5 Key Benefits of a Calendar-Based Online Appointment System for Dental Clinics

Nowadays, when we talk about online appointments, we generally see online forms on websites.
Written by
Altug Güzeloglu
Published on
April 4, 2022

Today, when we talk about online appointments, we generally refer to online forms on websites. These forms typically collect name, surname, phone number, and message (if any).

When patients fill out these forms, they usually go to an email address like info@klinikadı.com or klinikadi@gmail.com, and it's mostly expected that someone from the reception team will manage this process.

The online form process generally works as follows:

     
  • A potential patient fills out a form, writing “Teeth Cleaning” in the message section.
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  • After the form lands in the email inbox, the clinic coordinator sees it within 4 - 5 hours, and when they don't see the patient's name on the schedule, they inform the reception team.
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  • The reception team calls the patient before the end of the workday or the next morning.
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  • The appointment is added to the schedule.

The patient typically receives a response within 3-4 hours, usually within a day. Best wishes...

The Online Appointment Process

The concept of an online appointment is a tool that allows the patient to handle their own appointments according to their preferences. In other words, it enables the clinic to offer patients the right to:

24/7 accessibility, the ability to choose the desired doctor, treatment, and a time that suits them.

You can experience something similar using the link below:

https://bit.ly/simpledent-onlinerandevu

The A+ Experience for the Patient:

     
  • The potential patient, knowing that their appointment request has been received, will expect a confirmation SMS or a call from the clinic within a short time.
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  • Since the appointment requests directly fall into the system’s calendar, the reception staff will approve the request within a maximum of 5 minutes.
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  • The potential patient, with the confirmation SMS they receive, will know that their appointment has been approved quickly without any break in communication.

During this process, the patient is freed from the need to answer calls again and has their appointment confirmed quickly.

So, what are the 5 key benefits of online appointments for clinics?

Completing the Holistic Patient Experience

Being able to complete the "appointment" process, which is the initial contact in the Patient - Clinic / Patient - Doctor relationship, within 5 minutes without the need for a phone call, minimizes the effort potential patients put into contacting the clinic.

Throughout the online appointment process, the personalized messages the patient receives will continuously signal that your clinic operates systematically, is automated, efficient, and professional.

Filling the Schedule Effortlessly

Once a proper online appointment flow is established, the reception team can manage around 10% - 20% of the calendar simply by pressing the "✅ Approve" button.

Additionally, reaching out to lost patients whose last appointment was cancelled or missed with an SMS containing an online appointment link, like the one below, will effortlessly fill the clinic’s calendar.

Reducing Cancellation or No-Show Rates

In addition to a lost patient flow as seen in the screenshot above, since potential patients can choose a time that suits both the doctor and themselves, and are continuously informed with automated SMS messages until the appointment is fulfilled, the cancellation/no-show rates decrease.

Accessibility from Every Channel

When you switch from an online form to an online appointment, the online appointment link becomes usable on the following channels:

     
  • Google My Business - Book an Appointment
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  • Instagram Story
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  • Instagram Highlighted Stories
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  • Website
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  • WhatsApp
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  • SMS

Patients can now make requests from any active platform they interact with the clinic.

💡 A patient following the clinic on Instagram can easily access your calendar from a link in a story highlighted as "online appointment".

Easy Re-Appointment

Patients who have experienced online appointments with you at least once will know that they can easily make another appointment with your clinic through the online appointment link, reducing the need to search for a new clinic.

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