How Automated Schedule Management Improves Patient Access

Filling unexpected open appointment slots left by sudden cancellations is critical to keeping practice schedules full and ensuring that patients quickly get the care they need. But in most healthcare organizations, that process is disjointed and time-consuming. Many practices and health systems use electronic waitlists to fill reopened appointments. However, patients often must enroll in a practice portal. Staff then must manually manage the waitlist and call or email individual patients to notify them about newly available appointments.

What if there were a better, faster way to quickly fill unexpected scheduling gaps and reduce the time from scheduling to visit? Automated schedule management solves this crucial patient access issue - and it does so without taking up any staff time. It works like this: When a patient cancels an appointment, the automated scheduling tool identifies other clinically relevant patients with upcoming appointments, based on customizations designed by the practice. It then automatically sends those patients a text message offering them the opportunity to claim the earlier, reopened appointment slot. The first patient to reply gets the appointment - no waitlist sign-ups, apps, portals or staff work required.