Scheduling Assessments

Automate assessment delivery to track client outcomes consistently. Scheduled assessments ensure you collect outcome data at the right intervals without relying on memory or manual reminders.

Why Schedule Assessments?

Clinical Benefits

Benefit	Description
Consistent tracking	Same intervals for all clients ensures comparable data
Early detection	Catch deterioration quickly through regular monitoring
Reduced burden	No manual reminders needed - automation handles it
Better outcomes	Data-driven treatment adjustments improve results
Documentation	Automatic record of outcome measurement compliance

Medicare Requirements

Medicare Better Access and other funding schemes require or recommend outcome measurement:

Funding scheme	Requirement
Better Access	Outcome measures recommended at intake and review
GP Mental Health Plans	K10 commonly used for treatment monitoring
NDIS	Regular outcome data may be required for plan reviews
Private health funds	May request outcome data for higher rebates

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Creating Assessment Schedules

Individual Client Schedule

Set up a schedule for a specific client:

1. Open the client record
2. Navigate to Assessments > Schedule
3. Click Create Schedule
4. Configure the schedule settings:

Setting	Options	Description
Assessment	PHQ-9, GAD-7, K10, DASS-21, etc.	Select the instrument to administer
Frequency	Weekly, fortnightly, monthly, custom	How often to send
Delivery method	Portal, email, in-session reminder	How the client receives it
Start date	Immediate or future date	When to begin the schedule
End date	After X completions, specific date, or ongoing	When to stop
Reminder settings	3 days and 1 day before the deadline	When to send reminders

5. Click Save Schedule

Batch Scheduling

Send the same assessment to multiple clients at once:

1. Go to the Assessments page
2. Click Batch Schedule
3. Select the assessment instrument
4. Choose the clients to include
5. Select the delivery method (email, SMS, or portal)
6. Optionally set a due date
7. Click Send

Praxi processes each client individually, so you will see a summary of successful sends and any that failed (for example, if a client has no email address on file).

Batch Scheduling Use Case

Use batch scheduling when you want to administer the same assessment across your caseload at once. For example, sending a K10 to all active Medicare Better Access clients before a review period.

Recurring Scheduling

Set up automatic recurring assessments for a client:

1. Open the client record
2. Navigate to Assessments
3. Select the assessment instrument
4. Click Schedule Recurring
5. Choose the frequency:

Frequency	Interval
Weekly	Every 7 days
Fortnightly	Every 14 days
Monthly	Every 30 days
Quarterly	Every 90 days

6. Choose the delivery method (email, SMS, or portal)
7. Optionally set an end date or maximum number of occurrences (up to 52)
8. Click Save

Praxi creates all upcoming sessions in advance so you can see the full schedule. Each session is sent automatically at the configured interval.

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Schedule Templates

Organisation-level templates standardise assessment protocols across your practice.

Using Templates

Apply a pre-configured schedule to a client:

1. Open the client's Assessments tab
2. Click Apply Template
3. Select from available templates (e.g., "Standard Outcome Tracking")
4. Review the schedule settings
5. Adjust if needed for this client
6. Click Activate

Common Template Examples

Template Name	Assessments	Frequency	Best For
Depression Protocol	PHQ-9	Fortnightly	Clients with depression
Anxiety Protocol	GAD-7	Fortnightly	Clients with anxiety
General Mental Health	K10	Monthly	Broad outcome tracking
Comprehensive Screening	DASS-21	Sessions 1, 4, 8, final	Detailed symptom profiles
NDIS Review	K10 + custom	Quarterly	NDIS plan compliance
Trauma Monitoring	PCL-5	Monthly	PTSD treatment
Substance Use	AUDIT	Monthly	Alcohol use monitoring

Creating Templates (Practice Owners)

Practice owners can create organisation templates from the Assessments page:

1. Go to the Assessments page and open Schedule Templates
2. Click Create Template
3. Configure:
   • Template name: Descriptive name for the protocol
   • Assessments: Which instruments to include
   • Timing: Frequency and duration
   • Delivery preferences: Default delivery method
   • Auto-assignment rules: Optional triggers for automatic application
4. Save the template

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Delivery Methods

Email Delivery

Best for: Remote clients, telehealth clients, between-session assessment

How it works:

1. Secure time-limited link sent to the client's email address
2. No login required -- client clicks the link and completes the assessment
3. Link expires after the deadline or once completed
4. Results appear in Praxi immediately
5. You receive a notification when complete

SMS Delivery

Best for: Clients who prefer text messages, quick mobile access

How it works:

