The concrete benefits of online appointment booking for general practitioner

Digitalization, e-health, and digital transformation. You’ve probably already heard about it, probably even several times! It’s a hot topic on everyone’s lips, and with good reason! We rely more and more on new digital technologies in our daily lives, from banking apps to search engines. And that goes for health, too.

No need to panic, these relatively trendy terms can be translated into easy-to-implement measures for all general practitioners. Get ready to embark on a journey to the digital highway! In this article, we’re going to explore the reasons for the popularity of online appointment booking when it comes to health.

Online medical appointments, a patient-centred approach

Smartphones are more than phones

Most Swiss own a smartphone. In fact, around 8 out of 10 people in Switzerland use their phones every day to go online. If we restrict the sample to adults, the results are even clearer: 92% have a smartphone, and 97% use it every day. It is clear that the ‘phone’ component of the smartphone is becoming increasingly secondary. These figures also have repercussions for patient behaviour. There is every reason to believe that the Swiss are tending to use their smartphones as their primary means of obtaining information and, ultimately, taking action.

What about online appointments for GPs?

When it comes to booking appointments online, the Swiss eHealth Barometer, an annual study of the current state of digital health in Switzerland, presents clear results. The figures for 2022 show that 71% of participants ranked the ability to book an appointment online as “important/very important” when choosing a healthcare professional.

Integrating online medical appointment booking into your practice will enable you to meet the needs of all these people. It will also allow you to offer your existing patients a high-value service, giving them a new level of flexibility. Now they can finally book their next appointment anywhere, anytime.

Optimum availability management with online appointment booking for GPs

Online medical appointment booking allows you to fully configure the booking experience for your patients. Everything can be configured, from the type of consultation to any other information you feel is useful to give your patient before the appointment. There is no need to pick up the phone and call you or your secretary. This saves precious time and avoids the need to go back and forth to find an appointment. With online appointment booking, your patients can see the availabilities you have defined. They can then book the free time slot that matches their own availability.

What’s more, the OneDoc mobile applications (available on the App Store and Google Play Store) allow your patients to keep an eye on your availability, wherever they are. A professional app is also available (also on the App Store and Google Play Store). Thanks to it, your professional agenda will always be in your pocket, and you’ll be perfectly prepared for what lies ahead.

More flexibility, less no-shows

As well as the flexibility of being able to book appointments without having to call, your patients will also benefit from the peace of mind that comes with being able to book their next appointment outside of office hours. Whether it’s the weekend, late at night or a bank holiday, with online appointment booking by OneDoc, your practice is always open, 7/7, 24/24.

Then, when it’s time for the appointment, there’s another crucial advantage of booking online: reminders. In our busy lives, it’s easy to overlook or forget an appointment. That’s where automatic SMS reminders come in. SMS reminders have already proved their worth, considerably reducing the number of people who forget appointments!

To sum up: online booking for general practitioner

The advantages of online booking are clear: you can offer your patients and future patients a modern service in line with today’s digital needs. Open up your practice to new activities 24 hours a day and free up time for your team. Ultimately, booking medical appointments online gives you flexibility, agility and better performance!