Is It Better To Use An Appointment Request Form Or An Online Scheduler? by Jim Peterson

What is the difference between a medical appointment request form and an online scheduler? Both of them are quick, easy to use and help medical receptionists better handle their multiple tasks. However, choosing between these two options can be relevant to a new medical practice, for it may even define its daily patient flow.

An online medical scheduler enables the patient to book their appointment right from their pc, smart phone or mobile phone, by simply logging into the medical practice website and choosing the available time slot. In fact, an online scheduler has the great benefit of letting patients see when the doctor is available, so that they will ask for an appointment being sure that the doctor will be free at that specific time.

But that also means that the doctor's appointments are no more secret, considering that everyone will be able to view how busy he/she is, or is not. That is why it is preferable for an advanced medical practice to opt for an online scheduler, for this system will show patients your office work flow and this will make them understand how well your business is going. Furthermore, online schedulers will simplify every medical receptionist's life, who will have to handle half the paperwork they used to handle before patients could fill in web forms themselves.

But let's now look at the other side of the coin.

What if you have just started a brand new medical practice? Well, in this case it is very likely that your medical receptionist is not the busiest in the world and that there are not many patients waiting in line out of your office.

That is sure to be normal, but our aim is to propose you a solution that will give your medical practice a professional image.

In fact, if you let people book an appointment with you by filling in an online scheduler, they will be able to see how many patients you actually have and, in case you had not many, that would not make a good impression on your potential patient, for they may ask themselves “Why doesn't anybody want to be visited by this doctor? What is it with this medical practice?

We all know the answers to these questions, but, when it comes to business, we have to act smart.

For this purpose, an appointment request form will enable patients book appointments, without letting them see your actual work flow for that particular day. So doing, your medical practice, even if new, will seem well established and successful and will attract new visitors.

Furthermore, your medical receptionist will have more time to dedicate to other tasks and will be more satisfied with their job, which means they will be more helpful and friendly to patients, creating a pleasant atmosphere that everybody will sense and that will definitely increase your medical practice income.