Once you've set up your bookable services, this finalizes your online scheduler setup. Three parts:
1. General settings > menu > clinic settings > calendar > online bookings > general settings
Activate online scheduling by ticking the checkbox to automatically open the calendar a number of days ahead, per service and per practitioner.
If you don't want to open a fixed number of days ahead but prefer specific days or parts of days, set this in the calendar itself via the calendar icon next to the practitioner abbreviation (make the whole day available, or specify certain hours).
Set the delays: minimum time (in hours) between booking and the appointment (a realistic margin prevents sudden changes to your calendar), plus the minimum time between cancellation and the appointment.
Set the minimum patient age (date of birth is required when booking online).
Decide whether visitors may or must choose their own physician. If not selected, the system distributes patients automatically.
Decide whether patients can leave a comment when booking.
2. Notifications and approval (menu > clinic settings > calendar > online bookings )
Use checkboxes to choose who receives which notification for a new appointment, rescheduling, or cancellation, and whether the patient's name is visible.
Choose the approval method: fully manual (approve each booking by hand), hybrid (auto-approved when patient details match your database, otherwise manual), or fully automatic (both new and existing patients auto-approved when info matches). Clinicminds provides a PDF scheme, "online scheduling patient matching," with the full explanation.
With method 1 or 2, you can set whether the patient receives an automated email and/or SMS while a booking awaits approval.
Customize the texts shown to visitors before and after a new booking, rescheduling, or cancellation.
Note: online availability is limited by design to a maximum of six months ahead.