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Set up a patient

warning

RehabAlpha is still under active development. It is not yet HIPAA compliant and should only be used with dummy data.

Create a patient record in the correct facility, then continue setup with admissions, coverages, and planning settings.

Before you start​

You need:

  • An organization.
  • The facility that will own the patient record.
  • Permission to create patients in the facility.
  • A payor if you want to add coverage during setup.

Choose the facility carefully. Each patient record belongs to one facility and cannot be moved to another facility. Admissions also remain in that facility.

Choose a patient setup workflow​

Choose how to create the patient:

  • Manual setup: Add the patient directly in RehabAlpha. Use this workflow when you are entering one patient or want full control over each detail as you create the record.
  • Import: Use the import tool to upload patient information from files and review the proposed records before creating them.

The steps below explain the manual setup workflow.

Create a patient manually​

  1. Open Patients in the sidebar.
  2. Click New patient.
  3. Choose Facility, then click Continue. You can search the list, which includes only facilities where you can create patients. If only one facility is available, it is already selected.
  4. In Basic details, enter First name and Last name. These are the required fields for creating the patient.
  5. Add optional details when available:
    • Basic details: Middle name, suffix, phone number, birthdate, and email.
    • Location details: State, city, street address, ZIP code, and ZIP+4.
    • Patient details: Gender, height, weight in pounds, Medicare Beneficiary ID (MBI), and PCC resident ID when PointClickCare features are enabled. A resident ID can support billing exports without an API integration.
    • Tags and notes.
  6. Click Save.

You can also start from a facility: open Facilities, select the facility, click Patients, then New patient. This opens the patient form directly because the facility is already known.

If New patient is disabled, the message beside it explains whether you lack permission to create patients or no facility is available. Choosing a facility and clicking Continue does not create a patient; the record is created when you click Save.

RehabAlpha saves the patient in the selected facility. If you have permission to create admissions, New admission opens; otherwise, Details opens. The patient record exists even if you leave New admission without saving an admission.

Finding a patient without an admission

To find the patient again, open the facility's Patients page and turn off Active only if the patient does not appear.

Continue setup as your permissions allow. If you have coverage details, add coverage before filling out New admission: click the patient's Coverages tab and follow the steps below. After saving coverage, click Admissions, then New admission, to continue. If coverage details are not available yet, you can complete the admission now using the admission steps.

Add a coverage​

Coverage tells RehabAlpha who may be responsible for paying for the patient's therapy services during a specific time period.

  1. Open the patient.
  2. Click Coverages.
  3. Click New coverage.
  4. Select the Payor.
  5. Enter Start date and review Start time. If Way back is selected, turn it off to enter a specific start date.
  6. If the coverage has a known end, turn off Indefinite and enter End date and End time. Otherwise, leave Indefinite on.
  7. Review Time zone.
  8. Add authorization, deductible, copay, coinsurance, or out-of-pocket details when available.
  9. Click Save.

Add an admission​

An admission records a period of care for the patient at the facility that owns the patient record. If New admission is already open after creating the patient, start at step 4.

  1. Open the patient.
  2. Click Admissions.
  3. Click New admission.
  4. Enter Admit date. Add Admit time when known, or leave it blank.
  5. Add Room number and Physicians when available.
  6. Set up a billing episode if your organization tracks billing setup in RehabAlpha. Include prior hospitalization and PDPM assessment details when applicable to the billing episode.
  7. Click Save.

Admit time is optional. A blank time stays blank after saving; calculations use midnight (00:00) on the admit date in the time zone shown in the field's help popover. For a same-day readmission after an earlier discharge, enter an admit time at or after the discharge time to avoid overlapping the admissions.

Admission dates and times use the patient's facility time zone at creation. The admission keeps that zone when edited, even if the facility's time zone later changes. You cannot select a different facility or time zone on this form.

Manage patient planning settings​

These settings guide the autoplanner in scheduling treatments.

  1. Open the patient.
  2. Click Settings.
  3. Under Availability, click Add availability row when you need to specify when the patient can be treated. Choose Available or Unavailable, then set Time period and the matching dates or weekdays. Follow the availability guide when combining recurring availability with exceptions.
  4. Under Schedule preferences, click Add preference when needed. Choose a Type, select the Therapist or Tag, and set the Preference.
  5. Click Save.

Find a patient after setup​

  1. Open Facilities and select the facility.
  2. Click Patients.
  3. Find the patient in the list.
  4. Click the patient name.

To browse patients across the facilities you can access, open Patients in the sidebar.

Show patients without an active admission

If you created a patient without adding an admission, the patient will not appear while Active only is on. Turn off the Active only switch above the patients table to see patients without an active admission.

You should know​

Patients cannot sign in to RehabAlpha and cannot be invited as users.

Do not delete a patient if the record is still needed for admissions, documentation, schedules, billing, notices, or reporting. Use Manage patient records for editing and deletion instructions.

Frequently asked questions​

Can I move a patient to another facility?​

No. If the same person receives care at another facility, create a separate patient record from that facility's Patients page.

Does every patient need a coverage?​

Add a coverage when RehabAlpha should track who may be responsible for paying for the patient's therapy services. Some setup or testing workflows may start with the patient record before coverage details are known.

Does every patient need an admission?​

Create an admission when the patient starts a period of care. You can save the patient record before creating an admission.

Why can't I find a patient I just created?​

If you saved the patient without adding an admission, Active only hides the patient from the list. Turn off the Active only switch above the patients table to see patients without an active admission.

Where do I add physicians for the patient?​

Add physicians to the patient's admission. Open the patient, click Admissions, open or create the admission, and use the Physicians section.

Can I change a patient to another role?​

A patient cannot be converted into an organization member. Create a separate member with the Physician, Therapist, or Associate role when someone belongs to the organization.

What to do next​

Once the patient has an admission, start a therapy case for each discipline providing care.