Medical Practice 101

Richard Lango August 18th, 2010

When you are looking for the best  online appointment scheduling program for your medical practice, there are a number of important things you will need to consider. Your appointment scheduling software should be convenient to your patients, staff, and yourself. One of the ways through which you can achieve this is to use an online scheduler that gives you plenty of room in customizing it to suit your individual circumstances.

There are different types of customizations that you should be in a position to carry out. For instance, your medical appointment scheduling software should let you define the names, duration, time of service of your various types of appointments so that the patients will clearly know which type they need to book.

Wait, since US and Canadian doctors are using so many type of forms to collect information from their patients, what about we customize those forms and let patients fill the form BEFORE the appointment time?

GREAT! Another important feature that your self-service patient appointment scheduling program should give you is the ability to customize a form with questions that are relevant to each type of appointment you have. The patients who are booking their appointments via the service will get a form that asks them particular questions related to the appointments they are making. They will simply fill in the details that you need.

Using such a form during appointment scheduling has several benefits.

Since you will customize the questions depending on the type of appointment, you will be able to collect info on target questions. Say good bye to standard paper form. You collect your info efficiently, accurately and electronically.

When patients fill out the required form prior to appointment time,  you save time on appointment preparation and will be able to serve them better during appointment.

Looking for a online scheduler that allows you to add customized appointment forms for each type of appointment. Such a feature improves your business efficiency and patient service and will be a valuable add-on to have.

Tags: appointment scheduling, automated appointment scheduling, medical appointment scheduler, medical appointment scheduling online, Online Appointment Scheduler, online scheduler, self-service patient appointment scheduling

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Richard Lango June 8th, 2010

If you have a clinic and are looking for a suitable online scheduler, one thing is certain: you will get numerous options. This, however, does not necessarily mean that you will have an easy time in making the right choice. You will find both free and paid online appointment schedulers. As attractive as the offer may appear, you should avoid the free schedulers.

There are many important factors why you need to keep away from the free schedulers. Let us take a look at just two reasons that will show you the free offers are not the best option.

They are not really free

When you sign up for a free scheduler, you will believe that it is really free in the beginning simply because you will not fork out anything from your pocket. However, this is misleading. Have you ever asked yourself how the owners maintain the services?

Perhaps you have read – or you will read – that they have other means of generating money, so they are simply being generous. This is a lot of hot air. First of all, advertising the free online schedulers takes time and money. Why would they do this?

The real reason is that it is from these apparently free web-based doctor appointment services that they generate their revenue. They will simply sell your data. This is a serious violation of patient privacy that you will need to answer for in a court of law. It will also be a violation of the HIPAA. Even if your run a small business where privacy is not as sensitive as for medical practice,  using a “free” scheduler will eventually cost your business relationship with the customers; they are likely to be scared away as soon as they realized that their phone, address, and email are being used without their consent.

Lack of suitable features

The free online appointment schedulers will also cost your business in other ways. You will get very limited features that do not leave you with many options. For example, a good self-service patient appointment scheduling program will give your patients the flexibility to make their appointments independently while you still have control over what goes on. The patients will do this in a variety of ways depending on their personal tastes.

Telephone service will be of help to many people, particularly the elderly. The online option will be a good option for the tech savvy individuals. SMS service gives you the opportunity to reach people wherever they may be, which is a good option for busy people who move frequently.

Another important factor is that a suitable online scheduler will include a reminder service. This alone is enough to pay for your subscription. Avoiding just one patient no-show per month suffices to cater for your subscription.

Tags: free scheduler, office automation, online scheduler, self-service patient appointment scheduling, web-based doctor appointment

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Richard Lango January 26th, 2010

We live in a world of advanced technology where people use a wide variety of machines to simplify the things they want to do while they get a better output. You should not let yourself remain behind as technology passes you by if you have a medical clinic. If you would like to streamline your medical practice in order to be more productive, you should ensure that you set up a good medical practice management system. In order to achieve this, you need to set up an effective office automation system.

There are various areas that you need to take into consideration as you look for your office automation system. One of the crucial areas has to do with booking of appointments. You should use a system that gives your patients the opportunity to book their own appointments. The self-service patient appointment scheduling program that you use should enable the patients who would like to use the phone to do so. In order for this to be more effective, you should put up a very robust automated medical receptionist that will work round the clock, even during those times when your front desk receptionist is off duty.

