Creating a New Channel Booking - hmislk/hmis GitHub Wiki
Creating a New Channel Booking
This article explains how to book a patient into a channelling session. The process involves selecting a session, entering patient details, choosing a payment method, and confirming the booking.
Navigation
Start from the Channel Booking View:
Menu → Channelling → Channel Booking View
- In the Speciality column, select the patient's required speciality (or "All").
- In the Consultant column, select the consultant.
- In the Sessions column, select the desired session instance (check the date, time, fee, and status).
- Click To Add Booking in the header bar.
Alternatively, from the By-Dates view (Menu → Channelling → Channel Booking — By Dates), use the View button on a session card, then proceed to add a booking from there.
Add Booking Screen
Step 1 — Patient Details
The top-left section collects the patient's information.
For a known patient (already registered):
- Search by name, phone number, or patient ID using the patient search field.
- Select the patient from the results to auto-fill all fields.
For a new (unknown) patient:
- Enter the patient's name, date of birth, gender, phone number, and any other required fields directly.
- A new patient record will be created on confirmation.
Step 2 — Payment Details
| Field | Description |
|---|---|
| Item | Select the booking item/package from the dropdown. The fee auto-fills based on the selected item and session. |
| Amount | Displays the calculated fee for the selected item. This is read-only. |
| Payment Method | Select how the patient is paying. |
Available payment methods for channelling include:
- Cash
- Card
- Agent (credit company)
- OnCall (payment deferred — patient pays on arrival)
- Staff
- Multiple payment methods
When Agent is selected, an additional field appears to select the credit company and enter the agent reference number.
Step 3 — Confirm the Booking
Two booking types are available:
| Button | When to Use |
|---|---|
| Add Normal Booking | Standard booking — patient is confirmed and a serial number is assigned immediately. |
| Add Reserved Booking | Provisional hold — useful when the patient has not yet paid or confirmed. The slot is held but marked as reserved. |
Click the appropriate button. The system will:
- Assign the next available serial number in the session.
- Create the channel bill.
- Record the payment.
- Display the booking confirmation with the serial number and bill details.
Step 4 — Print the Booking Receipt
After the booking is saved, a print preview appears. The receipt includes:
- Hospital name and address
- Consultant name and speciality
- Session date and time
- Patient name
- Serial / token number
- Fee paid and payment method
- Bill number
Print the receipt for the patient. Use Back to Channel Booking to return to the main booking screen and take the next booking.
Starting a Fresh Booking
Click Clear for New Booking to reset all fields and start a new booking for the same session, without navigating away.
Booking Numbering
Serial numbers are assigned sequentially starting from 1 for each session instance. The maximum number of bookings allowed is set by the Max No field on the session instance. Once the maximum is reached, the "To Add Booking" button is disabled.
Token-based sessions do not enforce a fixed appointment time — patients are seen in token order.
Agent (Credit Company) Bookings
If the payment method is Agent, the system records:
- The credit company name
- The agent reference number (printed on the bill and shown in the bookings list)
These bookings are tracked separately in the Channelling → Payment → Payment Due Search for settlement.
Booking for Online Patients
If a booking was made via the patient portal or a third-party channel (e.g., mobile app), it appears automatically in the session's bookings list with a yellow "OB" tag and the online reference number. Manual re-entry is not needed.