1. Secure link sent via SMS to the client's mobile number
2. Client taps the link to open the assessment on their phone
3. Works the same as email delivery, but via SMS

QR Code Delivery

Best for: Waiting room administration, in-person sessions

How it works:

1. A QR code displays on your screen
2. Client scans with their phone camera
3. Assessment opens on their own device
4. Results sync when completed

In-Session Delivery

Best for: Immediate results, assisted completion during appointments

How it works:

1. Assessment opens on your device
2. Hand your device to the client (or read items aloud)
3. Client completes items using the on-screen options
4. Results display immediately when finished

Kiosk Mode

Best for: Shared waiting room devices, self-service check-in

How it works:

1. Assessment opens on a shared practice device (e.g., iPad in waiting room)
2. Client completes the assessment on the device
3. Session is locked to prevent navigation away from the assessment

Automated Reminders

Praxi sends automated email reminders for pending assessments:

• 3-day reminder -- sent when the assessment is 3 days from expiry
• 1-day reminder -- sent when the assessment expires the next day
• Maximum of 2 reminders per assessment session
• Reminders run daily at 9:00 AM AEST
• Reminders are sent via email; client consent preferences are respected

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Frequency Options

Standard Frequencies

Frequency	Use Case	Clinical rationale
Weekly	Intensive phase, crisis monitoring	Close tracking during acute symptoms
Fortnightly	Active treatment	Balance between data and burden
Monthly	Maintenance, stable clients	Long-term monitoring
Quarterly	Long-term monitoring, NDIS	Periodic review for stable clients

Session-Based Scheduling

You can tie assessments to appointment milestones using Praxi's workflow automation. For example, create a workflow rule that automatically sends a K10 assessment when a client reaches their 6th Better Access session. See Workflows Overview for setup instructions.

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Managing Active Schedules

Viewing All Assessment Sessions

See all assessment sessions across your organisation:

1. Go to the Assessments page
2. Use the status tabs to filter:

Status	Meaning
Pending	Invitation sent, client has not started
In Progress	Client has started but not finished
Completed	All responses submitted and scored
Abandoned	Client left the assessment incomplete
Expired	Access token expired before completion
Cancelled	Practitioner cancelled the session

3. Further filter by client name, assessment type, practitioner, or date range
4. Sort by creation date, completion date, expiry date, or status

Modifying an Existing Schedule

To change schedule settings:

1. Open the client's Assessments > Schedule tab
2. Click on the schedule you want to modify
3. Edit settings as needed
4. Choose how to apply changes:
   • Future only: Keep pending assessments, apply to new ones
   • All including pending: Update pending assessments too

Pausing a Schedule

Temporarily stop assessments without cancelling:

1. Open the schedule
2. Click Pause
3. Set resume date (optional)
4. Schedule pauses until date or manual resume

When to pause:

• Client on holiday or leave
• Treatment break
• Changed circumstances
• Client request
• Between referral periods

Cancelling a Schedule

To permanently stop a schedule:

1. Open the schedule
2. Click Cancel Schedule
3. Confirm cancellation
4. Pending assessments are cancelled
5. Completed assessments remain in history

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Notifications

Client Notifications

Event	Notification type
New assessment ready	Email + portal notification + SMS (if enabled)
Reminder	Based on schedule (e.g., 24h before deadline)
Overdue	Daily reminders (configurable)
Completed	Confirmation message

Customise client notifications:

1. Go to Settings > Notifications > Client
2. Enable/disable notification types
3. Edit message templates
4. Set SMS preferences (requires SMS credits)

Practitioner Notifications

Event	Notification
Assessment completed	In-app notification + optional email
Overdue assessments	Daily summary of overdue items
Critical item endorsed	Immediate alert (push + email)
Significant score change	Alert based on RCI threshold

Configure your notifications:

1. Go to My Settings > Notifications > Assessments
2. Set preferences for:
   • Completion notifications
   • Overdue alerts
   • Critical item alerts
   • Change threshold alerts

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Handling Expired and Incomplete Assessments

What Happens When a Session Expires

1. Client receives up to 2 automated reminders (at 3 days and 1 day before expiry)
2. If the access token expires before completion, the session status changes to Expired
3. If the client started but did not finish, the status may show as Abandoned
4. Practitioner is notified of expired sessions

Recovery Options

When an assessment session has expired or been abandoned, you have two options:

Option	What it does	When to use
Extend	Generates a new access link, preserving any partial responses	Client ran out of time but started
Reissue	Cancels the session and creates a fresh one (no responses kept)	Client needs a completely new attempt

Recall Validity

If you extend a session and more than 48 hours have passed since the client's last activity, Praxi shows a recall validity warning. This alerts you that the client's responses may be less reliable due to the time gap.

