Check 1: appointments or people attending?
A completed group appointment can contain more than one attendee. That makes appointment counts and attended client records different measures. A cancelled appointment belongs in neither completed count.
| Example appointment | Status | Attendees |
|---|---|---|
| Individual A | Completed | 1 |
| Individual B | Completed | 1 |
| Group C | Completed | 2 |
| Individual D | Cancelled | 0 |
Check 2: when care happened or when money arrived?
Payments received during a week may pay for care delivered in another week. Compare each money report with the date rule it claims to use.
| Example amount | Received this week | Care this week |
|---|---|---|
| Payment A: $100 | Yes | No |
| Payment B: $200 | Yes | Yes |
| Unpaid C: $50 | No | Yes |
Check 3: appointments offered, booked and completed
Suppose a clinician usually offers 25 appointments a week but takes time off that removes five. They could actually offer 20 appointments that week. Eighteen were booked and 16 were completed.
Of the 20 appointments available, 18 were booked: 90%. Sixteen were completed: 80%. Dividing by the usual 25 would produce lower percentages, because it would include time the clinician was not available.
The report should say whether it uses actual available appointments or a standing target. Both may be useful, but a target comparison should not be labeled as current availability. The capacity calculator lets you work through the same distinction.
Check 4: corrected appointments and refunds
Check what happens if an appointment is marked completed after the weekly report has been prepared. Does the report update? It should not count that same appointment twice.
Then try a payment that is refunded later. A report of money received might show the original payment in one month and the refund in the next. A report tied to the session date may apply the refund to the original session. Find out which method the report uses before comparing the totals.
What to do with the result
The number matches
Keep using the definition you checked.
It counts something else
Choose the right report or label the number clearly.
The calculation is wrong
Ask the provider to investigate and correct it.
The report cannot handle it
Agree how to check that case before relying on the total.
Then check the reports against your EHR
These small examples test definitions; they do not establish that an entire live connection is accurate. Also compare the totals with a complete period in the EHR, confirm permissions and history, and check the update process with the practice’s actual configuration.
Cortexa’s connection process includes establishing the reporting scope and validation approach. Use the analytics evaluation guide to bring these checks into a product demonstration. A clear report should be able to explain both what it counts and why.
Common questions
Does passing these checks prove every report is right?
No. These examples check specific counting rules. You should also compare complete reporting periods with your own EHR and check how updates and unusual cases are handled.
Can we use these tests without real patient records?
Yes. All the examples use fictional information. Ask for the same type of example in a product demonstration.