In Instinct EMR, your AR dashboard numbers may not always match your accounting system, practice management software, or your own calculations. This article walks through a systematic process for identifying and resolving those discrepancies.
Note: This dashboard is currently in beta. Multi-location practices that share a single database will see combined metrics for all locations.
Step 1: Understand what should match
Your AR Dashboard is designed to align with the following figures from your accounting system:
Starting AR: Your accounting system's AR balance at period start
Ending AR: Your accounting system's AR balance at period end
Total Sales: Revenue recorded in your accounting system for the same period
Total Cash: Net payments (payments minus refunds) in your accounting system
Before assuming a discrepancy exists, check for these common timing differences that are not actual errors:
Cash vs. accrual basis: The dashboard uses invoice closure dates, not service dates
Month-end cutoffs: Transactions near period boundaries may fall in different periods depending on the system
Backdated transactions: The dashboard shows original recording dates, not backdated dates
Step 2: Investigate systematically
Start with the Summary tab's daily breakdown to narrow down where the discrepancy appears.
Open the Summary tab and use the daily breakdown view.
Compare day by day against your other system.
Identify the specific day(s) where differences appear.
Focus your investigation on those problem days.
Example: If your system shows $2,000 in March 15 sales but the dashboard shows $1,850 (a -$150 difference), and your system shows $1,500 in March 15 cash but the dashboard shows $1,650 (a +$150 difference), focus your investigation on what happened on March 15th involving $150.
Step 3: Identify and fix the cause
Cause 1: Invoice status confusion
Problem: You are including open invoices in your calculations, but the dashboard only shows closed invoices.
How to check: Compare invoices created during the period against invoices closed during the period. Any gap represents open invoices not yet included in the AR calculation.
Solution: Only compare closed invoices, or wait for open invoices to close.
Cause 2: Timing differences
Problem: Your system uses service dates; the dashboard uses invoice closure dates.
Example: Service provided on March 30th; invoice closed on April 2nd. Your March report includes this sale; the dashboard's March period excludes it.
Solution: Align comparison periods or adjust for the timing difference when reconciling.
Cause 3: Payment date confusion
Problem: Backdated payments appear on different dates in different systems.
Dashboard behavior: Shows payment on original recording date. Your system behavior: May show payment on a backdated date.
How to identify: Check the Ledger Detail tab and compare the Recorded At vs. Transacted At columns.
Cause 4: Refund vs. account credit confusion
Problem: Your system distinguishes refunds from account credits; the dashboard shows both as cash reductions.
Example: Dashboard shows Cash decreased $100: could be a $100 refund or $100 moved to account credit. Your accounting system treats these differently.
Solution: Use the Ledger Event Type column on the Ledger Detail tab to see the actual transaction type.
Cause 5: Net vs. gross transaction reporting
Problem: Multiple transactions on the same day or invoice are netted differently across systems.
Example: Same day: $200 payment, $50 refund. Dashboard may show a net $150 cash increase; your system may show a $200 increase and a $50 decrease separately.
Solution: Compare net effects rather than gross transaction amounts.
Step 4: Advanced investigation techniques
Use the Ledger Detail tab effectively
Key columns for investigation:
Recorded At: When the transaction was originally entered
Transacted At: Effective date (may differ if backdated)
Ledger Event Type: What actually happened (refund vs. account credit vs. void)
Start broad, then narrow
If daily investigation is too granular, compare weekly totals first, identify problem weeks, then drill down to the daily level within those weeks before investigating specific transactions.
Cross-reference with invoice classifications
Check whether the discrepancy relates to:
Reopened invoices (can cause timing confusion)
Overpaid invoices (negative AR may be calculated differently in your system)
$0 invoices with activity (these may be excluded from your system)
Red flags that need immediate attention
AR differences greater than 5% of total AR balance
Large daily swings that don't correspond to known payments or sales
Consistent daily discrepancies in the same direction (suggests a systematic issue)
Cash balances going negative when they should not
Escalate to Instinct support when discrepancies persist after systematic investigation, when the pattern suggests a data integration issue, when financial reporting deadlines are approaching, or when auditors are asking questions you cannot answer.
Prevention strategies
Regular reconciliation schedule
Daily: Quick comparison of major totals during busy periods
Weekly: Detailed comparison of AR changes and major transactions
Monthly: Complete reconciliation with accounting system
Quarterly: Deep dive analysis, including all special cases
Monitoring signals to watch
AR variance greater than your defined threshold (eg, 2% of total AR)
Daily cash variance above a dollar threshold (eg, $500)
Unusual concentration of negative AR
High number of reopened invoices
Document your process
Keep a record of your standard reconciliation steps, common causes of discrepancies and solutions, support contact information, and escalation procedures. Similar discrepancy types tend to recur—documenting solutions the first time saves time later.
Reconciliation checklist
Before starting
Confirm that the same date periods are selected in both systems
Understand your basis of comparison (cash vs. accrual, service dates vs. closure dates)
Have detailed transaction reports accessible from both systems
During investigation
Start with a daily breakdown to isolate problem dates
Check Ledger Event Types for any unusual transactions
Compare net effects, not gross transaction amounts
Document all discrepancies found and their causes
After resolution
Update reconciliation procedures if a new issue type was found
Set monitoring to prevent similar issues
Train team members on any new procedures if needed
When to contact support
Before reaching out, have the following ready:
Specific dates and amounts where discrepancies appear
Screenshots of the relevant dashboard sections
A description of the investigation steps already taken
Business context (reporting deadlines, audit requirements, etc.)
Still need help?
Contact the Instinct support team via live chat or email [email protected].