> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://help.elationhealth.com/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# Premium Scheduling Guide — Booking multi-encounter visits

> Step-by-step instructions to find days when a patient can complete several linked appointments and book them together.

A multi-encounter visit is a series of appointments a patient completes in one trip, such as a lab draw followed by a provider visit. Use the **Multi-encounter visit** tab in Find Open Slots to find days when every encounter fits, then book them all at once.

> [!NOTE]
>
> Premium Scheduling is a product for Premium EHR customers only. If you are interested in upgrading to the Premium EHR subscription to use this feature, click the **I need help** button to notify Elation and a member of the Elation Team will reach out to assist you. If you have Premium EHR and **Find Open Slots** does not appear on the Calendar, click **I need help > Contact Elation Support**.

> [!NOTE]
>
> Premium Scheduling is currently in early access and is only available to a select number of practices.

## Setup

Multi-encounter search uses the same provider availability as a single-encounter search. A day appears in the results only if every provider in the visit has open availability for their encounter. Before you search, confirm that each provider has availability set under **Settings > Calendar & Booking > Availability**, with the appointment types you plan to book enabled. See [Specifying Provider availability by Practice Location & Appointment Type](https://help.elationhealth.com/articles/Calendar-Booking-Site-Guide-Enhanced-Provider-availability-by-Practice-Location-Appointment-Type.md).

## Build the visit

**1. Open Find Open Slots and choose the patient**

Click **Find Open Slots** in the Calendar toolbar and select the patient. See [Finding open slots](https://help.elationhealth.com/articles/premium-scheduling-guide-finding-open-slots.md) for details.

**2. Open the Multi-encounter visit tab**

Select **Multi-encounter visit**. The form starts with two encounters.

**3. Set up each encounter**

For each encounter, choose a provider under **Select provider** and an appointment type. The duration fills in from the appointment type. Edit the minutes if this encounter needs a different length.

Click **Add encounter** to add more. A visit needs at least two encounters. Click **Remove encounter** to delete one.

**4. Choose the order**

Drag encounters to set the sequence. When **Allow any order** is off, Elation searches only for days that fit your sequence.

When it is on, Elation checks every possible order of the encounters and shows the order with the shortest total time from the first encounter's start to the last encounter's end. This can surface earlier availability and more options, including days that do not work in your sequence. Turn it on when the patient does not need the encounters in a specific order.

**5. Set location, dates, and gap**

* **Location:** Optionally limit the search to specific locations.
* **Date range:** Use the same limits as a single-encounter search.
* **Max gap between encounters:** Choose **Any gap**, **≤ 30 min**, **≤ 1 hour**, **≤ 2 hours**, **≤ 4 hours**, or **≤ 8 hours** to control how long the patient waits between encounters.

**6. Search**

Click **Search**. To start over, click **Clear filters**.

The **Multi-encounter visit** tab shows each encounter with its provider, appointment type, and duration. Matching days appear on the right.

![Multi-encounter visit tab with two encounters, Allow any order unchecked, and results listing days with the encounter sequence, times, span, and a Schedule button](https://mintcdn.com/elationhealth/ipNX_S-hBGCsU_7b/images/premium-scheduling-chain-builder.png?fit=max\&auto=format\&n=ipNX_S-hBGCsU_7b\&q=85\&s=4c5bdd6c08128fec862a509db1cbfbee)

## Review the results

Elation lists the days when every encounter can be scheduled. For each option, you see:

* **Date**
* **Encounter sequence:** The providers in order, with a matching color for each encounter.
* The time each encounter starts and ends. If an appointment type has a slot capacity above 1, the seats left appear next to the time.
* **Span:** The total time from the first encounter's start to the last encounter's end, such as **30m** or **2h 15m**. **(reordered)** appears next to it when Elation changed your sequence.

Elation shows up to five options for each day. Each day lists its first option, and you can select **+ \[number] more times** to see the rest of that day's options. Select **fewer times** to collapse them again. Elation does not show more than five options for a single day. If no days match, adjust the providers, gap, or location and search again.

## Book the visit

1. Click **Schedule →** on the option you want.
2. On **Confirm Multi-Encounter Booking**, review each encounter. Choose an appointment type for any encounter that does not have one. If you want to add details to an encounter, such as visit instructions, click **Edit** on that encounter. This step is optional. See [Edit an encounter's details](#edit-an-encounters-details). You can also continue without adding any details.
3. Review the alerts on the screen:
   * **Insurance:** Elation shows the patient's insurance and copay when it has them. Click **Check Eligibility** to verify coverage. If there is no insurance on file, Elation shows **Insurance not on file**.
   * **Forms:** Elation lists the patient forms linked to each appointment type, or notes that no forms are linked.
   * **Billing alerts:** Any billing alerts on the patient's chart appear here.
   * **Reminders:** Elation warns you when the patient has no phone or email on file (**Can't reach this patient**) or has opted out of appointment reminders.
4. Click **Confirm & Book**. The button shows how many encounters it will book.

