SDA & PDA Appointment Workflow and Guidelines

This workflow and checklist clarify when to use and schedule Same Day Acute (SDA) and Provider Discretionary Appointment (PDA) appointment types.

SDA – Same Day Acute: Used exclusively for urgent, same-day scheduling — please send an urgent patient case to the provider’s staff box for permission.

PDA – Provider Discretionary Appointment: Reserved for provider-approved scheduling only — please send an urgent patient case to the provider’s staff box for permission.

Same Day Acute (SDA) Appointments

Appropriate Reasons for SDA Appointments:

• Acute Illness – Sudden onset of symptoms requiring timely intervention, such as:

  • Fever with chills or sweats

  • Persistent cough with difficulty breathing

  • Severe headache or migraines

  • Signs of infection (e.g., sore throat, urinary pain)

• Worsening Chronic Conditions – Patients with existing conditions (e.g., asthma, diabetes, heart disease) experiencing symptom escalation.

• Injuries – Sprains, strains, minor fractures, or other acute injuries requiring evaluation.

• Post-Hospitalization Follow-Up – Patients recently discharged from the hospital needing immediate monitoring or medication adjustments.

• Urgent Lab or Imaging Concerns – Patients with concerning test results requiring immediate provider discussion.

Requests NOT Appropriate for SDA Appointments:

• Paperwork requests

• Annual wellness visits

• Routine follow-up appointments

⚠️ Do NOT schedule patients into SDA slots unless specifically instructed by the care team.

Provider Discretionary Appointments (PDA)

• Scheduled only at the provider’s discretion.

• ⚠️ Do NOT schedule patients into PDA slots unless specifically instructed by the provider.

Patient Communication Guidance

When discussing SDA or PDA appointment requests with patients, do not mention or imply that there are open appointments being held or "safeguarded."

Instead, use phrasing such as:

“Your care team manages your provider’s schedule for this appointment type. I’ll send them a message, and they will take care of scheduling this appointment for you.”

You do not need to use this exact wording, but please use similar language that avoids suggesting restricted/limited access. The goal is to reassure patients that their needs are being prioritized and that the care team will handle their scheduling appropriately.