Patient Revenue Library
Glossary
Plain-English definitions of the terms behind practice revenue, scheduling and patient communication.
What is 10DLC texting?10DLC is the U.S. system for business texts sent from local 10-digit numbers. What brand and campaign registration mean and why unregistered texts get blocked.What is a business associate?A business associate is a person or company that handles protected health information on behalf of a covered entity. Who counts, who doesn't, and why.What is a covered entity?A HIPAA covered entity is a health plan, clearinghouse or provider that bills electronically. Who qualifies, what it must do and how vendors fit in.What is a late cancellation?A late cancellation is a visit cancelled inside the practice's notice window, usually 24 to 48 hours. How to define the window, track the rate and refill slots.What is a no-show rate?A no-show rate is the share of booked appointments where the patient never arrives and never cancels. What it means, how to read it and what to do next.What is a patient portal?A patient portal is a secure website or app where patients see records, message the practice and manage visits. What it does well and where it falls short.What is a Patient Revenue Engine guarantee?A Patient Revenue Engine guarantee ties the vendor's fee to the revenue it recovers. The parts of a guarantee, how to check it and what makes one meaningful.What is a practice management system?A practice management system runs the business side of a practice: scheduling, registration, billing and reports. What it does, how it differs from an EHR.What is a recall system?A recall system tracks when each patient is due for their next visit and reaches out until they book. How it works, what it needs and where it breaks.What is a schedule export CSV?A schedule export CSV is a plain-text file of appointments, one row per visit, saved from your EHR. How the format works and how to avoid spreadsheet damage.What is a short-notice list?A short-notice list is a roster of patients willing to come in on little warning when a slot opens. What belongs on it, how to build it and how to use it.What is a toll-free texting number?A toll-free texting number is an 800-series number enabled to send business texts after carrier verification. How it works and when a practice should use one.What is a walkout?A walkout is a patient who checks in, then leaves before being seen. How it differs from a no-show, how to record it and how to calculate your walkout rate.What is an appointment template?An appointment template is the reusable pattern of time blocks that shapes each provider's day. How to design one, measure it and avoid common mistakes.What is an audit log?An audit log is a time-stamped record of who accessed or changed data in a system. What HIPAA requires, what to review and how often, for independent practices.What is an EHR?An EHR is the digital system where a practice records and shares patient health information. What it holds, how it differs from an EMR and where it stops.What is appointment confirmation?Appointment confirmation is the patient's active yes that they will attend a booked visit. How confirmation rate works and what to do about unconfirmed visits.What is average visit value?Average visit value is the revenue a practice collects per completed visit. How to calculate it, which numbers to use and how it turns leaks into dollars.What is call abandonment rate?Call abandonment rate is the share of inbound calls where the caller hangs up before reaching anyone. The formula, how to pull it and what it costs a practice.What is encryption at rest?Encryption at rest scrambles stored data so it is unreadable without a key. The layers, why key management matters and what HIPAA says, for practices.What is express consent for texts?Express consent is a person's clear permission to receive automated texts. The difference between prior express consent and written consent, for practices.What is front desk automation?Front desk automation uses software to handle routine front office tasks like confirmations, missed calls and rebooking. What to automate, and what not to.What is the minimum necessary standard?The minimum necessary standard requires practices to use, share and request only the PHI needed for a task. What it covers, its exceptions and how to apply it.What is new patient conversion?New patient conversion is the share of prospective patients who contact a practice and go on to complete a first visit. The funnel, the formula and the leaks.What is open time in a schedule?Open time is provider time available for appointments that has no patient booked. The four kinds of open time, how to measure it and how practices fill it.What is patient leakage?Patient leakage is when care your practice could provide ends up elsewhere or not at all. The common leak points, how to measure them and how to plug them.What is patient lifetime value?Patient lifetime value is the total revenue a practice expects from one patient over the relationship. The formula, worked examples and how to use it.What is patient reactivation?Patient reactivation means bringing back patients who have drifted away from your practice. Who counts as lapsed, how to reach them and what it is worth.What is patient retention?Patient retention is a practice's ability to keep patients returning for needed care. The definition, related terms like attrition, and how to protect it.What is protected health information (PHI)?Protected health information is identifiable health data held by a covered entity or business associate. What counts as PHI, what does not, and why.What is provider productivity?Provider productivity is the care a provider delivers in the time available. The main measures, including wRVUs, and the schedule leaks that drag it down.What is revenue cycle management?Revenue cycle management is the process of turning a patient visit into collected payment, from scheduling to the final balance. The stages and key metrics.What is schedule density?Schedule density is how fully a provider's calendar is booked ahead of time. Learn how to measure it, why it predicts revenue and where it misleads.What is slot utilization?Slot utilization is the share of a provider's available appointment time actually used by patients who showed up. How to measure it and raise it.What is the TCPA?The TCPA is the 1991 federal law that limits automated calls and texts to phones. What it covers, its key terms and what it means for practice texting.What is two-way texting?Two-way texting lets a practice and its patients send and reply to text messages in one thread. How it works, what it is good for and how to keep it safe. 