Ultimate Guide to Appointment Scheduling

By Jamie Frew on Jun 16, 2024.

Table of content

Introduction to appointment scheduling How long is a typical healthcare appointment?Challenges facing appointment scheduling Common scheduling strategies used in healthcare How to improve appointment scheduling - booking appointments online Appointment scheduling software General do’s and don’ts of appointment scheduling ‍Final Thoughts

Get Carepatron

Introduction to appointment scheduling

When you think of healthcare, it is highly likely that doctor’s appointments and visits to physicians are what automatically come to mind. And whilst this is a significant (and important) part of it, various other key processes have a role to play.

Behind every session with a patient, there are a bunch of different things that take place behind the scenes; starting with the appointment scheduling. You might be thinking that organizing a booking system for a healthcare practice is simple, but that could not be further from the truth. There is a multitude of factors that go into the appointment scheduling process (which we will get into in a little bit), and figuring out a way to make this system as effective as possible can be complex and time-consuming.

Luckily for you, this is one of our areas of expertise. We’ve gathered up all the available information that is required for you to also become an expert in this area, and hopefully, once you’ve finished with this guide, you’ll be on the fast track to perfecting your scheduling system.

Why is appointment scheduling important?

Appointment scheduling is one of the backbones of the operations of a healthcare practice. In order for the business to increase its revenue, it needs to be consistently delivering services to patients, and an effective scheduling system is the only way to guarantee that this happens.

Additionally, healthcare businesses have to factor in the risks that are associated with scheduling. Missed appointments, commonly referred to as no-shows, can have a massive financial impact on a practice and interfere with the entire day’s schedule. Other factors including emergency appointments, last-minute cancellations, and running overtime can cause delays and long wait times which are both highly inconvenient to patients and practitioners.

Although it is impossible to control whether or not a patient is on time for their appointment, there are ways that a healthcare practice can manage operations on their side. If the practice can reduce wait times as much as possible, and has backup options in place for when the schedule is interfered with, then they have a much higher chance of stabilizing their revenue and improving patient satisfaction.

So even though patient scheduling isn’t as easy as you might have originally thought, there are definite ways that you can optimize the system and ensure your appointments run as smoothly as possible.

Click here to view on YouTube

How long is a typical healthcare appointment?

The first step to improving an appointment scheduling system is identifying the average length of time required for a booking. Different medical procedures and assessments will obviously differ in duration, which is why it is necessary to ensure that the allocated time is long enough for a full evaluation. On the other hand, an appointment session that has been allocated too much time can result in patients missing out on receiving care and consequently, lost revenue.

Although it is impossible to determine the exact amount of time that is required for medical appointments, different influencing factors can help you come up with an average:

Patient volume targets: Healthcare businesses typically collect data on the average number of patients that they see, depending on time and day. Your practice might find that it has a much higher patient volume between the hours of 4-5 pm compared to 1-2 pm. Analyzing this information will allow you to take into consideration the number of walk-ins you are expecting and more accurately allocate appointment times.

Type of illness: This is an obvious one, but knowing what services a patient requires before they book their appointment helps determine the length of a session. As a practitioner, you should have a fairly good idea of how long different types of evaluations take, and can allocate time accordingly.

Resources and facilities: Having an awareness of the resources and facilities available to you is a critical component of establishing appointment times. If you see a patient who requires the use of specific equipment, you need to be aware of the device’s availability. Additionally, during high volume times, there will be a reduction in the number of examination rooms available, so you need to be aware of overbooking these facilities.

Whilst accurately determining the specific amount of time that a patient requires for their appointment is near impossible, there are different ways that you can calculate an average. Research shows that the key to allocating accurate session times is solely to do with collecting data. If you analyze the appointment trends that your practice experiences, then you are much more likely to establish accurate session times, helping to make the scheduling process as seamless as possible.

Challenges facing appointment scheduling

We mentioned earlier that patient scheduling is never as easy as you’d think - and you might be wondering why. Unfortunately, healthcare practices run into many different challenges that affect how their day-to-day schedules work, barriers that contribute to patient and practitioner dissatisfaction, and a loss in revenue.

Patient wait times: One of the biggest challenges facing healthcare clinics is managing the patient wait time. It has become increasingly important to ensure that patient satisfaction is high, especially given the healthcare industry’s transition to a model of consumer-based care. Although having an effective healthcare scheduling system can help reduce wait times, various factors including walk-ins and bookings running overtime can have a negative impact.

