Outbound Calls

Outbound Calls

What is the Outbound Calls feature?

The Outbound call feature is intended for clients for whom you have agreed to call out to them on a very regular schedule, normally to check on their safety, remind them to take medication or for ongoing social contact. For example, the calls may be arranged to happen every weekday at 4:00pm, Saturdays at 11:00am and not on Sundays, for an indefinitely long time period.
 
Other agencies who use this feature in iCarol make dozens or even hundreds of such calls every day, according to each clients schedule (and noted exceptions). So the main Outbound Calls page is intended to show a list of calls to be made on the selected day, and a quick way to indicate if the call was completed.
 
If you simply need to make one call back to a client (or just an occasional call, not on such a regular schedule), we recommend using the Follow-up features of the ‘normal’ call reports, instead.

Activate Outbound Calls feature

Outbound calls are prearranged calls with individuals that have given consent to be contacted on a schedule for the following possible purposes: social contact, medication reminders, safety checks, rehab support, independent living support, etc.

To enable this feature, Admins can:
  1. Click on Admin Tools
  2. Click on the Setup tab
  3. In the 'Enable Call Reports' section, select 'Enable Outbound Calls'
Next steps would be to create an Outbound call report that is designated for outbound calls (optional) and to create outbound caller profiles. 

Add an Outbound Client record

In order to create an outbound client record, your system must first be subscribed to the Outbound call feature.
Admins and Supervisors can create new Outbound Client records using the following steps:
  1. Select 'Calls' in the left hand menu
  2. Select 'Outbound Calls'
  3. Select 'List all Outbound Clients'
  4. Select 'Add a new Client'.
  5. Enter detailed information regarding the Outbound client providing information for future calls
  6. Click 'Save'  *note exceptions must be entered AFTER the initial record is created
Note: Now you can attach your own custom fields to your outbound client profiles. Then when your people make outbound calls, in addition to indicating if and when it was completed, you can also see and modify those customized fields for each one. Not only does this let you save more information for each call, but you can also now run more detailed statistics on those calls, using the same powerful tools in iCarol that you can use for your inbound call reports.

Edit or Delete Outbound Call Schedule or Incident

  1. Admins or Supervisors (or users with special security permission) can edit or delete outbound call details.
  2. If a change has been made, past records will remain unchanged.
  3. iCarol uses the current state of the normal or exception calls to determine what shows up on the "today's calls" page.
  4. Therefore, calls in the past will be listed with the currently specified time in a client's profile on the "today's calls" page.
  5. However, the data captured on past calls is correct in statistics - it will show the actual call time as it was when the calls were made.

Steps to edit/delete an Outbound Incident:

  1. Click “Calls” in the left sidebar.
  2. Click the “Outbound Calls” button
  3. Click on “Recent Incidents” button
  4. Click on the client’s name listed
  5. Click on “Recent Calls and Incidents”
  6. Adjust the Calls and Incidents drop down to show to appropriate time frame (Last 7 days – Everything)
  7. Click “Edit” on the incident
  8. Click “Edit” to change details or add feedback
  9. Click “Save” to keep changes
  10. If you would like to not make changes, click “Cancel”
  11. If you would like to delete the incident, click “Delete”
  12. To confirm deletion of the Incident you need to click “Confirm Deletion”

Steps to edit/delete an Outbound Call Schedule:

  1. Click “Calls” in the left sidebar.
  2. Click the “Outbound Calls” button
  3. Select the appropriate Time
  4. Select ‘Show calls from’ – enter date of call
  5. Displayed are the calls scheduled for the time you chose.
  6. You can click on the clients name to review the Outbound call client information
  7. Click “edit” to gain access to edit the sections in the clients profile
  8. Scroll down to the Call Schedule section
  9. You can edit the current call Schedule by changing the Normal Call Schedule
  10. Listing exceptions to the normal schedule
  11. Add an exception to the normal schedule on an ongoing or one-time basis
  12. In the Other exceptions sections, you can add/edit or delete any other exceptions.
  13. When changes are complete, scroll to the top of the page and click Save and Close or Save and continue editing

Steps to edit/delete the Time Frame and Number of Pages:

When pages are used, iCarol will automatically evenly distribute scheduled Outbound Contacts for that time into the pages. 
Admins have the ability to make changes to the times and add additional times, as well as the ability to override and update the number of pages at any time to redistribute scheduled outbound contacts into the new number of pages.

