Enable and configure the waitlist feature to help fill canceled appointment openings automatically. This guide walks through waitlist settings, appointment timing buffers, patient eligibility rules, and SMS and email notification settings so you can customize how waitlist openings are offered to patients.
Step 1: To enable the waitlist feature, scroll to Settings, Configuration, and Waitlist.
Step 2: Toggle on the Waitlist feature to enable it.
Step 3: In the Timing section, under Minimum Notice, you can set a timing buffer to control how close to an appointment cancellation an opening can be offered to patients. For example, if you set a 6-hour buffer, canceled appointments within 6 hours of the appointment time will not be alerted there is an opening.
Step 4: Under Appointment Buffer, you can set the buffer to control how much time must exist between a canceled opening and a patient’s existing appointment before they can be notified. Patients will not receive waitlist openings that are too close to an appointment they already have scheduled. For example, if the buffer is set to 120 minutes and a canceled opening is only 60 minutes away from the patient’s existing appointment, they will not receive the opening.
Step 5: Under SMS Templates, customize the text messages patients will receive for waitlist notifications.
Step 6: Under Email Templates, customize the email messages patients will receive for waitlist notifications.
Step 7: Click Save Settings to apply your changes.