select Add to enter data. You can either search for a clinical term, drug or select a data entry form from the list:
   • Searching for Read codes - See Adding Clinical Terms.
   • Common Observations - See Adding Common Observations.
   • Adding Medication - See Add Medication.
5. When finished select Save to close the Encounter.

6. The data recorded in the Encounter is sent back to the patient's clinical system.