To Add/Edit Outbound Contact Times/Pages:

  1.  Go to Contacts
  2. Go to Outbound Contacts
  3. Click on Modify Time Ranges
  4. Enter Group Name
  5. Enter Time Frame Name
  6. Select Start Time 24Hr
  7. Select End Time 24 Hr
  8. Enter a Number of Pages
  9. Click Add

To Delete Outbound Contact Times:

  1.  Go to Contacts
  2. Go to Outbound Contacts
  3. Click on Modify Time Ranges
  4. Click Delete
  5. Confirm you would like to Delete Time Range selected


Schedule exceptions to the normal outbound calls schedule

  1. To any recurring outbound call schedule you can define one or multiple exceptions to the schedule.
  2. Exceptions can be scheduled to be in addition to or instead of the normal schedule and it can also define days within the normal schedule where no calls should be made.
  3. For example, Call Larry every day at 4pm, but not on Sundays and first at 5pm on Saturdays.
  4. iCarol looks up the normal schedule and all exception calls to determine what calls are due to be made and when.
Steps to define exceptions to a normal outbound calls schedule:
  1. Select "Calls" in the left hand menu.
  2. Click on "Outbound Calls" button at the top of the page.
  3. Click on the "List of all outbound calls" text link.
  4. Look up the call that you want to edit and click on "View".
  5. Scroll down to "Call Schedule", "ongoing exceptions to the normal schedule" section.
  6. Select the appropriate exception rule and click on the "add this exception button". Repeat this step if you want to make multiple exceptions. These exceptions will systematically be incorporated into the normal schedule. Note: Any details that you enter in the exception text box will be displayed with the outbound call details but cannot be systematically incorporated into the schedule.  
  7. Click on "Save" button at the top of the page.

Remove Name from an Outbound Calls list permanently

If you no longer have the need to call a person (ex. that person moved away)  it becomes necessary to permanently remove that person from the ‘Outbound Call List’.
Steps to remove the person from the Outbound calls list.
  1. Click on "Calls" on the left hand menu.
  2. Click on "Outbound Calls" button near the top of the page.
  3. Click on the text link "list of all outbound call clients".
  4. Click on the "view" link of the person you want to remove.
  5. Click on the "Edit" button.
  6. Scroll down to Call Schedule section
  7. Change the "Current Status" to "Don't Call"
  8. Click on Save at the top of the page.

Logging Outbound Calls

Admins and Supervisors (and users with special security permission) can schedule outbound calls.

In the scheduled call details you have the option to log the following information:
  1. First and last name of the client to call
  2. Gender
  3. Birthday
  4. Whom to ask for
  5. How many people are in home
  6. Contact details (phone numbers, email, pager, address details)
  7. Call schedule (one time, recurring with the options to schedule exceptions to the normal schedule)
  8. Information about the client
    1. Type of call (friendly, safety check, medication reminder, other)
    2. Procedure if client is unreachable
    3. Issues to check on
    4. Family history
    5. Medical issues
    6. Interests
    7. Referred by details
    8. Church Affiliation
    9. Ethnicity
    10. Outside services used
    11. People who know this person
  9. You can even attach your own custom fields to your outbound client profiles. Then when your people make outbound calls, in addition to indicating if and when it was completed, you can also see and modify those customized fields for each one. Not only does this let you save more information for each call, but you can also now run more detailed statistics on those calls, using the same powerful tools in iCarol that you can use for your inbound call reports.
  10. Each scheduled call has a log of recent calls and incidents

Print today's Outbound Calls to PDF

On the main Outbound Calls display near the top right you will see a box with 'Print this day's calls to PDF'
Click on the 'make PDF' box to create the report.

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