Automated appointment scheduling is the step forward for healthcare providers seeking technology in order to increase the quality and efficiency of their services. However, it could be difficult to find the right scheduling solution that will appeal to both your patients and clinicians, while also satisfying your current and future appointment scheduling and management requirements.
The appointment scheduling software you choose to invest in should save you both time and money, be easy to use and most importantly, should be scalable. To assist you in making this decision, here are some crucial features and functionalities that will make your business run smoother and will allow your patients to have a more direct line of communication with you.
Top features
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Real-time appointment booking
It is critical to provide your patients with a smooth and effortless scheduling experience. By utilising an appointment scheduling application that uses real-time clinician availability, you can enable your patients to select appointment times that are most convenient for them.
In a nutshell, real-time appointment availability enables your patients to book appointments at times suitable to them, from any location, using various channels, while your front end staff is busy. However, appointments should not only be easy to book but also easy to cancel or rearrange. Patients are no longer willing to wait on the phone to change or cancel an appointment, implying they are willing to miss an appointment if it is too hard for them to cancel.
Tip: MyPulse supports multiple calendar views, time zones and appointment types and durations to streamline your patient flow.
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Appointment confirmations and reminders
Sending an automated appointment confirmation or using reminders to prompt patients to book follow-up appointments should be on the top of your priority list.
It’s easy for your patients to forget an appointment which ultimately ends up costing you time and money when they do. Appointment reminders through SMS or email can reduce the likelihood of your patient forgetting about their appointment. As a result, you won’t need your reception staff to call and remind your patients of their appointments, this whole process would be automated, keeping your patient informed about upcoming appointments.
Tip: You can feel confident that your clients are aware of their upcoming appointments with MyPulse’s automatic email and text reminders.
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Pre-appointment questionnaire
Collecting information prior to your patient’s appointment will help their consultation go smoother. Whilst a long triage could be off putting to most, a few tailored questions in advance of your patients’ appointment can allow clinicians to arrive prepared, keeping consultation to time.
Your appointment scheduling software should accommodate simple form features which can be tailored to your requirements, industry and workflows.
Tip: MyPulse also supports image upload feature available during the pre-appointment triage.
Desirable add-ons
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Calendar integration
Wouldn’t you like a scheduling system that integrates with your clinicians’ and patients’ calendars? Through smart calendar integrations, all appointments can be saved into any calendar with no manual effort and most importantly no duplications.
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Smart payments
Taking payments when a customer books online rather than on the day is quicker, easier, more efficient and reduces last minute cancellations. You could request your patients to pay upfront or collect a desired deposit at the time of booking. If your patient fails to show up for their appointment, your business is not at a total loss if deposit has been collected.
A good appointment scheduling solution also ensures easy and simple refund process where needed.
Tip: Set your own prices, offer discount codes, series of sessions or set up B2B offers with different benefits depending on your customer needs, all of this is supported by the MyPulse scheduling solution.
Important considerations
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Security and compliance
Considering how to store and transfer data and personal identifying information is not easy as you need to stay on top of current compliance and healthcare standards. Ensure the appointment scheduling solution you choose is healthcare specific and compliant with the latest regulations around the storage of health data.
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Tech support
Your appointment scheduling provider’s technical team would know their product inside out and will be there to support you with any user issues that may prevent your patients from booking an appointment. When problems arise, you must consider their reliability, response and resolution times.
Tip: At MyPulse we designed and tested our features to ensure that our solution runs smoothly. Our technical experts understand the healthcare industry and can help you build customisable features for your needs so that you are up and running in no time.
You healthcare business needs a solution with the appropriate features and functions to fulfil your appointment scheduling needs, as well as the capacity to scale with your company. Don’t forget to think about security, compliance, and support once you’ve chosen the appropriate features for your appointment scheduling and management.
Ready to remove the hassle from your appointment scheduling? Contact us now.
