Akeso PMA — Reception Training Guide

Sign in with the Netcare EMP number and password

Open the Hawk by navigating to pma.netcare.digital in Google Chrome. On the Akeso Hawk Billing System login screen, the receptionist enters their Netcare username (EMP number) and password, then clicks Log In.

Set up two-factor authentication (first login only)

The very first time a receptionist logs in, they are asked to set up two-factor authentication (2FA) — a one-time security setup that adds a second check on top of the password. On the Multi-Factor Authentication screen, click Use Email, enter the email address the code should be sent to, and click Associate.

Enter the emailed code to verify

The Hawk emails a one-time verification code (OTP) to that address. Type it into the Code field and click Verify. Ticking Remember this device for 30 days means they won't be asked for a code again on that computer for 30 days. After this one-time setup, logging in is just username and password.

Confirm the clinic shown top-right

Once logged in, the receptionist lands on the reception dashboard. The first thing to check is the clinic shown in the top-right corner — for example "RECEPTIONIST · Akeso Alberton". Everything they do applies to this clinic, so it must be right before admitting anyone.

The sidebar and Quick Actions

On the far left is the sidebar (Dashboard, Admission, Emergency). In the middle, Quick Actions gives two large buttons — Admission and Emergency — the fastest way to start admitting a patient.

The Admissions summary (KPIs)

To the right, the Admissions summary shows live counts for the clinic: Admitted, Clinically Discharged, Awaiting Review, Draft and Emergency. ("KPI" just means a headline number the team keeps an eye on.)

The Admissions table and its tabs

Lower down is the Admissions table, listing patients with their admission date, attending doctor, ward/bed and who last updated them. Along the top are tabs that filter the list:

• Admissions — patients currently admitted.
• Clinically Discharged — patients discharged clinically on CareOn who still need to be finalised on the Hawk (see Section 7).
• Awaiting Review, Emergency and Drafts — patients at other stages, and admissions saved part-way as drafts.

A Filter by name box (top-right of the table) is how you find a specific patient.

Start the admission

From the dashboard, click the Admission button — either in Quick Actions or in the left sidebar. (Use Emergency for emergency admissions — see Section 5.)

Enter the patient's ID or passport number

First, choose SA ID Number or Passport Number and type it in, then click Proceed. The Hawk uses this to check whether the patient already exists in the system.

If the patient already exists — confirm it's them

If someone with that ID/passport has been admitted before, a Patient Search pop-up appears showing their name and demographics. Check the details, then:

• Confirm, correct patient — reuses their existing details (you skip re-typing them), or
• Incorrect patient, create new record — if it is not them.

For a new patient — fill in the patient details

If this is a new patient, a form opens for their demographic information: Title, First and Last name, Date of Birth, and gender (Male / Female / Other / Unknown).

Pick the date of birth from the calendar

Click the Date of Birth field to open a calendar and choose the date.

Add contact details and next-of-kin, then submit

Complete Patient Contact Information (cellphone, telephone, email, street address, city/town, postal code) and Patient Next-of-Kin (name, contact numbers, email and relationship to the patient). When the patient details are complete, click Submit.

If the patient is the account holder — use the toggle

If the patient pays for themselves, switch on Patient is Account Holder. This automatically copies the patient's details into the account holder section, so nothing needs re-typing.

Otherwise — enter the account holder and their details

If someone else is the account holder, provide their SA ID or passport number, then fill in the Account Holder Information (name, relationship to the patient, occupation), Contact Details and Next-of-Kin. Click Next to continue.

You can save a draft at any point

During the admission you can click Save Draft to store it in its current state and finish later. A draft admission is not complete — it must be finished before the patient is properly admitted, and it appears under the Drafts tab.

Choose Medical Aid or Private

Under Account Details, choose how the account is paid: Medical Aid (a medical scheme pays) or Private (cash payments).

Medical Aid — pick the scheme

If Medical Aid is chosen, open the Medical Aid dropdown and select the correct scheme (you can type in the search box to find it — for example, Discovery).

Enter the membership and dependent code

Provide the Membership Number and the correct Dependent Code (which member on the policy the patient is), then click Next.

