Departing instructions
Use departing instructions to explain after treatment care such as post anesthesia or vaccine expectations or maintaining a bandage.
Before you start
Security
- Departing Instruction Setup
- Departing Instructions List
- Invoice Item Information
Important!
- Departing instruction IDs cannot be modified once created.
Uses for departing instructions
- Recommend services
Example: Senior diagnostics with a senior exam - Advise when a return visit is necessary
Example: A dispensed medication - Inform clients of policies
Example: Annual heartworm test required to prescribe preventives
Setup departing instructions
Navigate to Lists > Departing Instructions.
New instructions
- Click New
- Enter an instruction ID and press Tab. There is a seven character limit.
- Enter an instruction description, up to 70 characters.
- Enter the instructions. Press Ctrl + Enter to insert a return and move to the next line, if needed.
- Click Spell Check to find and correct spelling errors.
- Click OK to save instruction and return to the departing instruction list.
Update instructions
- To find the instruction to modify, do one of the following:
- Scroll through the list, which is sorted alphabetically by description.
- Use a search term in the Description field.
- Use ‘%’ as a search for word, if needed. Example: %exam will display all instructions with exam within their descriptions.
- Use ‘%’ as a search for word, if needed. Example: %exam will display all instructions with exam within their descriptions.
- Click Update.
- Modify the Description and/or Departing instruction.
- Click Spell Check to find and correct spelling errors.
- Click OK to save instruction changes and return to the departing instruction list.
Delete departing instructions
- To find the instruction to modify, do one of the following:
- Scroll through the list, which is sorted alphabetically by description.
- Use a search term in the Description field.
- Use ‘%’ as a search for word, if needed. Example: %exam will display all instructions with exam within their descriptions.
- Click Delete.
- Click Yes or No to confirm.
- If the instruction is linked to an invoice item, a message displays. Click OK. To delete the instruction:
- Locate the related item(s).
- Remove the instruction from the Instructions tab of the Invoice Item Information window using Ctrl + D.
- Delete the instruction from the list.
How to use departing instructions
Departing instructions can be linked to invoice items, added manually or inserted into documents.
- Link instructions to invoice items. More than one instruction can be linked, if needed.
- Add/edit instructions manually from the Patient Visit List or on the invoice using the Departing button.
- Insert into documents using the Departing Instructions bookmark.
Invoicing an item with a linked departing instruction automatically prints it on the invoice and saves the instruction to patient history. 
Additional information
General
- Set up a ‘generic’ departing instruction such as Note to use as a customized message on a Patient Visit List or invoice.
- Messages have a 32,767 character limit. Messages print on the invoice and save to history. Consider using a patient document to convey more detailed and in-depth information.
- Departing instructions display in patient history once an invoice is saved or posted.
- Departing instructions display/print on the invoice in blue font. The history date is when the associated line was added to the PVL/ invoice or when the instruction was added manually.
- Duplicate instructions are omitted from the invoice and patient history, when multiple items on the invoice use the same instruction.
- Departing instructions can be included/excluded from the Patient History report.
- Use the Invoice Item Information report to locate invoice item(s) with linked instructions. If more than one instruction is linked to an item, only the instruction ID with the highest number displays on report.
Editing instructions
- Changes made to instructions in the list will only affect new use instances. It will not alter instructions linked to items that are already on patient visit lists, saved invoices, or in the patient’s history.
- Manually editing an instruction on a patient does not update the instruction on the list.
- Instructions in patient history cannot be edited or voided individually once the invoice is posted. Voiding the related invoice will remove the related departing instructions from history.
Related reports
These Cornerstone reports provide information from the actions outlined in this article. Each report has its own security access under the Reports tab of the Security Setup window.
- Departing Instructions report: List of current instructions
- Invoice Item Information report: Items with linked instructions
