One of the most affordable features of an online appointment scheduling system for clinics is the prepaid appointment reminder. This technology allows the patient to make a partial or total credit card payment of the invoice for the consultation when they receive an alert about the next scheduled appointment. Clinical practices can save on operating expenses with this service because this service can charge patients even if they do not show up.

1. Activation

Prepaid appointment reminder services are usually included in online appointment scheduling packages. Physicians can activate the service at any time at no additional charge and do not have to charge their patients for the feature.

2. Data organization

Appointments that have already been saved by the doctor or administrative staff can be easily loaded into the program. Microsoft Excel or CSV file formats are often compatible with appointment scheduling software. Other programs offer to convert pdf and txt file formats to help doctors copy their appointments for free. This may involve adding an analyzer, a form of computer data interpreter. Prepaid appointment reminder features generally override recorded appointments that have old dates or are identical to other entries.

3. Registration and payment options

Online dating solutions automatically save payment information made by the patient. Physicians can view this, as well as call logs, which are updated in real time. The program also records any remaining balance or unbilled charges. Patients who cancel their appointment during the call reminder have their advance payment refunded. Most prepaid appointment reminder services can also be linked to PayPal and similar third-party payment processors so patients can make online payments or transfer money through online banking in advance of the appointment.

4.Signature capture technology

For advanced payments that require physician and patient signatures, capturing electronic signatures can help complete the transaction. Signature capture is currently available on smartphones, including iPhone and Android, as well as tablets such as iPad. This technology complies with the electronic record security standards set by the United States under the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act, as well as Canada’s Electronic Documents and Personal Information Protection Act.

5. Prepaid SMS Services

Although the term “prepaid” primarily indicates paying customers, prepaid appointment reminder programs also offer physicians the option to purchase the number of calling credits they want for the system in advance. They can use their credit card or PayPal account for this transaction.

6. Call forwarding

To improve customer service, patients who prefer to make an advance payment when scheduling an appointment can be transferred by the automated phone system to the clinical staff phone line or to an outside customer service representative. Although this option defies the advantage of reducing staff responsibilities, it will likely increase customer satisfaction.

A prepaid appointment reminder can help lessen a patient’s burden by taking care of medical bills in advance. For clinical practice, these prepaid transactions can reduce paperwork and staff responsibilities by automatically updating and organizing patient files and payment history. They can also reduce the risk of a last-minute no-show, which results in lost business, as the unfilled appointment space could have been used to accommodate another patient.