The four expected date reasons in the Fulfill portal, when to use each one, and which reason to apply at each patient outreach attempt.
When a DME provider selects or updates the Expected Date within the Fulfill Portal, a dropdown menu will appear prompting the supplier to select a reason. This reason is required and must reflect the current situation regarding the order.
This article lists all four reasons in that dropdown, explains which one to apply at each stage of patient outreach, and covers what happens after the three-attempt reason is applied.
The four expected date reasons and when to use each
The Reason dropdown will display the following four (4) options.
| Reason | When to use it |
|---|---|
| 1. Order is scheduled for future fulfillment | Use this option when a delivery or appointment is scheduled for a date in the future. This reason allows the supplier to communicate to Synapse Health that the future date is intentional and patient-driven – not a delay. |
| 2. Equipment or supplies have been delivered, awaiting carrier tracking | Use this option in scenarios where physical delivery or equipment setup has been completed, but documentation or tracking confirmation is still pending. Examples: Virtual PAP setups: Supplies have been shipped to the patient for a virtual setup, but the patient education session is scheduled for a future date. Threshold deliveries: The delivery has been completed by the driver, but the delivery ticket has not yet been returned or confirmed. |
| 3. Shipment is prepared or awaiting carrier tracking | Use this option when the supplier has completed their portion of initiating the shipment but has not yet received tracking details from the carrier. This reason communicates to Synapse Health that the order is in motion and will soon be on its way to the patient. |
| 4. Unable to contact patient, minimum 3 attempts | This reason is reserved specifically for situations where the supplier has made at least three (3) documented outreach attempts to the patient without success. This triggers a follow-up workflow by the Synapse team. See the patient outreach section below for details. |
Which reason to apply at each patient outreach attempt
The following table outlines the step-by-step outreach process and which reason should be applied at each stage when contacting a patient.
| Outreach step | Contact status | Action: reason code to apply |
|---|---|---|
| Outreach Attempt 1 | Contact Made | Update Expected Date with appropriate reason: Option 1, 2, or 3 based on conversation outcome. |
| Outreach Attempt 1 | Contact NOT Made | Enter a note into Fulfill portal stating that an unsuccessful call attempt was made and when the next attempt is expected. Example: Called Patient. LVM. Will call again in 48 hours. |
| Outreach Attempt 2 | Contact Made | Update Expected Date with appropriate reason: Option 1, 2, or 3 based on conversation outcome. |
| Outreach Attempt 2 | Contact NOT Made | Enter a note into Fulfill portal stating that an unsuccessful call attempt was made and when the next attempt is expected. Example: Called Patient. LVM. Will call again in 48 hours. |
| Outreach Attempt 3 | Contact Made | Update Expected Date with appropriate reason: Option 1, 2, or 3 based on conversation outcome. |
| Outreach Attempt 3 | Contact NOT Made | Update the Expected Date to the current date AND select: Reason: “Unable to contact patient, minimum 3 attempts”. This triggers the Synapse Team to attempt outreach. |
| Note | — | If making more than 3 outreach attempts, follow the process for Attempt 2 until the final call attempt is made. The final attempt follows the Outreach Attempt 3 workflow. |
What to do when the patient returns your call
The action depends on whether the three-attempt reason has already been applied to the order.
| Situation | Action |
|---|---|
| If the patient calls back before “Unable to Contact Patient – Minimum 3 Attempts” has been applied: | Enter a note in Fulfill that contact was successfully established and update the Expected Date with the appropriate reason: Option 1, 2, or 3 based on the conversation outcome. |
| If the patient calls back after “Unable to Contact Patient – Minimum 3 Attempts” has already been applied: | Contact Synapse Health at 1-888-336-9363 to ensure the order status is updated and able to be completed in Fulfill portal. |
What happens after the three-attempt reason is applied
When the Fulfill portal displays a reason code of “Unable to contact patient, minimum 3 attempts,” Synapse Health will initiate their own outreach process directly to the patient or the patient’s representative.
When you still need to act
DME providers do not need to take additional action once this reason code has been applied, unless:
- Synapse Health provides updated instructions – and the order is re-assigned and awaiting order acceptance
- The patient contacts the DME provider – use the Patient Returns Call process for after the final outreach attempt, and contact Synapse Health at 1-888-336-9363 to ensure the order status is updated and able to be completed in the Fulfill portal
Where to get help with an expected date
For questions about which reason to select, contact DME provider support. To have an order status updated after the three-attempt reason has been applied, use the Synapse Health order status line.
Fulfill portal support contacts
-
DME provider support email
dmeprovidersupport@synapsehealth.com -
DME provider support phone
888.801.9449 -
Synapse Health order status line
1-888-336-9363