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Automation Rules

Auto-Assignment Based on Client Characteristics

Automatically assign schedules when clients meet certain criteria:

Trigger	Example
Intake form response	Depression concern selected > PHQ-9 fortnightly
Diagnosis	Anxiety disorder added > GAD-7 fortnightly
Service type	Better Access > K10 at sessions 1, 6, 10
Referral type	GP Mental Health Plan > K10 monthly
Funding source	NDIS > K10 quarterly

Setting Up Auto-Assignment

Auto-assignment rules are configured through the workflow builder. See Workflows Overview for setup instructions. Each rule specifies:

• Trigger condition: What starts the schedule
• Assessment schedule: Which template to apply
• Delivery method: How to send

Example Automation Rules

Medicare Better Access Protocol:

• Trigger: Service type = "Better Access"
• Action: Apply "K10 at Sessions 1, 6, 10" template
• Delivery: Portal notification 24h before appointment

New Depression Diagnosis:

• Trigger: Diagnosis added containing "depression"
• Action: Apply "PHQ-9 Fortnightly" template
• Delivery: Email link

NDIS Quarterly Review:

• Trigger: Funding source = "NDIS"
• Action: Apply "NDIS Review" template (K10 quarterly)
• Delivery: Portal notification

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Integration with Appointments

You can use Praxi's workflow automation to link assessments to appointments. For example, set up a workflow that automatically sends an assessment before or after specific appointment types. See Workflows Overview for setup instructions.

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Best Practices

Designing Effective Schedules

1. Match clinical need - More frequent monitoring when symptoms are acute
2. Respect client burden - Don't over-assess; balance data collection with client fatigue
3. Align with sessions - Time assessments so results are available for session discussion
4. Plan for key decision points - Ensure assessments at intake, review, and discharge

Recommended Protocols by Presentation

Presentation	Assessment	Frequency	Notes
Depression	PHQ-9	Fortnightly during active treatment	Reliable change = 6 points
Anxiety	GAD-7	Fortnightly during active treatment	Reliable change = 5 points
General distress	K10	Monthly or at key sessions	Australian standard
Mixed presentation	DASS-21	Monthly or at sessions 1, 4, 8	Three subscales
PTSD	PCL-5	Monthly	20 items, longer to complete
Substance use	AUDIT	Monthly	Monitor changes in use

Managing Compliance

1. Set appropriate deadlines - Not too tight; give clients flexibility
2. Use reminders wisely - Don't over-notify; once or twice is usually enough
3. Offer alternatives - If digital doesn't work, offer in-session or paper
4. Track completion rates - Monitor and address systematic non-completion

Clinical Integration

1. Review before sessions - Check recent scores before client arrives
2. Discuss results - Make assessment feedback part of your session
3. Adjust treatment - Use data to inform treatment modifications
4. Document in notes - Record scores and clinical interpretation

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Troubleshooting

Assessments Not Sending

1. Check the schedule is active (not paused or cancelled)
2. Verify client contact details are correct
3. Check client notification preferences
4. Review delivery method settings
5. Check spam/junk folders (for email)
6. Verify email/SMS credits available (organisation level)

Duplicate Assessments Received

1. Check for overlapping schedules on the client
2. Review template assignments - may have multiple templates
3. Check automation rules for conflicts
4. Consolidate duplicate schedules
5. Cancel redundant schedules

Client Not Receiving Notifications

1. Verify email address is correct
2. Check portal access is enabled
3. Review client notification preferences
4. Try alternative delivery method
5. Send manual reminder
6. Check organisation email sending limits

Schedule Not Starting

1. Verify start date has passed
2. Check client is marked as active
3. Ensure assessment is enabled for your organisation
4. Verify automation rule conditions are met
5. Check for conflicts with other schedules

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Permissions

Action	Required Role
Schedule assessments for clients	Practitioner, supervisor, practice owner
Batch schedule for multiple clients	Practitioner, supervisor, practice owner
Set up recurring schedules	Practitioner, supervisor, practice owner
View all sessions	Any clinical role
Cancel sessions	Practitioner, supervisor, practice owner
Configure organisation templates	Practice owner

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Related

• Assessments Overview - Available assessments and scoring
• Interpreting Results - Understanding score changes
• Workflows Overview - Automating practice processes
• Notifications Settings - Configuring notification preferences

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