‍Patient preferences: Understandably, patients who have developed a relationship with a practitioner will prefer to see them over somebody new. They may also have specific preferences regarding how their services are delivered and what type of equipment they are comfortable with. Whilst managing these preferences can be difficult, it is important that your patients feel safe in your care. Different planning strategies should help you to ensure you are meeting all of your patients’ needs without compromising the quality of healthcare.

Resource allocation: Every healthcare business has a limit on its resources and facilities. Whilst this shouldn’t pose major difficulties if it is managed in the right way, occasionally it won’t be tracked correctly and patients will be left having to wait for available equipment.

Late cancellations and no-shows: We saved this challenge for last, because it is undoubtedly the most significant barrier preventing effective appointment scheduling. Regardless of how well prepared and organized a healthcare business is, there is always going to be the risk of a patient not showing up to their appointment. Not only does this interfere with the entire day’s schedule, but no-shows have a significant financial impact. It was reported that missed appointments are each worth around USD $80 and overall cost the US health industry $150 billion annually. Not only does this impact the livelihood of individual healthcare businesses, but it means that patients in need are less likely to receive quality care. Whilst no-shows are unfortunately inevitable, there are different strategies employed by practices to reduce them:

Reminders: One of the most effective ways to reduce no-shows is sending out email and/or text reminders to patients prior to their upcoming appointments. This will ensure that any risk of a no-show due to forgetfulness is eliminated, and patients are ready and prepared for their appointments.
Warnings: Healthcare practices often find that patients who miss their appointments are repeat offenders. After a patient has missed one appointment, it is a good policy to follow them up and explain the impact of a no-show. These conversations can be awkward, but it is often the case that patients aren’t aware of just how big of an impact a missed appointment can be.
Charge: Different businesses have varying opinions on charging patients for no-shows, but it can be a useful strategy, especially with clients who repeatedly miss their appointments. Some practices implement a blanket fee of $50, which can help cover the cost of the no-show.

Common scheduling strategies used in healthcare

Given the complexity of appointment scheduling, different strategies have been developed to simplify this process for healthcare businesses. Different practices will have their own preferences regarding how bookings are managed, and this is often impacted by the size of the business and what type of services are offered. Depending on these factors and the systems you already have in place, you may choose to implement one or multiple of the following strategies:

Fixed Scheduling: This is the most commonly used method of scheduling. Time slots are separated into 15, 30, 45, or 60-minute increments depending on the services that are required. Fixed scheduling is an efficient system, however, lateness, last-minute cancellations, and no-shows can interrupt the entire day.

Clustering: Clustering involves a physician seeing a group of patients with similar needs during a specific period. For example, a pediatrician may organize vaccines to be scheduled on the same day. Clustering allows for efficient use of specialized equipment without interfering with other appointments.

Wave and Modified Wave Scheduling: This involves booking multiple patients at the start of the hour and seeing them in the order that they arrive at the clinic. The second half of the hour is left open to account for walk-ins, urgent appointments, and running overtime. Wave scheduling works well for large practices with different departments. However, it can lead to patient frustration at having long wait times.

Double Booking: Two patients are booked for the same time with the same physician. This sworks when patients need some testing to wait too long for their results. Double booking can risk upsetting patients, so it is essential to only use this method in suitable situations.

As you can see, there are a variety of different scheduling methods that have been developed to help practices manage patients. Whilst all of these have their own advantages, it is important to also take into consideration the related risks. Fitting in a greater number of appointments will lead to increased revenue, but this probably isn’t a worthwhile result if patients are getting frustrated.

How to improve appointment scheduling - booking appointments online

What is online appointment scheduling?

As the number of healthcare clinics experiencing no-shows and other appointment difficulties has increased, there have been efforts made to figure out a solution to these challenges. One of the most effective of these solutions is online appointment booking.

Basically, online appointment scheduling works by integrating a booking feature into a practice’s website that patients can access. This feature displays the available appointment times, services, and practitioners, allowing patients to find a session that best suits their needs. Once they select an appointment, the healthcare business can confirm it, and the booking process is complete. As online booking systems become increasingly popular, we are seeing more efficient workflows and reduced interference with the daily schedule.

Benefits of online booking

Online booking is undoubtedly one of the most effective solutions to managing appointment scheduling in the healthcare industry. Some of the various advantages that online booking systems have for both patients and practitioners include:

Reduces empty time slots: Having steady patient appointments is necessary in order for healthcare practices to increase their revenue and stay competitive. Often, however, businesses will find that during non-peak times there are available appointments that haven’t been filled. Using an online booking system encourages patients to claim these appointments, leading to a reduced number of empty time slots.

