Managing patient bookings online
A calendar for each doctor, consultation types set up as services and confirmation done by your reception.
Guides by type of business
A medical practice or clinic can cut some of the phone traffic at reception with an online booking page: patients ask for a time at any hour while doctors keep an orderly schedule. 4appointments handles scheduling only. It is not a medical records system, and it sends nothing to patients, so your team confirms and informs them directly.
Add each doctor as a provider with their own weekly schedule, and create the consultation types as services, each with its own duration and price, such as a first visit, a follow-up or a blood test. Every service is shown for every provider, so tell patients when a doctor does not offer a certain type. Patients can choose a doctor or the option “Any available person”, and see only free times.
Each request arrives as pending and holds the time. Reception confirms or rejects it in the Bookings section and then calls or messages the patient, because the tool sends no confirmation or reminder. That is also the moment to give preparation instructions, such as fasting or documents to bring.
Reception can create bookings for emergencies and for patients without internet access, and block time for administrative work using days off and blocks. Permissions can be set per team member, so reception can manage bookings while others only view them, and the team calendar can be kept private where needed.
Keep the data minimal. The form collects a name, an optional email address and a free note, so ask patients not to write medical details there, and keep clinical information in your own records system.
Points to remember
- ✓A calendar and weekly schedule for each doctor
- ✓Reception confirms by hand and tells the patient directly
- ✓Permissions per team member, and a private option for the team calendar
Common questions
How do I protect patient data?+
Collect as little as possible: the form needs only a name and an optional email address. Do not use the free note for medical information, and keep clinical records in a dedicated system. Set permissions so that each team member sees only what they need.
Is it possible to link it with a medical records system?+
No. 4appointments has no integrations or API. You can export the list of bookings as CSV, XML or PDF if you need the data elsewhere.
More booking guides
Is your practice ready for online bookings?
Give each doctor a calendar and let patients request a time online, while your reception keeps control of every confirmation. The first 12 months are free, with no card.
Start with 4appointments