Reasons to Implement Patient Appointment Scheduling Software

Posted by Sarah Addyson on March 28th, 2020

People require healthcare services at a certain point and this means that medical facilities will grow as well. They need to be efficient and effective and take in as many patients as possible. However, to manage the situation easier, it is crucial to invest in medical scheduling software, to clarify situations with patients and doctors and make sure that each part knows when they have to prepare for the appointment. Manual work is sometimes risky, because human error appears and it is frustrating for everyone to make mistakes. Patient appointment scheduling software has many benefits worth knowing.

Why Use Medical Scheduling Software

While the number of increased patients is good news for facility administrators, it also means that challenges appear. The rise of new patients demands procedures and taking all measures to secure information and make sure medical records and conversations remain secure. New technology makes the situation easier to handle, offering administrators the possibility of improving patient-doctor relationships and enhancing communication as well. One process affected by patient increase is appointment scheduling. The task becomes burdensome for medical staff, but the good news is that medical scheduling software presents great features.

Staff members that handle appointment scheduling over the phone will become stressed and challenged at a certain point, because they will not have time for anything else and they can make mistakes. It is unpleasant for everyone to come by the medical practice at the wrong time and date, believing appointment has been made then. Phone scheduling is time-consuming and it is inconvenient for patients, because some might not understand all information or did not get the chance to write down the time and date.

What Patient Appointment Scheduling Software Implies

Patient booking through technological advancement is a lot easier and more convenient to handle, for medical staff and patients likewise. Implementing patient appointment scheduling software has many benefits and more and more administrators should know about them, in order to facilitate communication and improve efficiency. Also, looking for the right provider makes a difference, because there are different applications and different features out there. Patients don’t even have to call the practice or clinic, they can go online and book an appointment on their own, from their laptop, tablet or smartphone.

The process is fairly simple, considering all clinics have websites nowadays and they can implement a button for the “Book now” action. Once the patient selected the doctors and the date and time, the system confirms the booking and sends notifications even on the mobile phone. This means there is no need to rely on medical staff or give them a phone call for confirmation. It is necessary for healthcare facilities to purchase the software and then implement it. Providers do an excellent work in developing the best solutions and offering trainings for all processes.

In addition to online scheduling, the  medical scheduling software has other features worth pointing out. Of course, they vary from provider to provider, but many of them send SMS reminders and automated emails. These are sent to patients at a certain date as reminders, so that they do not forget. This is especially useful when appointments are made in advance and many forget they even made one in the first place. The software is versatile and highly effective, offering the chance to automate certain processes and allow medical staff additional time for other activities.

Medical facilities offer diverse services and patient appointment scheduling software is used to assist in numerous ways. For instance, it is excellent for scheduling appointments for treatments and regular check-ups, for booking vaccines, training sessions, events and activities. Online scheduling is time saving, because staff will not spend so much time over the phone, managing calls and appointments, seeking doctors’ schedule and trying to fit patients. In the same time, patients also save a lot of time, because they don’t have to make phone calls and wait until someone answers, remain on hold.

Some clinics are large and schedule more than 100 patients per day. In this case, each support staff spends a couple of minutes on the phone, meaning a couple of hours per day, only booking appointments. Aside from this task, they have to manage other as well and they are not able to focus and finish their daily tasks on time. On the other hand, medical facilities that implemented patient appointment scheduling software enjoyed an automated system, with reminders and additional time saved.

Patient appointment scheduling software helps save money as well. This is because staff members are able to direct their attention to other tasks and the system will eliminate the need for overtime work or for the clinic to hire additional staff. The saving can be quite significant, especially when you take into consideration a new position and how hard it is to fill it and to cover the salary of a medical office assistant or a call center agent.

Medical scheduling software creates savings by reducing the number of patients that do not show for their appointment. The value of a single appointment at a medical facility is significant and it can face “no-shows” on a daily basis or weekly. The loss in daily revenue cannot be disregarded. Many studies have shown that automated appointments reduces this number by half.

Another important aspect to think about is how patients can schedule appointments at any time of the day through the medical scheduling software. Some are unable to call during office hours and they miss the chance to visit the doctor or postpone the date as much as possible. If they can schedule the date online, they can do it at any hour, even in the weekends and from any location. Many people don’t like making phone calls and they want to schedule online and receive notifications via email or over the phone. When you think about all these advantages, the investment is worth it without any question. It is not mandatory, but it is highly recommended, especially as some solutions offer advanced features.