In addition, the service should enable those patients who are Internet savvy to be able to carry out online medical appointment scheduling. You will thus take care of patients with different tastes.

The office automation system you use should also incorporate the ability to remind the patients of their approaching appointments. A good appointment reminder service will help you to deal with the problem of patient no-shows, which can affect your business significantly. Apart from this, you should use a system that will protect you in case a patient still fails to show up even after being reminded of the appointment. Are you wondering how you are going to achieve this? Simple. Just use a pre-paid medical appointment scheduling program, which will require the patients to make a small payment during the booking process.

You should ensure that the system you use gives you as much anywhere-anytime convenience and flexibility as possible. First, the program should be easy for you and your staff to use. Second, you should be able to access your records irrespective of where you are. You should be able to access your records either online or via instant text messaging, which means that the system needs to be compatible with a wide variety of devices, including ordinary cell phones, iphone and Blackberry devices. Remember that you are automating your office, not yourself!

Tags: Medical Answering Service, office automation system, online medical appointment scheduling, self-service patient appointment scheduling

• Appointment Reminder , Medical Answering Service , Medical Receptionist , Medical practice , Online Appointment Scheduler
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Martin Wright June 9th, 2009

Many people who have come across virtual receptionists and online schedulers mistakenly believe that they can only be used within the doctor’s private practice. After all, the designers and distributors of the all-in-one virtual receptionist and scheduling software mostly target doctors and dentists in private practice. However, such scheduling software is also widely used by healthcare facilities such as chiropractors, massage and spa services.

In fact the all-in-one virtual receptionist and scheduling software were designed with features that serve this healthcare service sector. An example is that in a chiropractor’s office, spa and massage service center, patients or clients who seek treatment in these areas usually require recurrent or multiple follow up treatments. Recurrent appointment feature in the virtual receptionist and online scheduler saves user’s time and is therefore very much appreciated.

Chiropractors, masseuses or spa managers can set their own schedule. The scheduling software allows you to customize your appointments. You will therefore be able to easily define the appointments to your specific service, location, time and son on.

If your business have been plagued by appointment no-shows by clients, the solution is available. The appointment reminder software can be set to remind you of scheduled appointments either online or on your phone. With the inclusion of the Google calendar sync in the online appointment scheduler you are in no danger of forgetting or double booking your appointments. Google sync allows access to Google calendar. You will be able to synchronize your private and professional appointments and set online and mobile phone reminders for them.

Your virtual receptionist can also be your marketing tool. Patients and clients appreciate being called back for follow up appointments or being reminded about appointments for further treatment. The patient appointment reminder will automatically call back your patients and clients and alert them about upcoming appointments or the need to arrange for follow up appointments. Clients who may have forgotten to book appointments or not have made up their minds to book follow up appointments may do so as a result of the reminder.

The virtual receptionist will also be a relief to not only your staff but also your patients. The online appointment scheduler allows for self-service patient appointment scheduling. Your patients will not have to come all the way to your office just to book an appointment. With the self-service patient appointment scheduling service, your patients and clients can book appointments in the comfort of their own living rooms at any time of the day or night. The process is simple and involves no paperwork. Your clients and staff will enjoy a decongested reception and your staff will be able to assist the clients in the reception better. A reduction in paperwork will mean better organization in the practice and more time to deal with emergencies and other matters that may require attention from your staff.

Tags: appointment reminder software, appointment scheduling software, Online Appointment Scheduler, online scheduler, online schedulers, patient appointment reminder, self-service patient appointment scheduling, virtual receptionist

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Jon June 3rd, 2009

Old Fashioned! That’s what those old bound appointment books are. They served a purpose at one time, but now they are outdated. You are too busy to be wondering when you have appointments scheduled, or to always have to call into the office to see who’s coming in and when. Luckily, in this day and age – there is something new. And, it’s something that will make you say, “WOW” out loud so everyone can hear!

An online appointment scheduler is the way to go for you and your patients. This way, your patients can log on at any time of the day or night and schedule their appointments. What’s more – you and your entire practice can be notified immediately when someone schedules an appointment. The online appointment scheduler makes it easy for you to see your day, week and month at a glance – and allows you to avoid overbooking. It also enables you to squeeze in patients at the last minute if need be. Not to mention, this makes it so easy and convenient for your patients as well. But, the online appointment scheduler is much more than that!

