Introduction
Online Appointment booking software is the essential feature in patient scheduling and a well-organised system can save time and increase efficiency for your medical practice or clinic to deliver timely healthcare.
An increasing number of medical practices are now offering patients the option of making appointments online. Different options of online appointment software are available on the market, and medical practices can choose the software which best suits their requirements.
This post is designed to help medical practices who are considering introducing an online appointment booking for their patients.
About online appointment booking software
Online appointment booking software refers to solutions that allow patients to book an appointment to see a medical practitioner, as an alternative to calling the practice by phone.
Depending on the software option, patients can book appointments by:
Filling in an online form through the practice’s own website, or using an external service provider either through their secure website or a software application
bookitLive recommends the use of online appointment booking software for routine, non-urgent appointments only. Where practices adopt online appointment booking software, they should continue to advise patients to phone the practice directly for urgent and non-routine appointments.
bookitLive re-iterates that an online appointment booking software does not replace the role of the medical receptionist in ensuring that the practice ‘has a flexible system for determining the order in which patients are seen, to accommodate patients’ needs for urgent care, complex care, planned chronic disease management, preventive healthcare and longer consultations.
Online appointments through a service provider
The practice sets up an account with the service provider and identifies which appointments are to be made available for online patient booking. Practices should reserve a sufficient number of slots for on the day appointments which can only be accessed by phone or in person.
Depending on the service provider, the practice may elect to only allow online appointment bookings for existing patients or allow potential new patients to access the service.
Some online service providers require patients to register for the service while other sites may only require an identifier such as a phone number.
Once the patient logs into the webapp, the patient will be able to search for, access and reschedule appointments in real-time. When the patient selects a suitable appointment date and time, the
practice is notified via email or SMS. It is recommended that the practice further validates and confirms the appointment to ensure that all patients are accommodated and contacts the patient if required.
Advantages of using an online appointment booking software
The practice can:
- Utilise another mechanism to book and secure appointments
- determine all scheduled appointments for the day for multiple GPs in the practice
- Improve efficiency for reception staff who may spend less time arranging appointments on the phone
- Fill last-minute cancellations/appointment gaps and empty appointment slots
The patient can:
- Make an appointment at any time of the day or night, not needing to wait for business hours
- Self select an appointment from a range of available times and days
- Change or cancel appointments
What are the characteristics of a good online appointment system?
- The software should encompass different aspects for all users i.e. GPs, reception staff, practice personnel and patients
- Online booking services for patients are usually provided through the practice’s website and a good system should integrate into your website
- You may also consider providing the option of making online appointments via mobile devices such as mobile phones and tablets
- Select the most suitable option for your practice for both software integration and cost
Other considerations
When introducing an online appointment booking software into your practice, the following needs to be considered:
Practice considerations
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Will there be additional workload for reception staff?
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What education and awareness are needed for practice staff
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Will there be initial additional workload for practice staff?
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What impact does booking appointments online have on the existing triage process?
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What are the risks for patients who book appointments online?
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How will the practice manage potential booking errors and cancellations by the patient?
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What support/back-up is provided if the online system breaks down?
Patient considerations
- Will this service be offered to existing patients only, or to all patients (including new patients)?
- How is the patient contacted if the GP is inadvertently unavailable on the day?
- Patient needs vary, and you will need a practical system to accommodate changes when required
- Patients who do not have information technology ability or internet access should have the option of making appointments by phone
- Is the patient comfortable with providing their details to an external service provider?
Implementation considerations
What online appointment systems are available?
What are the costs (initial and ongoing)?
Will it be introduced as a trial?
How will the success of the online appointment booking software be evaluated?
What are the practical challenges of implementing such a software?