This article helps you add and manage patients who are waiting for an appointment time to become available. When an appointment that matches the criteria of the appointment for which the patient is waiting (same provider, date and time range) is cancelled or deleted, you can choose which patients on the waiting list should be scheduled in that time slot. You can also manually schedule appointments from the waiting list.
Note: The system checks the waiting list when appointments are cancelled or deleted.
To perform the following procedures, open the Appointment Book.
Add Patient to Waiting List
- Click [Schedule to Waiting List] on the toolbar.
The Add Patient to Waiting List window opens.
- Select a Patient, then pick a Preferred contact phone number (list drawn from patient file).
- Select the Priority of the patient on the Waiting List.
Note: This information is shown on the Waiting List as guidance, but you can choose to schedule a patient regardless of priority. - Set the Preferred Date Range during which the patient would like to have an appointment.
- Select the Provider, Activity, and Duration for the desired appointment.
Tip: Optionally, select the number of hours Notice of an opening that the patient requires. This helps you ensure that you remember to keep the patient’s travel time in mind when scheduling them for an appointment. - Select the Preferred Time Range for the desired appointment.
Tip: Optionally, add an explanatory Note. - Click Save & Close.
Note: You can also add patients to the Waiting List from the Waiting List window. Click [Waiting List] on the toolbar, then click Add to waiting list and populate the required information as described above.
Schedule Appointments for Patients on Waiting List
Whenever you delete or cancel an appointment that matches the criteria of a patient on the waiting list, you will be informed that patients are on the waiting list for that time slot, and prompted to confirm whether or not you want to schedule the appointment for one of those patients.
- If you click Yes, the Waiting List window opens, listing the patients who are waiting for such an appointment.
Note: You can open the Waiting List window any time, by clicking [Waiting List] on the toolbar. By default the list shows only patients waiting for an appointment on the current day, but you can choose a different date range, or filter the list by Patient Name or Provider. - Select the row for the patient you want to schedule and click Schedule.
The New Appointment & Precharge window opens. From here you can schedule an appointment. For more information, see the Schedule Appointments article.
Remove Patient from Waiting List
- Click [Waiting List] on the toolbar.
- Select the Patient Name and the date range using From and To options.
All the appointments in the selected date range, for which the patient is waiting will be listed. - Click Delete next to a Waiting List appointment.
- Click Yes when prompted.