You’re busy. Many times you are out of the office – with no access to the Internet or email. But, that doesn’t mean you don’t need access to your appointments and other items on your calendar. Well, say hello to a feature that allows you to sync all of your appointments with your BlackBerry, G-phone, and nearly every smartPhone. By syncing appointments to google calendar – you can have access to all of your appointments twenty-four hours a day! What’s more – it’s easy!

All you need to do is follow a couple of easy steps and your online appointment book will sync with google calendar. Then, regardless of Internet access – you will have access to your appointments anytime you need them. It’s perfect for when you are traveling. It’s also perfect for when you need to see all of your appointments at a glance! And, don’t worry if it will work with your device! Google sync is. Google Sync is tailored to suit the mobile phone that you have. The service is available for those with phones such as iPhone, Nokia S60, Sony Ericsson, Windows Mobile, Blackberry and Nokia Standard.

And, as an added bonus, google sync will also synchronize all of your contacts. You will be able to access this information anytime and from anywhere in case of an emergency or the need for a change. And, the features don’t stop there – you can sync appointments 365 days in advance, use multiple calendars – and even multiple devices! All of this, with your online appointment scheduler – how perfect!

Tags: 24/7 appointment scheduling, 24/7 patient scheduling, appointment scheduling, appointment scheduling software, automated appointment scheduling, Blackberry scheduler, doctor appointment, Google calendar, google sync, medical appointment scheduler, medical appointment scheduling, medical practice management, office automation, Online Appointment Scheduler, online appointment scheduling, Online doctor appointment scheduling, online medical scheduling, online scheduler, patient appointment, self-service patient appointment scheduling, web-based doctor appointment, web-based doctor appointment scheduling

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Jon May 27th, 2009

It has happened to each and every one of us. We call our doctor’s office at the last minute to schedule an appointment – and the first thing we are told is, “please hold!” While we sit on the phone waiting for someone to talk to us, we become more and more frustrated. When the receptionist finally picks up the phone to speak with us, the other line begins ringing again and our frustration starts anew! The only thing worse than sitting on hold with your doctor’s office to schedule an appointment is calling and getting the dreaded “busy signal”. When that happens, we are about to go through the roof. And, when that happens – patients consider going to a different medical practice.

But, alas – relief could be in sight. Online appointment scheduling is the wave of the future for appointment software . With millions of people on the Internet across the world in any given moment, everything from virtual office assistants to online appointment scheduling is becoming more and more popular.

There are many reasons for the popularity of online appointment scheduling but the first is the obvious reason – convenience. Online appointment scheduling allows the patient to log onto the Internet at anytime of the day or night to make an appointment. With one click of the mouse, a patient can make an appointment for the next day, or the next month, or the next year! What’s more – a patient can automatically see what appointment times are available and can even schedule follow up visits at the same time. Convenience is the key to appointment software . But the benefits of modern appointment software don’t stop there.

Automation of service is another major benifit for all. Patients and doctors can get reminders sent to their email reminding them of appointments. This cuts way down on missed appointments.

As well, modern visual design replace the old fashion “search-and-typing” with “point-and-click”; with one click of a mouse, or tap on their mobile device doctor’s can see all of their appointments for the day, week, month, and year.

In terms of office operations – online appointment scheduling makes the doctor’s office run like a “well-oiled” machine and patients are noticing! It used to be receptionists and support staff spent most of their time worrying about appointments and scheduling. And, that’s to mention the phone ringing off the hook with appointment questions. Now, because of automated appointment scheduling, receptionists and support staff can focus on the important things – making sure patients are getting the care and the information they need!

Tags: 24/7 appointment scheduling, 24/7 patient scheduling, appointment scheduling, appointment scheduling software, automated appointment scheduling, doctor appointment, medical appointment scheduler, medical appointment scheduling, medical practice management, office automation, Online Appointment Scheduler, online appointment scheduling, Online doctor appointment scheduling, online medical scheduling, online scheduler, patient appointment, self-service patient appointment scheduling, web-based doctor appointment, web-based doctor appointment scheduling

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Martin Wright May 22nd, 2009

Working in the medical field means that you will barely have enough time to yourself. Working in private practice is even more demanding. It is difficult to keep up with your patients, appointments, paper work and private life. Even if you have the most effective personal assistant, they may not be able to handle all the pressure that comes with effectively running a private practice reception. There are patients to be addressed in the waiting room, telephones to be answered, appointments to be scheduled and paperwork to organize.

You can reduce this burden by investing in good practice management tool such as an online appointment scheduler.

