Efficient patient care in the digital age: Online appointment scheduling in an ophthalmology practice

Background: Despite its potential to improve patient access, streamline administration, and enhance healthcare efficiency, systematic data on online appointment scheduling (OAS) in medical practices is lacking.

Method: Prospective, single center study conducted at an ophthalmology practice. Over a period of 12 weeks, all booked appointments, both online made via the OAS system, and offline made by practice staff via phone, email, or in-person, were recorded across four doctor consultations. Patient demographics, booking type (new appointment/rescheduled/cancelled), date and time of the booking, and the next available appointment slot were documented.

Results: 1080 interactions (new booking 76.8%, rescheduling 13.1%, cancellation 10.1%) were made by 880 patients via OAS and 2427 appointments offline by 1902 patients. Patients booking offline were older than those booking online (mean 50.3 ± 28.1 years vs. 41.7 ± 22.2, p < 0.0001). No difference between the groups was found regarding sex distribution (both, female around 59%, male around 41%, p = 0.81). New patients showed a preference for booking online (p < 0.0001). 63.1% of online bookings occurred on weekdays during practice hours. 36.8% of cancellations/reschedulings were made one to two days before the appointment. These vacant slots were promptly filled again, as OAS was primarily used for near-term bookings (booking time to appointment ≤7 days in 47.7%; selection of the earliest available appointment in 44.1%). Compared to appointments made offline the no-show rate was reduced by OAS (6.8%, n = 164, vs. 1.6%, n = 13, p < 0.0001).

Conclusion: OAS contributes to patient-centered and efficient resource utilization in healthcare by reducing no-show rates and promptly filling vacant slots.