Each encounter shows **Pending**, **Booked**, or **Not booked**. When all encounters are booked, Elation shows **Chain booked** with a confirmation.

![Confirm Multi-Encounter Booking dialog showing an Insurance not on file alert with a Check Eligibility link, two pending encounters, and a Confirm & Book button](https://mintcdn.com/elationhealth/ipNX_S-hBGCsU_7b/images/premium-scheduling-chain-confirm.png?fit=max\&auto=format\&n=ipNX_S-hBGCsU_7b\&q=85\&s=2b84254a14ebe4327f9e44d02cdc4409)

## Edit an encounter's details

Editing an encounter is optional. Use it when you want to add information to an encounter, such as visit instructions or a chief complaint. If you do not need to add anything, skip this step and click **Confirm & Book**. Encounters you do not edit book with their default details.

> [!NOTE]
>
> Editing encounter details is a Premium EHR feature and is currently in early access. If **Edit** does not appear on the encounters in **Confirm Multi-Encounter Booking**, you can request it. Click **I need help > Contact Elation Support** and ask to have per-encounter editing turned on for your practice. If you are not yet a Premium EHR customer, click the **I need help** button to notify Elation and a member of the Elation Team will reach out to assist you.

Each encounter that is not yet booked has an **Edit** button. Click it to open an editor for that encounter, with the same fields as the standard appointment dialog. Click **Close** to collapse the editor. Elation keeps your changes while you move between encounters.

The editor includes:

* **Description - chief complaint (CC):** The chief complaint for the encounter. It carries into the visit note, as it does for any appointment.
* **In person** or **Virtual:** Choose how the patient attends. Switching an encounter to virtual fills in the provider's default telehealth instructions. Changing an encounter's appointment type sets in person or virtual to that type's default, unless you already chose a value yourself.
* **Visit instructions for patient:** Instructions the patient sees with the appointment. Visit instructions can be sent by text message or email, so do not include PHI.
* **Transportation required** and **Transportation notes:** If your practice tracks transportation, choose whether the patient needs it for each encounter, such as **No - transportation not required**, and add any notes.
* **Patient Payment**, **Billing Note**, **Prior authorization**, and **Referring provider:** These appear only if your practice uses these fields in the standard appointment dialog.

The patient, provider, location, date, time, and duration come from the time slot you picked. To change them, go back and search again. Insurance and billing alerts for the patient appear once at the top of the screen and apply to every encounter.

![Confirm Multi-Encounter Booking dialog with the first encounter's editor open, showing Description - chief complaint, In person and Virtual options, Visit instructions for patient, and Transportation fields, with a Close link on that encounter and an Edit link on the second](https://mintcdn.com/elationhealth/ipNX_S-hBGCsU_7b/images/premium-scheduling-chain-leg-editor.png?fit=max\&auto=format\&n=ipNX_S-hBGCsU_7b\&q=85\&s=427b3ba8894308ad148600101cf96473)

### Required details

Elation checks every encounter before it books anything, including encounters whose editor you never opened. If any encounter is missing a required detail, **no encounters are booked**. Instead:

* The encounter shows a **Details required** badge and the message **Complete the required details for this encounter.**
* The editor for the first encounter that needs attention opens so you can fix it.

Fill in the missing details and click **Confirm & Book** again.

While Elation is booking, the editors stay open but you cannot change them. If an encounter books, its editor closes. If an encounter fails to book, its editor stays open with your entries, so you can **Retry booking** without re-entering anything.

## If an encounter does not book

Elation books each encounter in order. If one fails, the encounters already booked stay on the Calendar.

* **A time is no longer available:** Someone else booked it first. Close the confirmation screen, then click **Search** again in Find Open Slots to see the latest availability with the same parameters. Elation does not re-create encounters that are already booked.
* **Another error:** Click **Retry booking** to try the remaining encounters again.

While a visit is partly booked, you cannot switch tabs or close Find Open Slots without confirmation. If you close, Elation asks **Close this chain booking?** and tells you how many encounters are booked. Click **Close anyway** to leave, or **Keep open** to keep working. Booked encounters are not undone, and you book the rest separately.

## Frequently Asked Questions

### Can I book encounters for different providers?

Yes. Each encounter has its own provider and appointment type.

### Can I give each encounter different details?

Yes. Use **Edit** on each encounter to set its own description, visit instructions, and other details before you book.

### Why did the results show a different order than I set?

**Allow any order** is on. Elation picks the sequence that fits best. Turn it off to keep your order.

## Related Articles

* [Premium Scheduling Introduction](https://help.elationhealth.com/articles/premium-scheduling-introduction.md)
* [Premium Scheduling Guide — Finding open slots](https://help.elationhealth.com/articles/premium-scheduling-guide-finding-open-slots.md)
* [Premium Scheduling Guide — Setting slot capacity](https://help.elationhealth.com/articles/premium-scheduling-guide-setting-slot-capacity.md)