Reduces time spent on administrative tasks: Practitioners lead extremely busy lives, and their workload can quickly become stressful and even unmanageable. Although completing administrative tasks is a necessary aspect of working in the healthcare industry, it is in everyone’s best interest to utilize systems that simplify these tasks and reduce the workload of practitioners. And this is exactly what online booking systems can do. Giving patients the ability to book their own appointments frees up a significant amount of time for staff who would otherwise be responsible for this process. The time that is saved can be redirected into seeing more patients or completing other pressing tasks.

Online payments: Often online booking systems are also integrated with payment options. While this doesn’t necessarily work for all patients, having this option encourages patients to make timely payments, resulting in faster reimbursement for the healthcare practice.

Attracts new clients: Online appointment booking is quickly becoming the preferred method for patients. It allows clients to prioritize their own schedules, and means they can complete the booking process without having to phone a clinic or physically go in. Research suggests that online booking options have become so popular that patients are now actively seeking out businesses that offer these features.

Patient self-management: The healthcare industry is gradually transitioning to a model of consumer-based care, which has led to an increased importance placed on patient satisfaction. Patients are stating their desire to be more involved in the healthcare process, and allowing them to manage their appointments is a good first step at achieving this. By providing greater flexibility and choice when it comes to booking appointments, a healthcare practice is encouraging patients to be more involved in managing their care.

Increased productivity: Improving productivity should always be a top priority for healthcare practices, and this is largely facilitated by online booking systems. Not only do they lead to a more structured and organized schedule, but they eliminate the need for healthcare staff to manage the bookings themselves. Streamlining this process is a highly effective way to save both time and resources that can instead be redirected into seeing more patients and completing other pressing tasks.

Challenges of online booking systems

When you are looking into any type of new system for your healthcare practice, it is just as important to analyze the associated risks as it is to look at the benefits. And although there are significant advantages of online booking systems, there are also certain challenges that you should be aware of:

Changing systems: One of the biggest challenges related to implementing an online booking system is the time it takes practitioners to get used to the change. Although these systems have been developed to be highly intuitive, there will inevitably be a period of adjustment time whilst users learn to navigate the new features.

Accessibility and new technology: We mentioned that many patients are increasingly wanting to be involved in their own healthcare, and whilst this is definitely the case for the majority, there will be some patients who prefer the traditional way of booking appointments. Regardless of whether this is due to lack of access to a device or limited technological skill, healthcare practices need to have other booking options in place to cater to these needs.

The needs of your practice: If you decide to implement an online booking system, you need to keep in mind the specific requirements of your practice. Although booking systems have been designed to be applicable for many different practices, every healthcare business has its own niches, and these need to be accounted for.

However, despite how important it is to be aware of these different challenges, there are strategies you can employ to mitigate them. If you put in the effort to make the most of your new system and implement training programs designed to educate both practitioners and patients, then the benefits will outweigh the risks.

HIPAA compliance and online appointment scheduling

A significant concern that is raised when it comes to introducing online booking systems into healthcare practices are related to compliance – specifically, do these booking systems have to be HIPAA compliant?

Before we answer the question, let’s first briefly touch on HIPAA. The Health Insurance Accountability and Portability Act is a set of federal laws that govern how PHI (protected health information) can be created, stored, shared, and destroyed. There are too many different components of HIPAA for us to cover in detail here, but it is critical that you are aware of them and how they impact your work. Practitioners and businesses that are found to have breached HIPAA guidelines will have serious consequences, ranging from fines to jail time. If you are interested in learning more about medical compliance and the specific regulations that govern healthcare practices, we recommend reading this article:

So, now to answer the question – do booking systems have to be HIPAA compliant? Unfortunately, the answer is kind of complicated. If it is a patient’s first time booking at a healthcare practice, then the system doesn’t necessarily have to be HIPAA compliant because it doesn’t contain any PHI. However, if it is a returning patient, the chances are their personal information already exists within the system and would fall under HIPAA. Managing these separate issues can be complicated, so we would definitely suggest using an online booking system that is HIPAA-compliant. By doing this, you guarantee that any information that exists within the system is encrypted and protected against unauthorized viewers.

