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Manage availability

Availability tells RehabAlpha when patients can be treated and when therapists can work.

Patient availability helps RehabAlpha understand which dates are treatable for a patient. Therapist availability helps RehabAlpha understand whether a therapist can work, which facilities they can cover, and how many hours they can work on a given day.

Availability affects planning, planned-hours capacity, autoscheduling, and visible scheduling exceptions.

Open patient availability​

  1. Open People.
  2. Click Patients.
  3. Select the patient.
  4. Click Settings.
  5. Find Availability.

Open therapist availability​

  1. Open People.
  2. Click Therapists.
  3. Select the therapist.
  4. Click Settings.
  5. Find Availability.

Availability cards​

Each availability card describes whether the person is available for a period of time.

Both patient and therapist cards include:

  • Availability: choose Available or Unavailable.
  • Time period: choose Date, Date range, Weekdays, or Every day.

Therapist cards also include:

  • Hrs / day: the maximum hours the therapist can work on matching dates.
  • Facilities: the facilities the therapist can cover on matching dates.
  • Facility rule: when multiple facilities are selected, choose whether the therapist can work at One of these facilities on a matching date or split the day across All of these facilities.

Unavailable therapist cards do not include hours or facility fields because the therapist is unavailable for the matching dates.

Card order and overrides​

Availability cards are checked from top to bottom. The first card that matches the date is the card RehabAlpha uses.

This means higher cards override matching cards below them. Use card order intentionally:

  • Put specific exceptions near the top.
  • Put broad defaults near the bottom.
  • Drag cards to change their priority.
  • New cards appear at the top, so move a new card down if it is meant to be a default.

For example, if an Every day card is at the top, it matches every date. Any more specific Date, Date range, or Weekdays cards below it will not apply because RehabAlpha already found a matching card.

Patient examples​

Available every day except one appointment date​

Use this when a patient is generally treatable but has a known appointment or conflict.

  1. Add an Unavailable card.
  2. Set Time period to Date.
  3. Enter the appointment date.
  4. Keep this card above the default card.
  5. Add or keep an Available card with Time period set to Every day below it.

On the appointment date, the unavailable card matches first. On other dates, the every-day card matches.

Available weekdays except a date range​

Use this when a patient should usually be treated Monday through Friday but is unavailable for a short stretch.

  1. Add an Unavailable card.
  2. Set Time period to Date range.
  3. Enter the unavailable start and end dates.
  4. Keep this card above the weekday card.
  5. Add an Available card.
  6. Set Time period to Weekdays.
  7. Select Monday through Friday.

Dates in the unavailable range are blocked. Other weekdays remain available.

Therapist examples​

Available weekdays at one facility​

Use this as a common therapist default.

  1. Add an Available card.
  2. Set Time period to Weekdays.
  3. Select the therapist's normal workdays.
  4. Enter the therapist's Hrs / day.
  5. Select the facility in Facilities.

This tells RehabAlpha how many hours the therapist can work at that facility on those weekdays.

Unavailable for PTO​

Use this when a therapist is normally available but has approved time off.

  1. Add an Unavailable card.
  2. Set Time period to Date range.
  3. Enter the PTO start and end dates.
  4. Drag the PTO card above the therapist's normal weekly availability card.

The PTO card overrides the normal availability for those dates.

Available for a weekend exception​

Use this when a therapist is covering an unusual weekend shift.

  1. Add an Available card.
  2. Set Time period to Date.
  3. Enter the weekend date.
  4. Enter the therapist's Hrs / day.
  5. Select the facility in Facilities.
  6. Keep this card above any broader default cards.

The weekend exception applies only to that date.

Common pitfalls​

  • An Every day card at the top can hide more specific cards below it.
  • An Unavailable card above an Available card blocks the lower availability for matching dates.
  • Expired Date and Date range cards no longer apply and are visually marked as expired.
  • Unavailable therapist cards do not include Hrs / day, Facilities, or Facility rule.
  • A therapist can only contribute planned hours at a facility when the matching availability card allows work at that facility.

Keep availability accurate​

Update availability when:

  • a therapist starts or stops covering a facility
  • a therapist changes regular hours
  • a therapist begins covering weekends
  • a therapist goes on leave or returns from leave
  • a patient has recurring treatment constraints
  • a patient has a known appointment, hospital visit, or other unavailable date
  • an admission or facility change affects where the patient can be treated

Keeping availability current makes the facility planner, planned hours table, schedule views, and autoscheduler more useful.