Introduction
Google Calendar is a free online service for managing busy schedules. Its ease-of-use and versatility have made it very popular. You can try it by visiting www.google.com/calendar.
Managing Appointments
Only booked slots are shown for one office (King St. office). This calendar can be shared with staff and doctors, or even embedded in the practice's website to help patients book.
Many optometrists already use electronic appointment scheduling. Google Calendar can manage blocks of time, showing when an optometrist is busy/booked or has breaks. This schedule can be viewed (or changed) by the optometrist from their home or exam room, using any computer, BlackBerry, iPad, or other mobile device.
Scheduling Doctors and Offices
A complete staff schedule for the King St. office.
Google Calendar can also be used to schedule when different doctors or staff should be at an office, or even at different offices. For example, a different “calendar” can be made for each optometrist and staff member. These calendars can be overlaid on the same schedule with each shown in a different colour, giving a clear view of where everyone should be. Each calendar can be shared separately, so that each person may only see their own schedule from their home computers.
For Online Booking
If the calendar is being used to show “busy” slots and open time, it can be embedded into the practice’s website so that visitors can see what times are currently available. That can help them choose a time if your website has an online booking form, and reduce your receptionist’s time on the phone with them.
Self-booking with Google Calendar
Available booking slots are shown, with one appointment self-booked for 11 am Tuesday.
Google Calendar has a new feature that allows other people to book on your calendar. Bookable hours can be defined, and the slot durations set (for example, 20 minute slots). If this calendar is embedded in the office’s website, website visitors can book a slot. The office receives an email when a booking is made, the calendar is automatically updated, and the booked slot becomes unavailable for others.
While this is an interesting feature, we don’t believe it’s ready for use by optometrists. That’s because visitors must have a Google account to book a slot, and because more information about the patient’s condition and history is needed to confidently book a slot.