Additionally, many online appointment scheduling systems are integrated with various other tools, including clinical documentation, note templates, and medical billing features, all of which handle PHI. If this is the case for the software that you select, it must be HIPAA-compliant.

Appointment scheduling software

Going further than online booking

Appointment scheduling software contains the same features as online booking systems, but they tend to be integrated with other resources like telehealth platforms, that are designed to elevate the productivity of a healthcare practice. Whether or not appointment scheduling software is suitable for your business will depend on the size of your practice, your clientele, and the types of services you offer. In saying that, research undoubtedly points towards these systems having significant benefits for both patients and practitioners. It can be daunting implementing new software into your clinic, especially if you are used to things being run a certain way, but this type of change will definitely be advantageous.

What features to look for in appointment scheduling software?

As we mentioned, the features that are included in your appointment scheduling software will depend on your specific business needs. However, there are certain considerations that you should be aware of when looking into these different systems, and we have collated a list to help you in your search:

Intuitive user interface: We spoke previously about how one of the biggest challenges related to introducing an online booking system is the time it takes to get used to new processes. In order to combat this adjustment phase, it is essential that you select software that is not only easily installed, but also easy to use. When patients access the booking features, they want to be able to navigate the system seamlessly, as online booking is designed to simplify the process for patients.

Customizable: Every healthcare business has its own unique requirements, and the system that you implement should reflect these. Although most healthcare scheduling software systems have been developed generally (so it can be utilized by many different businesses), you should look out for features that are customizable. The ability to edit and change aspects of the system will help ensure your business needs are being met.

Store patient data: Many appointment scheduling systems are integrated with clinical documentation features, and allow you to store your patient data electronically. Not only will this allow practitioners to cut down on the time they spend completing administrative tasks, but it also improves the organization of patient records.

Patient portal: Utilizing patient portals is one of the most effective ways of encouraging clients to play a more involved role in managing their health. A patient portal is an individualized platform available to patients that displays appointment and payment information. Using this system, patients can securely manage their upcoming appointments, make online payments and view their medical records. Additionally, patient portals also provide a two-communication channel between patients and providers, helping to improve effective communication and increase the transparency of the healthcare process.

Appointment reminders: Managing no-shows is undoubtedly one of the most taxing and frustrating aspects of organizing appointment scheduling. If you are looking at ways to reduce the number of no-shows at your clinic, we highly recommend implementing automated appointment reminders. This feature is typically integrated into the appointment software that you use, and basically sends out automated reminders to patients prior to their upcoming bookings. Data shows that utilizing reminder features can reduce no-shows by up to 99%, improving workflow and increasing revenue.

HIPAA-compliance: Unlike a simple online booking system, any software that handles patient data needs to be HIPAA compliant. When you are researching different vendors, it is essential that you evaluate the specific policies they employ to regulate compliance. For example, the software should be using advanced encryption, in addition to having physical security on-site at the location of the stored data. When you find a vendor that is suitable for your practice, you are required to enter into a Business Associate Agreement (BAA) in order to be HIPAA compliant.

Vendor support: Regardless of how sophisticated the system is or how advanced your technical skills are, you are inevitably going to run into some issues with the software. T will have a remote support team ready to assist as soon as any issue arises. Additionally, whilst many vendors state that this is something they do, you should double-check whether they are available 24/7, and review their support policies in depth.

Popular appointment scheduling software

As more and more appointment scheduling systems are being developed, it is becoming increasingly difficult to know which one is best for your medical practice. Whilst we highly recommend you conduct your own research into the appointment scheduling software market, we have compiled a list of some of the most popular choices.

Carepatron is an integrated healthcare software that comes with various tools and features designed to make the appointment scheduling process as simple as possible. The platform generates a unified workflow that presents every staff member’s individual schedules, in addition to patient appointments. Using cloud-based technology, the system is designed to update as soon as any changes are made, ensuring that everyone is up-to-date and prepared for their upcoming appointments and tasks. Carepatron is integrated with a patient portal, from which clients can access appointment booking tools, payment information, and medical records, allowing them to play a more involved role in managing their care, and reducing some of the workloads of the healthcare staff. Additionally, Carepatron also includes clinical documentation storage, medical billing features, and video conferencing, allowing your healthcare practice to optimize its productivity and efficiency across a wide range of areas. Depending on the size of your business and the features it requires, Carepatron offers two pricing plans; the first one is free and the other is USD 29/month for unlimited use of every feature.

