Channel Session Type Slot Based - hmislk/hmis GitHub Wiki
Channel Session Type: Slot-Based (Time-Based) Scheduling
In slot-based scheduling, each patient is assigned a specific appointment time within the session window. For example, if a session runs from 09:00 to 12:00 with 30 slots, each patient gets a 6-minute appointment time (09:00, 09:06, 09:12, etc.).
Slot-based sessions are best suited for consultants who run tightly scheduled clinics where each appointment has a known duration.
When to Use Slot-Based Scheduling
- Consultant has a fixed number of patients per hour
- Each patient appointment has a known time allocation
- Patients need a specific arrival time to avoid waiting
- The facility wants to control patient flow precisely
For open-ended clinics where patients are seen in arrival order, see Channel Session Type: Token / Unlimited.
Creating a Slot-Based Session
Menu → Channelling → Channel Scheduling → Channel Schedule Management
Requires the ChannelSheduleManagement privilege.
Step 1 — Select Speciality and Doctor
- In the Speciality autocomplete, type and select the clinical speciality.
- In the Doctor dropdown, select the consultant.
- Existing sessions for this consultant appear in the Sessions list.
Step 2 — Create a New Session
Click Add (or the equivalent new-session button) to open the session creation form.
Step 3 — Fill Session Details
| Field | Description |
|---|---|
| Name | Session name (e.g., "Dr. Perera Monday Morning") |
| Speciality | Auto-filled from the selection above |
| Doctor / Consultant | Auto-filled from the selection above |
| Category | Session category (e.g., Channelling, Scanning) |
| Session Type | Select Time-Based / Slot |
| Start Time | When the session begins (e.g., 09:00) |
| End Time | When the session ends (e.g., 12:00) |
| Max No | Maximum number of patients per session instance |
| Duration per patient | Time allocated per patient (minutes) — used to calculate individual appointment times |
| Room No | Consulting room number (optional) |
| Special Notice | Any note displayed to booking staff (shown in red on the booking screen) |
Step 4 — Set Fees
Each session carries fee information:
| Fee Field | Description |
|---|---|
| Hospital Fee | Fee retained by the hospital |
| Doctor Fee | Fee paid to the consultant |
| Total | Sum of hospital and doctor fees (shown to booking staff and on the bill) |
| Foreign Patient Fee | Different rate for overseas patients (optional) |
Fees can also be configured with different rates for different patient categories (member, staff, OPD, etc.). See Channel Session Fees and Rates.
Step 5 — Set Numbering
For slot-based sessions:
- Serial numbers are assigned sequentially starting from 1.
- Each serial number corresponds to a calculated appointment time based on start time + (serial − 1) × duration.
- The appointment time is printed on the patient's booking receipt.
Step 6 — Set Recurrence
Choose whether this session recurs:
- Weekday-based — runs every selected day of the week (e.g., every Monday and Wednesday). See Channel Recurring Sessions — Weekday-Based.
- Specific date — runs on one specific calendar date only. See Channel Specific-Date Session Scheduling.
Step 7 — Save
Click Save. The session template is created. Session instances are generated automatically for the configured date range, or can be generated manually.
Managing an Existing Slot-Based Session
Select the session from the list and click Edit to modify its details. Changes to fees, max patients, or times apply to new session instances generated after the change. Existing instances are not automatically updated.
To update an individual session instance (e.g., change the max patients for one specific date), use Channel Session Instances.