The Hawk validates the medical aid automatically

When you click Next on a medical-aid account, the Hawk automatically runs a membership validation (an "MSV" check — Member Status Verification) against the scheme:

• If it passes — a green message appears and you can proceed.
• If it fails — you'll see a red message. Click Close, correct the medical-aid details, and click Next again. If the details genuinely can't be validated, click Proceed without validation to continue anyway.

Fill in Additional Patient Information and Referral Information

The Admission Information step opens on Additional Patient Information (e.g. patient type, dietary requirements, allergies and admission type) and Referral Information (referral source, reason for arrival and referring doctor). Complete these first, then continue to the Admission Details below.

Set the admission date and time

Click the Admission Date field to open the calendar, then choose the date and the time of admission.

Add the diagnosis (ICD-10) — first one is the primary

In the Diagnosis field, search for and select the ICD-10 code(s). The first ICD-10 code you add counts as the primary diagnosis for the admission, so add it first. ("ICD-10" is the international list of standard codes for conditions and diagnoses.)

Add the attending doctor

Above the Attending Doctors table, click the pencil icon. Click the attending doctor field to see the doctors available at this clinic for the patient, choose one, and click Add to put the line in the table.

Confirm the doctor line, then save

Check the doctor line looks right, then click the Save icon to confirm it on the admission.

Allocate a bed — search for what's available

Next to the Bed Allocations table, click the pencil icon. You choose a date and time range to search for free beds. For a new admission the start is always the admission date, so you can usually just click Search to list all beds available on the admission date.

Pick the bed, add it, and save

After searching, open the Bed dropdown to see all currently available beds, select one, and click Add to put it in the table. Confirm the entry by clicking the Save button.

Submit the admission

Once the attending doctor and bed allocation are saved and the required fields are filled (including Employment Details — Employed / Unemployed / Student), click Submit to finalise the admission. (Save Draft is still there if you need to finish later.)

Check it worked

A success notification appears, and the patient now shows in the Admissions table on the dashboard. (The Admitted count also goes up by one.)

Start from Emergency and enter the patient ID

From the dashboard, click Emergency (in Quick Actions or the left sidebar). On the Patient Details step, choose SA ID Number or Passport Number, type it in, and click Proceed — exactly as for a normal admission. Notice the tracker has only two steps.

Enter the patient demographics

Fill in the patient's details — Title, name, Date of Birth, gender, contact information and next-of-kin — then click Submit, just like a standard admission.

Enter the admission information and submit

Complete the Admission Information step — admission date/time, diagnosis (ICD-10), attending doctor and bed allocation — then click Submit. Because the account holder and account are skipped, the admission is created straight after this step.

The admission appears under the Emergency tab

The new admission is created under the Emergency tab of the Admissions table (and the Emergency count on the dashboard goes up by one).

Adding the account from the patient profile

On the emergency patient's profile, click Add Account, then work through Account Holder Details and Account Details (Medical Aid or Private) exactly as in a normal admission, and click Create Account.

Find the patient

On the dashboard, use the Filter by name box above the Admissions table and type the patient's first name to locate them.

Open the patient — Options → View

On the patient's row, click the ⋯ Options button, then View to open their profile.

Open the patient card for editing

In the patient's profile, find the patient card and click its pencil icon to edit the demographic details.

Make the change and Update

Edit the details that need changing (for example, first name or email address), then click Update to save. Always click Update or the change is lost.

Find the patient and open — Options → View

Search the Admissions table by first name, click ⋯ Options on the row, then View to open the profile.

Open Update Admission

On the patient's profile, click Update Admission in the toolbar. This opens the admission update page.

Make the change (e.g. add an ICD-10 code) and Update

Edit the admission information as needed — for example, add another ICD-10 diagnosis code — then click Update to save your changes.

Open the Clinically Discharged tab

On the dashboard's Admissions table, click the Clinically Discharged tab. This lists patients who have been clinically discharged on CareOn and now need an administrative discharge on the Hawk.

Find the patient — Options → Finalize

Find the patient by name, click the ⋯ Options button on their row, and choose Finalize.

Check the discharge date and time

An Administrative Discharge pop-up appears with a Discharge Date/Time. By default this is the current date and time, which is correct for a discharge happening now.

Back-dating? Use Manual Date/Time override

If the discharge is being back-captured (recorded after it actually happened), switch on Manual Date/Time override and enter the correct date and time.

Discharge

When the date and time are correct, click Discharge to finalise the administrative discharge. The patient moves out of the active admissions list.