Calendly: Calendly is a system designed specifically with the aim of optimizing appointment schedules. It produces a calendar from which clients can select a time and date that best suits their schedule, and these appointments are transferred into the clinic’s database. Healthcare practices can customize the appointment details and embed the calendar into their website, allowing clients to easily access the booking system. Calendly has a range of features, including group appointments, automated reminders, text notifications, and data analysis that are available depending on the pricing plan that you choose (ranging from free to USD $18/seat/month).

Yellow Schedule: Yellow Schedule is also a software aimed to improve a workplace’s appointment scheduling. The system allows patients to access a calendar and select an appointment from available time slots. Once the schedule has been changed, it automatically syncs with different calendars, including Google Calendar, Outlook, and Yahoo. The software offers appointment reminders, recurring bookings, group appointments, and data analysis, depending on what your business requires. Yellow Schedule offers a Solo and a Team plan, and users can cancel, upgrade or switch their plan at any time with no hidden costs.

Sprintful: Sprintful is a comprehensive yet highly intuitive platform designed to simplify the appointment scheduling process. It offers singular, group, or team appointment options, allowing healthcare clinics to connect with their patients, and each other. The system syncs with various calendars, offers reminders and notifications, and has video conferencing features, all of which are customizable to suit your business needs. Once again, this software has different pricing plans depending on the features you require, ranging from the Basic plan at USD $9/month to the Business plan at USD $49/month.

Whilst this is by no means a comprehensive list of every appointment scheduling software out there, it should hopefully give you a summarized insight into your different options. At the end of the day, many of these systems offer fairly similar features, so your decision will be largely based on your budget and the size of your business. Researching different platforms can feel arduous, but this is a necessary task if you want to ensure you make the right decision for your practice.

General do’s and don’ts of appointment scheduling

We understand that the way appointment scheduling is managed is highly unique to each and every healthcare business, and there is no such thing as a universally suitable method. In saying that, there are various do’s and don’ts that are applicable regardless of what type of healthcare clinic you operate, and these should help you to optimize your booking process and avoid certain costly mistakes.

Do’s

Be upfront about cancellation policies: You may be working at a healthcare clinic that has noticed a considerable rise in the number of no-shows, and has implemented a cancellation fee as a preventative measure. Whilst this is an entirely understandable solution that is also often effective, you need to be conscious of the way that you handle it. When a patient makes a booking, it is essential that they are informed of your specific cancellation policies before they confirm the appointment. Ensuring this process is transparent will not only encourage patients to attend their appointments, but will reduce the likelihood of any patient frustration when they are forced to make a payment they were unaware of.

Use appointment reminders: As we have already mentioned, managing no-shows is one of the most difficult aspects of creating an effective appointment schedule. Introducing automated reminders is one of the most simple ways that no-shows can be reduced, saving your practice both time and money! Most appointment reminder systems are entirely customizable, allowing your business to curate appropriate reminders for your clientele.

Use an appointment template: Different businesses have different clienteles, and it is important that the features and resources you offer take into consideration your clients’ preferences. If you use appointment reminders or booking systems, it is a good idea to spend some time creating a template that is specifically targeted towards your clients. In addition to improving patient satisfaction, templates can be reused and will help save you time.

Invest in check-in tools: Figuring out ways to reduce the waiting time can be difficult, especially if your practice receives high numbers of patient walk-ins. One of the most effective ways to cut down the waiting time is by investing in check-in tools, including kiosks and tablets. If patients are able to check themselves in prior to their appointment, they won’t have to spend excessive amounts of time in the waiting room.

Offer online payment options: As we mentioned previously, a greater number of patients are looking to play an increasingly involved role in managing their own healthcare. A lot of this can be achieved through offering them administrative tools, such as booking their own appointments and making their own payments online. Integrating an online payment feature either into the website or a patient portal will encourage timely payments and allow patients to have greater control over their finances.

Take advantage of available technology: Although we understand that introducing new technological systems into a workplace can be daunting, the benefits associated with appointment scheduling software far outweigh the risks. These platforms have been specifically designed to assist with the management of your practice, and it would be unwise not to take full advantage of them!

Don’ts

Hide cancellation fees from patients: Having conversations with patients about fees can be awkward, but this is much better than not saying anything! If you have a cancellation policy in place that includes a fee, you should always inform your patients. Failure to do so can lead to frustration, and is a fast way to lose loyal clients!

