Book an appointment

After this lesson you can book, move and cancel an appointment, and you know what the patient receives each time. It takes about 15 minutes. You can book on every calendar with the default Secretary role.

Why it matters

A booking reserves a clinician's time, and it reaches the patient by email. The patient acts on that email, so a wrong time or a wrong person has real consequences. Salisan warns you about clashes before you book. Read the warning before you decide.

An appointment is not a clinical entry. The contact itself is documented later, in a visit.

How it works

Lotte Bakker phones for a follow-up with Dr. Visser next week. You find her record and start the booking from it.

Book

Choose New → Appointment on the patient's record. The calendar opens with the booking editor already set to that patient. You can also choose New appointment in the calendar, or Book appointment on Home, and choose the patient in the editor.

1. Check Patient.
2. Choose Type if your practice has appointment types.
3. Under With, choose the clinician.
4. Under When, pick a suggested free time or set the date, time and duration yourself.
5. Check Where if the row is shown.
6. Choose Book. Ctrl or ⌘ with Enter does the same.

A suggested time is only a suggestion. The booking exists when Appointment booked appears and the appointment shows in the calendar. Calendar times follow your browser's time zone.

Read the warnings

The editor says when a clinician already has an appointment, is outside their availability or has no working hours of their own. In that last case it uses the practice default, Monday to Friday, 08:00 to 17:00. If you still choose Book, a Scheduling warning lists each clash. Choose Go back to change the time, or Schedule anyway if the exception is intended.

What the patient receives

When the patient has an email address on file and Do not email this patient is off:

• A confirmation goes out after you book.
• An update goes out when the time or place changes.
• A cancellation goes out when you cancel an appointment the patient was already told about.
• A reminder goes out the day before, only for appointments booked more than eight days ahead.

Dates and times in patient emails use the time zone set under the practice's patient communication settings. A note you add under More in the editor is internal. The patient does not see it.

Move or cancel

Click the appointment, change it and choose Save. To cancel, choose Cancel appointment and confirm. Cancelled appointments cannot be restored, and the people involved are notified. Book a new appointment if you cancelled the wrong one.

Try it

Use Sam Testpatient with your own email address on file, as in the previous lesson.

1. Open Sam's record and choose New → Appointment.
2. In the editor, check that Patient shows Sam. Under With, choose a clinician. Choose a Type if the list is offered.
3. Under When, pick a suggested time on a weekday at least two days from now. Read any warning.
4. Choose Book. Wait for Appointment booked.
5. Find the appointment in the calendar. Open Sam's Record page and find it under the next appointment.
6. Check your inbox. The confirmation should arrive within a few minutes.
7. Click the appointment, move it by an hour and choose Save. Appointment updated appears, and an update email follows.
8. Choose Cancel appointment and confirm. Check your inbox for the cancellation.

Check yourself

1. A suggested time is highlighted. Is the appointment booked?

Answer

No. The booking exists only when Appointment booked appears and the appointment is in the calendar.

2. A patient has no email address on file. What happens when you book?

Answer

The appointment is booked, but no confirmation, update or cancellation email is sent. Add the address in the patient's details first if the patient should be emailed.

3. You cancelled the wrong appointment. Can you restore it?

Answer

No. Book a new appointment. The patient has already received a cancellation if they were told about the first one.

Next

Continue with Send a form and follow the answer. For the full steps, see Appointments.