Features of Online Appointment Bookings

Patients can book by practice Location, from a booking page set up for that location

A dental business with a single server and multiple practice locations can create a separate online booking website for each configured Location.

Each online booking site / Location is configured with its own address, phone number and description, but the practice Email address is the same across all Locations.

Within patient communications EXACT is able to generate patient recall URLs, planned Online Booking links and Marketing URLs for these specific Locations.

The patient's preferred location has been added as a new merge field, enabling sites with multiple locations to auto-generate patient recalls per Location.

These merge fields can be used in Email, SMS and EasyPost Letters, but they are only available if Locations is enabled for the practice and in the web setup.

See: Location Support for Online Booking | Merge fields for patient Preferred Location

Booking Reasons

When creating an online appointment both New and Existing patients may be required to select a Booking Reason:

Multiple online booking reasons per campaign:

Historically, patients who responded to a marketing campaign were constrained to the single booking reason associated with that campaign.

From v12.9 your practice can configure multiple online booking reasons per campaign, with one booking reason associated to each campaign service.

Booking Reasons provide functionality to patient bookings:

• Booking Reasons apply to Providers, each of whom has custom services and appointment parameters. This enables very flexible options for the practice. Patients can go to the booking site, select a Reason, select from available Providers associated with that Reason, and then book an appointment for just that Provider / Reason.
• Besides the improved booking functionality, this also enhances the accuracy of bookings. For example, where patients previously booked a generic EXAM for 10 minutes, they can now book a specific Implant Consultation (IMPCONS) for 45 minutes, with the best implant Dentist in the practice, to the benefit of both patient and practice.

Match Booking Reasons to Provider:

Historically the EXACT online booking system had two primary setup areas: Providers and Booking Reasons. These were treated separately, with no cross-matching of providers to reasons - there was no way to book Provider B for Reason 5.

From EXACT v12.3 onwards the configuration is more flexible, which increases patient use and reliance on the online booking system, expands the use of online booking to more patients as the reasons are more refined and better meet patient needs. This increases the likelihood that patients will pay online for treatment prices and deposits.

By associating Reasons with Providers, your practice can constrain online bookings to the most suitable Providers and times, with no booking misfits.

See also: Booking Reasons | Configuring the online booking website

Online payments

Functionality includes a third party online payment infrastructure:

EXACT automatically generates email payment receipts based on a customisable template: .OLB_RECEIPT_EMAIL

See also: Online Payments | Patient online booking procedure | Online Booking Receipt Template

Configurable Policies

It is possible to customise the online booking text information for Cancellation Policy and Complaints Procedure. See Customising the Configurable Policies.

Integration with practice processes

Online booking integrates and communicates with EXACT’s recall system, appointment book, provider schedule and treatment planning. For example:

• The web page to which the patient is directed for planned treatment booking is pre-populated with the planned treatment booking details as displayed in the Appointment Workflow.
• When a patient books an appointment online, the software reserves it in the Practice appointment book in real time.
• Planned treatment online bookings are initiated from a button on the Appointment Workflow, which is a mini console for managing patient departures from the practice:

• The Practice can specify available times and quickly customise them when needed, to meet changing Provider schedules.
• A practice can opt to configure different Providers for online recalls and planned treatment online bookings (they don't have to be the same). For example:

  

• Receptionists monitor all three types of online bookings in the Online Appointments tab below the Appointment book:

  

• All Email or SMS communications with the patient are logged in the Patient Contacts Tab, where a receptionist can easily check whether the communication was sent:

  
  

Icons differentiate different kinds of online bookings:

Practice corporate appearance and branding

• For existing patients, the software automatically sends recall messages via email or text with a link prompting the patient to access a Practice-branded online booking facility.
• The patient-facing website is modern and user-friendly.
• Communications to patients can also be branded with the Practice logo, and can include further information such as contact details, directions, map or parking information, special offers, or dental news.