Overbook: Figuring out the best way to manage no-shows is definitely tricky, and some practices resort to overbooking. Whilst this is a method that can work, it should only be applied in very specific situations, and is definitely not a solution to no-shows. Overbooking patients can lead to extended wait times, and dissatisfaction with your services. If patients don’t feel as though their individual needs are being looked after by your practice, there is a reasonably high likelihood of them finding another provider.

Forget to double-check information: Whilst using automated systems is a fantastic way to improve communication and save time, you need to be aware of the information that is contained within automated messages. Before any type of reminder or message is sent out to a patient, someone should be checking the information to ensure that it is accurate. Including the wrong date, time, or personal details can lead to appointment mix-ups and double bookings, wasting the time of both practitioners and patients!

Have an overly long wait-time: Ensuring that patient satisfaction is high is one of the most critical aspects of operating a healthcare business, but it is also one of the hardest. When a patient comes into a clinic, they ideally want to be seen within 10 minutes of arrival. As I’m sure you know, the schedule of a healthcare practice can easily be interfered with, leading to delays and cancellations. However, whilst these situations are inevitable and cannot be planned for, there are different strategies you can have in place to reduce wait times. One of the most effective of these is incorporating a buffer time period (of around 5-10 minutes) in between every appointment with a patient. This way, if a booking runs overtime, the practitioner will still be able to see their next patient in the allotted time slot.

Forget about HIPAA and compliance: Healthcare businesses know all about compliance when it comes to treating patients and processing billing, but it is occasionally overlooked in regard to administrative processes. We covered a little bit about how HIPAA and other compliance regulations impact appointment scheduling, and it is essential that you brush up on your knowledge of this area. Any type of breach, whether intentional or accidental, can lead to significant financial repercussions for your practice - a situation you no doubt want to avoid!

‍Final Thoughts

We have just about covered most of the important aspects related to appointment scheduling for healthcare businesses. Before we properly conclude, we want to briefly touch on some of the current trends that are impacting appointment scheduling in healthcare, particularly in relation to software.

Mobile friendly

We mentioned earlier that cloud-based systems are quickly becoming the preferred option for appointment scheduling systems. One of the (many) reasons why this is the case is related to the ability of cloud-based systems to be used on mobile devices. The number of people worldwide that own some kind of smartphone has increased exponentially over the past decade. In response to this, the healthcare industry has begun to develop mobile solutions for delivering various services – which is where appointment scheduling comes in. Some of the more recent appointment scheduling platforms are integrated with a mobile app that clients can download onto their phones. From this app, they can access appointment scheduling, payment information, medical records, and communication channels with their provider. Moving to a healthcare system that utilizes mobile solutions is quickly becoming the way of the future, as it successfully removes accessibility barriers and allows a greater range of patients to receive the care they need.

Personalization

It will likely not surprise you that personalization is being increasingly prioritized when it comes to managing patient care in the healthcare industry. Patients are frequently going through some of the most vulnerable times of their lives when they seek treatment, which is a situation that many healthcare workers fail to remember. In efforts to alter this, and ensure that patients feel valued and comfortable with their treatment, there has been a major shift focusing on personalizing care. Whilst the way that staff interacts with patients when they come into the clinic is important, patient treatment truly begins when they first book their appointment. As such, personalizing this process (for both new and returning customers) will help establish stronger relationships and make the patient feel like a person, rather than a number.

These trends indicate changes within the healthcare industry that are exciting and should be fully embraced! Accepting the need for a change can be a difficult thing for people to do, especially if they are used to things working a certain way, but these are changes that will ultimately prove beneficial for both practitioners and patients. As the appointment scheduling software market grows, new forms of technology are being developed and these sophisticated tools will help your business optimize its booking system.

Although we have written this guide impartially and with the sole purpose of educating you, we do have some (slightly) subjective opinions regarding how you should manage your appointment scheduling. Our biggest piece of advice, regardless of what field of healthcare you work in, the size of your business, or your budget, is to embrace appointment scheduling software. Whether that is embedding an online booking system into your website, or installing integrated software into your practice, this type of technology is guaranteed to optimize your scheduling, with the additional advantage of saving you both money and time. These benefits far outweigh the risks, and will allow you to generate an effective workflow, reduce no-shows, and improve patient satisfaction!

With that, we’ve reached the end of our guide. We have covered most of the areas that impact how appointment scheduling is managed in healthcare, and hopefully, you have learned something useful! If you are interested in consolidating your knowledge even further, we have compiled a list of resources that dive deeper into certain areas: