Creating an Online Chargeband

Article author
Colin Rixom
  • Updated

What is the context?


A Chargeband is a container for sets of rules that define the pricing and eligibility for services for a patient. There are some Charge Band characteristics that are set separately from the Rules. These include:

  • Debtor type (patient, or company on behalf of patient).
  • Age from.
  • The ability to enable online booking.
  • The ability to enable membership.

For more information about chargebands and billing rules, please see What Billing Rules are and how to use them – Meddbase Help Center.


A Chargeband is required to allow patients to book appointments online. This Chargeband will reflect what appointments/services can be booked by patients via the online portal.  This can be a newly created Chargeband or changes made to an existing one.

What is the purpose of this article?


This article set out the steps in this process as summarised below:

How to set up an Online Chargeband


Step 1: Create a Chargeband

1.1 Navigate to the Billing rules via Start Page > Admin > Billing Rules

1.2 Find the company for which you wish to add a Chargeband

1.3 Click + Add Rule from under the company

1.4 From the menu that appears, select New Chargeband...

Choosing create new chargeband from menu in Billing rules

5. Name the new Chargeband to indicate that it will be an 'Online' version

You could amend an existing Chargeband rather than create a completely new one

Step 2: Enable Online Booking for the Chargeband

2.1 Within the Chargeband, click Enable Online Booking at the bottom of the ChargeBand Details screen

Online Chargeband screen - with annotation to identify selection

After enabling online booking, you will be presented with the Allowing Patient Access notification dialogue.

Allowing patient access notification dialog

These options are explained in the table below.

Option What it does
Allow And Notify By selecting this option you allow online booking and the system will notify all your patients who are currently on this Chargeband. Any new patients that get added to this Chargeband in the future will also receive the notification and access to the portal.
Allow With No Notifications

By selecting this option you are just looking to give access to patients that are currently on this Chargeband without sending them a notification.

You should use this option if you just want to let certain patients know about their access to the portal. Future patients will have access, but they would not get notified until you manually notify them.

Do Not Allow By selecting this option, you are not enabling online booking

 

What notification will be sent?

When you enable the online functionality the automated 'Validate Address' email will be sent to all patients on the chargeband. You can configure this under Configuration > Online Portal > Registration Email.

If you want the patient to receive the 'New member template' additionally, you must configure the template and then add your patient to the charge band. If the patient already exists on the chargeband they will NOT receive the 'Mew member template'. 

 

2.2 Make the required Allow... option selection

2.3. In the Online Setting panel that now appears, optionally you can

2.3.1 Tick the Allow online messaging to allow online messaging through Patient Portal

2.3.2 Click the recycle icon to the right of the Online sign-up invite code field to generate a sign-up code

The optional fields and features of the Online Settings panel now presented are explained in the table below.

Field / feature What it does
Allow online messaging

Where this option is ticked, patients can send and respond to messages with clinicians via the Patient Portal.

This is explained in more detail in the Online Messaging article.

On-line sign-up invite code

An invite code is required if you would like new patients to register themselves within your chamber as new patients by using the "Sign Up" option from the Patient Portal home page.

In this context, a 'new patient' is one that does not already exist in your Meddbase chamber.

Disable (button)

Using this option will remove portal access for all patients using this Chargeband. Affected patients will be forced to re-validate their account details the next time they are given access.

Step 3: Add a Patient Self-Book Rule

3.1 From the Billing Rules page

3.2 Click + Add Rule from under the company

3.3 From the menu that appears, select New Patient Self-Book Rule...

Choosing new patient self-book rule from menu in Billing_rules

A new Self-book rule appears on the right-hand side.

Field / feature What it does
Name

Set the name of the rule. 

Allow Patient Self-Book

When ticked this will allow patients to book themselves into the specified services.

Provide Services When...

Primary Doctor is - Rule applies if a specific doctor is attending

Site is - Rule applies if the appointment is at a specific site

Location is - Rule only applies if the appointment is in a specific location

Tag is - Rule applies if the 'Billing Tag' for a session is equal to the text field

Services Affected

Select which services patients will be able to choose from for self-booking

3.4 In the Patient Self-Book Rule Details panel add a Name for the rule

3.5 In the Patient Self-Book Rule Details panel tick the box Allow Patient to Self-Book

3.6 In the Services Affected panel click on the +Show All button

3.7 Then click on +Add in Services Affected panel and tick the Appointment types you wish to allow the patient to book via the Portal.

Patient Self book rule page with annotations for name_- allow patient to self book tick box and services ticked

Only these selected appointments will then be available to these patients for booking on the Patient Portal.

Step 4: Add the self-book rule to the Online Chargeband

4.1 From the Billing Rules page, select the Online Chargeband

4.2 In the Rules panel, select the + Add Rule button

4.3 In the Add Rule to Set dialogue that appears, find the previously created Patient Self-book rule and select it

Add rule to set dialog with the Patient Self Book Rule selected

4.5 Close the Add Rule to Set Dialogue box.

You will now be able to see the Patient Self-book rule added to the Chargeband.

Chargeband showing the patient self-book charge band added

 

A Patient Self-Book rule needs to be added to any charge band where you would like patients to be able to book appointments online via the portal.

 

Step 5: Add all other Billing Rules to Chargeband

Finally:

5.1 Add other Billing Rules that apply to this Chargeband. This may include price lists, provide service rules, and others. 

Appointments that you wish to be available for booking by the patient on the Patient Portal need to be 'approved' for online booking. This can be done in Appointment Admin: Start Page > Admin > Appointment Admin > [Select Appointment] Edit > Can Book Services on Portal (Tick)

 

Video Demonstration


The short video below summarises actions for:

  • Creating an Online Chargeband
  • Creating the Patient Self-book Rule
  • Adding the Patient Self-book rule to the Online Chargeband

GIF showing creating chargeband - creating_self-book rule and adding rule to chargeband

 

Review Date


This article was last updated on 30th October 2024.