Online Patient Appointment System (An Easy Way to Get an Appointment)

Abstract

The Online Appointment System allows patients to view clinic appointment availability over the Internet. Patients can schedule and cancel appointments through a web browser from home or work 24 hours a day 7 days a week. Contact is not needed with the clinic prior to arriving for the appointment. A significant benefit the system provides is a method to survey the patients by sending feedback forms via e-mail. Results are tabulated dynamically; on runtime multiple patients' information is processed and can be viewed by clinic staff on a secured Internet site. E-mail feedback forms allow rapid resolution of problems and save patients time completing the forms. With automated tabulation, no human effort is needed to score and view the results. The patient's e-mail address is utilized to send appointment reminders. Patients also benefit from the "Appointment Cancellation Notification." Patients have the option of adding their name to a mailing list that will automatically send e-mail to them when an appointment has been cancelled. Included with the e-mail is a link to the online appointment system. This practice permits the patient to book an appointment within seconds of an appointment being cancelled. The system is also beneficial to the staff because it allows the technicians to focus on other duties of the job. The online database is updated as the staff Administrator daily opens appointments. An ad-hoc report listing all the appointments is generated. This report is pasted into a text box on the web page. Administrator performs maintenance on the system through the "Online Appointment Desk" secure web page. This page allows technicians to cancel, add and delete appointments; send feedback and e-mail reminders; and view a daily roster of patients. The appointments scheduled via the online system must be entered. Technicians through the "Online Appointment Desk" secure web page print a list of appointments. This list is used to enter information into Clinic main database. Most importantly I have tried to create a System, which is easy for Staff members to operate. Many of the Staff who will be using the system will have little or no computer experience. As a result this system consists of many well laid out and selfexplanatory forms containing both text fields and drop down menus. New staff members/ Administrators can be easily registered to the system and a usemame and password is then sent to their clinic email address. More over administrators are also provided the functionality to view the patient information in XML format to send to Clinic management system & also in excel whose functionality is imported in the web browser.