Convenience and ease of use have become the priority for patients when accessing medical aid. With the ongoing pandemic and the popularity of online modes of communication taking the lead in every sector, online doctor appointments bookings have become a healthy, safe, and easy resort to reach out to doctors and take consultations from them.
As per a recent survey, many people prefer booking an online doctor consultation in India and avail of virtual health care facilities unless the call for action demands a physical visit to the clinic or the hospital. But, only 40% of healthcare organizations nationwide provide an online system of scheduling appointments.
What Gives the Online Mode of Fixing Doctor Appointments an Edge?
Resource Optimization
Online doctor appointment booking minimizes costs greatly as you do not need to appoint a staff to fill in details and follow up with the patients. No form-filling or IVR system needs to be monitored, and hence a lot of resources get optimized and utilized in the right direction, thereby saving on costs and efforts.
Saves Time
When booking doctor consultation in India, the online approach systematically processes all tasks, right from scheduling the slot, prescription delivery to billing, all in a fast track mode that saves your precious time and ensures quality services.
Reduces No-Shows With Automated Appointment Reminders
Virtual doctor’s appointment scheduling system allows configuration of reminders and sending notifications to patients automatically at every step of the process. This entire procedure reduces the no-shows of the patients.
Available Round the Clock
Thanks to the online appointment scheduling system, online appointment booking of doctors takes place round the clock. Some specialists attend to patients’ requirements 24×7 on one-to-one chats as well. The online booking system enables patients to check everything on the online portal with a single click on their smartphones. Right from the availability of slots for their preferred doctors, the working hours of the clinic, and the applicable registration charges too.
Build and Retain a Sustainable Patient Clientele
It is a cakewalk for the virtual health care management staff to maintain patient records through online appointment scheduling. This system enables storing, updating, and management of patients records and case files with complete efficiency through a central database health record program.
Such records are most helpful in the case of patients who consult multiple practitioners in one clinic at the same facility. This common platform enables varied medical personnel to discuss and interact on the patient’s health record for better decision making and to work towards a collaborative effort for the patient’s overall wellness.
E-Marketing
The online scheduling system automatically creates a database of patients with their phone numbers and e-mail IDs. For future bookings, if you send a ‘book now’ button along with periodical newsletters to your existing patients, this would increase the number of bookings as people prefer instant scheduling of doctor appointment booking over navigating their way out.
Online Payments
Another big factor that takes the medical practitioners’ service to another level through online consultation is the comfort and ease of making online payments for their appointment schedules at the time of booking itself. A secure doctor appointment app like Finserv Health can add to patients’ convenience and even fetch them special discounts or offers, like free check-ups, a discount on medicines, rebates on consultation fees, and so on.
Tips to Follow to Make Your Online Appointment Scheduling to Another Level
This new advanced online consultation system needs to be executed and planned systematically and efficiently to seek overall success. This will ensure no time is wasted on time slots, and your patients do not have to wait or face any other technical glitches. For this, you need to:
- Prepare your schedule in advance.
- Execute patient self-scheduling.
- Set priority for the appointments.
Final Take
With the growing risks of the Coronavirus, online appointments work as a win-win situation for doctors and patients. Additionally, doctors get an edge over their patients. They can take their medical practice to a new level of success, and patients can enjoy the services from the comforts of their homes without having to take the pains to visit the clinic physically and wait in queues for their turn to arrive.