FAQ: Appointments
Common questions about scheduling, booking, and managing appointments.
Q: Can a patient have more than one appointment at the same time?
A: No. The system prevents double-booking. If a patient already has an appointment, you cannot schedule them for an overlapping time slot. You must cancel the first appointment or choose a different time.
Q: What happens if a doctor cancels their schedule?
A: If a doctor's schedule is disabled or deleted, all existing appointments under that schedule are typically canceled or marked as unavailable. Always notify patients in advance if a doctor will not be available.
Q: Can patients book appointments themselves, or only front-desk staff?
A: This depends on your system configuration. In most cases, only front-desk staff or administrators can book appointments in the system. If your facility allows patient self-booking, ask your administrator about how to enable that feature.
Q: What if a doctor is running late?
A: If a doctor is running behind schedule, front-desk staff should manually notify waiting patients or update the appointment status in the system if that feature is available. There is no automatic delay feature in the appointment system.
Q: Can I change an appointment to a different doctor?
A: Yes. You can typically edit an appointment and select a different doctor if they have availability at the new time. Check your appointment form to see if it allows doctor changes without creating a new appointment.
Q: Are appointment reminders sent automatically?
A: Reminders depend on your system setup. If configured, the system may send reminders via SMS or email. Ask your administrator whether reminders are active and how far in advance they are sent.
Q: What time zone does the appointment system use?
A: The appointment system uses the time zone configured for your facility (typically your local time zone). All times displayed and saved are in that zone. If you work across multiple time zones, confirm with your administrator which zone is set.
Q: Can I book appointments for non-registered patients?
A: No. The patient must exist as a contact in the system before you can create an appointment. If the patient is new, ask your administrator or another staff member to add them as a contact first.
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