An online appointment scheduler will allow patient self-service scheduling. Your receptionist will no longer have to spent much of her time scheduling appointments while she could be assisting patients with other important issues.

Since the appointment program is web-based, patients don’t have to crowd into your reception or congest your phone lines to schedule appointments; they can instead access online appointment scheduling services from Internet. Your receptionist or personal assistant will be able to work more efficiently as a result of the reduced work load.

The self-service patient appointment scheduling service is 24/7. A huge convenience to those patients who can not call during your office hours.

A modern appointment program service is not only a great convenience to patients and private practice receptionists; it also provides a lot of ease for doctors in private practice.

One very attractive feature for doctors is Google Sync.

Google Sync allows doctors to have access to their business appointment when they are away from office or without computer or Intenet connection. Google Sync is tailored to suit the mobile phone that you have. The service is available for those with phones such as iPhone, Nokia S60, Sony Ericsson, Windows Mobile, Blackberry and Nokia Standard.

It also allows the synchronizing of medical appointment program with Google calendar. You will therefore be alerted about appointments and events that are on your online scheduler by vibration or with a sound. You will therefore always be up to date with your appointments no matter where you are.

In addition to that it will help you organize your schedules. Google Sync ensures that you do not make appointments that coincide via Google calendar and the online doctor appointment scheduling service. You will be able to access your online scheduler via phone and make any necessary changes to the schedule at any time. You no longer have to drive to the clinic, carry around a heavy appointment dairy or call your receptionist over the weekend to find out what appointments you have scheduled for the upcoming week. All you need to do is consult your online scheduler and Google calendar for this.

Tags: 24/7 patient scheduling, appointment scheduling software, medical appointment scheduler online, medical appointment scheduling, Online Appointment Scheduler, online appointment scheduling, Online doctor appointment scheduling, online scheduler, self-service patient appointment scheduling

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Richard E PANTALONY February 12th, 2009

Busy medical practitioners and business people who are using the modern online appointment software already appreciate the benefits of the service automation. They should be pleased that the online appointment scheduler just became much more efficient.

A new feature will allow the client to access their online appointment software via their handheld devices such as blackberries, iPhones, SmartPhone’s etc. from anywhere. When you are out of your office, you can now be sure you will never miss an appointment. Your online appointment software will display appointments to your mobile devices when you need it.

Your appointments will be synced to your handheld device utilizing tools available through Google Calendar and Goo Sync to provide either one-way appointment access or two ways. You can literally push or pull your appointments to or from your online appointment scheduler from anywhere once you register for this new and exciting service.
The following services can now be synced to your portable phone or handheld device:

• Business Contacts with addresses
• Scheduled agenda events
• Event particulars and your notations
• Regularly scheduled events
• Various calendars
• Shared and public Google calendars
• Audible alerts reminders from your mobile device
• Tasks from your Outlook mail program

Your online appointment scheduler working in conjunction with Goo Sync and Google Calendar will offer you many new services and capabilities. As mentioned, you can choose a one or two-way synchronization between your online calendar or desktop calendar or just a basic upload from your online appointment scheduler. You can set a timer so your calendar will sync automatically with your iPhone, Blackberry, SmartPhone or one of many different handheld or mobile devices.

As with all Google applications, your personal data is well protected but you may want to take further precautions by excluding your personal data from your new mobile appointment calendar. In particular, if there is confidential patient information in your online appointment scheduler these details could be excluded from the syncing process. Common sense should prevail when storing personal information online and when doing so via wireless mobile devices.

Support is available for handhelds including BlackBerry, Windows Mobile, Palm OS, Apple iPhone & iPod Touch through your Outlook and iTunes, Google Android and so many more. A complete list of compatible devices is available upon sign up and the list is impressive. Software applications are available to expand the number of personal information management software and desktop applications with which you can sync. These include Microsoft Outlook, Lotus Notes, Palm Desktop, ACT!, GoldMine, Microsoft Outlook with Business Contact Manager and Novell GroupWise.

There is no charge to access Google Calendar or any of the Google products from your phone or handheld device but your mobile device operator may charge you extra for certain added services.

As mentioned above there are various plug ins available on the market to improve your compatibility between mobile devices and software calendars/ personal data programs.
For the busy physician or businessperson who is required to be out of the office and away from their online appointment scheduler software, the advantages of syncing your online appointment scheduler with your SmartPhone, iPhone or Blackberry device are many. Your busy schedule just became a little more tolerable and a lot more organized.

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