How to export your schedule from AdvancedMD

What AdvancedMD documents

AdvancedMD's public information on data export describes two reports in the PM Report Center that can be exported as .CSV files: a Patient Transaction Report and a Patient Visit Summary Report. It lists appointment status, appointment date, appointment time and appointment type among the fields in the Patient Visit Summary Report. Those reports are described in the context of exporting a single patient's data.

For revenue recovery you need the same kinds of fields, but across the whole schedule. The PM Report Center is the place to look for an appointment report that covers all patients for a date range. Because AdvancedMD's report set can depend on configuration and user permissions, and we can't verify a single report name for every account, check AdvancedMD's help resources or ask AdvancedMD support which appointment report fits.

Choosing the right appointment report

When you browse the PM Report Center, or talk with support, describe what you need in plain terms. The right report should:

1. List every appointment in a date range, across all providers, one appointment per row.
2. Show appointment status, including cancelled, no-show and rescheduled.
3. Show appointment date, time and type.
4. Identify the provider and location or facility.
5. Include a patient account or chart number and a phone number, preferably mobile.
6. Export to CSV.

Making the export repeatable

The first export takes the longest, because you're finding the report and choosing filters. After that, the goal is to make it identical every day so files can be compared.

Write down the report name, the filters and the date logic on a sticky note or in your front desk procedures, such as "Appointment report, all providers, all statuses, today minus 7 through today plus 21, export CSV." If your AdvancedMD setup supports saving report settings or memorized reports, use that. Then train a backup person, so the routine survives vacations.

Reading the file: three quick questions

• Who didn't come and has nothing booked? Filter to no-show and cancelled, then check whether each patient has a later appointment in the file. Those without one are your follow-up list.
• Where is next week open? Sort upcoming appointments by provider and time to see gaps. A cancelled row in the future is an opening to fill.
• Which visit types slip most? Group no-shows by appointment type. If annual visits or follow-ups dominate, that is where reminders and outreach should focus.

Fixing common CSV problems

CSV files are simple, which is their strength, but a few problems come up often when they're opened in a spreadsheet program. Check for these the first time you export:

• Leading zeros disappear. Spreadsheet programs may turn an account number like 004521 into 4521. If you need to edit the file, import it with that column set as text, or avoid re-saving it at all.
• Dates change format. A date may display differently from how it is stored. That's usually harmless, but don't retype dates by hand.
• Phone numbers turn into scientific notation. Long numbers without dashes can display as 4.8E+09. Again, set the column to text on import.
• Extra header or footer lines. Some reports add a title row or totals at the bottom. Note it once so whoever reads the file knows to skip it.

Illustrative math for a specialty practice

These numbers are illustrative. A three-provider specialty practice exports a month of appointments from AdvancedMD. It sees 45 no-shows, 30 of them follow-ups with no future visit, and 18 future cancellations not yet refilled.

With an average follow-up worth $160, the 30 unrebooked follow-ups represent $4,800. Bringing back two thirds is about $3,200. Filling half of the 18 open future slots at $160 adds $1,440. Roughly $4,600 a month, recovered from a report the practice can already run, before counting patients who are overdue for care altogether.

Bulk exports are a different tool

AdvancedMD also describes bulk data exports, such as practice management data delivered as a database file through a data export utility. Those are designed for migrations and archives, not daily operations. They contain far more than a scheduling task needs. For revenue recovery, stick with a focused appointment report: it shares less data and takes less time, which is better under HIPAA's minimum necessary standard and better for the person running it.