What doctors need from appointment software

Medical appointment scheduling software is an excellent way for you to manage patient appointments effectively and allow you to treat as many patients as possible within the boundaries of your current resources. Online doctor appointment scheduling systems are the most efficient organizational method used in the healthcare space, which increases revenue by up to 70% annually and significantly elevates the standard of care. With the help of the right platform, you can meet the demands of your business in a way that is flexible and adaptable to your goals. 
Doctor’s scheduling software can reduce overscheduling risks, reduce 20 minute wait times for patients, and reduce the likelihood of no-show patients. Automated reminders and management systems within doctor appointment booking apps mean patients can have greater engagement with your practice, and you can also ensure your time is being used efficiently.

Doctor appointment booking systems have immense value for your healthcare practice, with numerous benefits that can generate great success. To name a few, we have compiled the top 5 reasons why you should consider incorporating a doctor appointment management booking system into your practice:

• Increases productivity - Implementing online appointment systems means eliminating wasted time spent on calling patients to book. Because it takes around seven scheduling calls to make up one hour of a single workday, this can become a costly process for your staff. Online systems mean patients can easily book themselves, regardless of whether your clinic is open, and save you time that can be used elsewhere. This can also reduce distractions from staff, so they can focus on other operational tasks such as answering inquiries and updating medical records. 
• Strengthens patient relationships - 70% of patients feel more confident when using their smartphones to book online, as it provides them with greater control and the ability to plan. Patients can see appointments available and become self-sufficient by using secure technology that allows access to various features. 
• Reduces costs - Technology doesn’t have to be expensive, and in fact, it can be pretty cheap! It eliminates any administrative or overhead costs and cuts labor costs with automated processes doing a lot of tasks for you. 
• Achieves more tasks - Online booking systems can handle a variety of functions through its operations, such as sending reminders to patients of upcoming appointments, using AI to answer common questions, creating a patient waiting list for canceled appointments, and the ability to upload forms and check payments. There’s no end to what online systems can do!‍
• Provides specialist care - Specialists are often hard to get hold of due to their skills and knowledge that are often in demand. Online booking systems and appointment scheduling may allow for greater access to these individuals.

There are various features that you should look for when searching for the right doctor appointment scheduling software. 

Online and Offline Doctor Appointment Booking

Doctor appointments should be available to book both offline and online to maximize patient engagement and ensure you are scheduling as many daily appointments as your resources can handle. Patients should be able to have the primary option to book appointments online and to be able to view the doctors and their specialty that they will be scheduled with. This is in addition to being able to search for doctor profiles and to be able to video conference online if needed. Offline appointments should also be available outside the doctor appointment booking website, such as booking if patients can’t access the online service. 

Ability to book and run virtual appointments through video calls

Patients should be able to book and run virtual appointments smoothly within your management system if they cannot come into your practice. This is common for those living in rural areas or isolated communities where it is not always possible to attend appointments in person. This is particularly important for clinicians to implement when considering the COVID-19 climate that we’re in, as video conferencing allows for patients to be seen with the minimized risk of spreading germs and diseases. Virtual appointments also enable the patients to access care from the comfort and safety of their own homes. 

Mobile friendly

Having mobile-friendly appointment software means there is greater accessibility for your patients to reschedule and book appointments, as well as access any other essential features. For instance, patients can contact practitioners and doctors through messaging or calling and access their medical records and payment information. Being mobile-friendly significantly boosts the convenience of your service and allows for smoother connections with patients when mobile devices are also used more frequently than laptops. 

HIPAA Compliant

Being compliant with the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) means that you and your patient’s data are kept highly secure and confidential. HIPAA compliance ensures that all points of online communication and all medical records and history are kept private with the help of security protocols. Strict policies should be in place that encourages and promote online safety, such as strong passwords and installation of firewalls and ensuring that sensitive information has bank-level encryption.  

Ease of storing medical records

In conjunction with the previous point, the online doctor appointment software should store medical records in a highly secure way. Storing medical records electronically means there is greater accessibility for both patients and practitioners to review and assess medical history, which can be used for medical billing and coding purposes and general treatment. Accessing this from one place is particularly useful for information sharing across healthcare practices, as it is less likely for information to be misconstrued or misrepresented. The storage of medical records should also be up to date, and confidentiality should be maintained.

Doctor appointment scheduling is an essential component of any healthcare business, and to make this process easier, transitioning to online appointment software can provide immense benefits for your practice. Not only can it reduce costs, but appointment scheduling software can increase productivity, strengthen practitioner-to-patient professional relationships, and achieve more tasks and provide specialist care. 

Many business healthcare companies provide software to get you started, including Carepatron. Carepatron offers a variety of features suited to meet your business demands, including managing your appointments efficiently, providing video conferencing avenues, being mobile-friendly, and storing medical records and clinical documents, all by HIPAA standards. They are the perfect choice for your transition to online appointment software; however, regardless of your choice, if you want to harness further success for your healthcare practice - don’t delay. Consider what over 3 million healthcare practitioners are implementing to make the most of your healthcare goals. 

Further reading:

• Medical Scheduling Software Market To Reach USD 612.5 Million By 2026 | Reports And Data
• 2021 Global health care sector outlook | Deloitte