This guide covers the essential steps for setting up flu vaccinations, including:

• Configuring flu appointments in your practice management software (PMS)
• Completing the required setup in the HotDoc Dashboard
• Using HotDoc's guided Flu Vaccine Setup
• Setting up consent forms, pre-appointment information, tandem appointments and multiple bookings
• Enabling flu appointments for online bookings

Got a question? View our Flu Vaccine FAQs for more information.
 

Step 1: Download our Flu Kit to set up your flu appointment types and practitioners

1. Go to our website here and click on your respective practice management software to download your kit. 
    

   Download the flu kit

    

2. Select the guide for your practice management software (PMS), then follow each step to set up the required flu vaccine appointment types in both your PMS and HotDoc, as well as a practitioner where applicable.
    

   Learn how to add appointment types Learn how to add a new practitioner 

    

3. Once you have completed these steps, you're ready to complete the setup in the Vaccinations > Flu section of the Dashboard!

Step 2: Complete appointment type setup in 'Vaccinations' section of the HotDoc Dashboard

1. In your HotDoc Dashboard, go to Vaccinations > Flu
   
   
    

   Open Flu Vaccinations

    

2. Select the green Set up your Flu Vaccine Appt button 
   
   
    
3. Ensure you have completed each step in the checklist as outlined, and select 'Yes, I'm Done' for each item:
   
   
    
4. Once you've completed the list, click Get Started to begin the guided setup:
   
   
    

5. You will be prompted to select the first appointment type you wish to use for Flu Vaccine appointments.

   Ensure this is an appointment type you only use for flu vaccines. If you already have a different appointment type linked to this in HotDoc, you will be prompted to unlink it – see How do I link or unlink an appointment type?

   
    

6.  Select Preview Form to see how your Flu Vaccine Consent form will look if you choose to turn it on in the next step – you will be able to customise this later. 
   
   
    
7. Select Yes or No to whether you would like a Flu Vaccine Consent form to be sent to your patients. This allows them to complete the form ahead of their appointment.
   
   
    
8. Select Yes or No to whether you would like to send Pre-appointment information to your patients to share any additional details about their appointment. 
   
   
    
9. Customise your message in the text box. 
   
   
    
10. Click Next to continue.
    
     

11. Select Yes or No to whether you would like multiple patients to book in for the same 10 minute slot. If you've selected Yes, enter the maximum number of patients to be booked per slot.

    You may wish to do this if you're running a high-volume flu clinic where the appointment itself is quick, and you want to fit more than one patient into the same slot rather than allocating a full slot per patient.

    
     

12. Select Yes or No to whether you would like to schedule a nurse practitioner to administer the vaccine.

    This will set it up as a tandem appointment, with both the main practitioner and the nurse. Patients will only be able to book when both practitioners are available. Flu clinics often run with a nurse doing the vaccination while the GP appointment happens around it – either back-to-back or at the same time. A tandem appointment links those two bookings together so the patient only has to book once, and you don't have to manually coordinate two separate appointment slots for the same visit.

    
    
     

13. If you selected Yes, you'll need to select the settings for your tandem appointment.
    
    For further information about these settings, please see: How to create a Tandem Appointment.
    
    
     

14. Click Finish.
    
    
     
15. Choose whether you want to set up another Flu vaccine appointment type – for example, if you have separate appointment types like Flu, and Flu (65+). 
    
    Select Yes to repeat the same steps for your second appointment type, or No, Done to return to the main Dashboard.
    
    
     

16. Once completed, you will see your appointment types set up like below.
    
    

    You can set up additional appointment types at any time by clicking + New Flu appointment.
     

Step 3: Manage your Flu Vaccine settings

1. Click View Appointment Setup to show the appointment details
   
   

    

2. From here you can see the details and edit your consent form, pre-appointment communications, enable additional practitioners for the appointment type, and set up appointment limits.
   
   For more details on each field and how to set appointment limits, please see the links below.

   Learn how the stock management feature works Learn how to add appointment limits

   
    

3. If you have no practitioners enabled for the appointment type, click the Edit button under HotDoc Bookable Appointment, and select your practitioners in the appointment type settings. 
   
   
    
4. Once you're ready to start taking online bookings, change the Online Appointments toggle to ON. Patients can start booking immediately!
   
   
    

Step 4: Helpful resources and articles

Congratulations! You have now completed the Flu Vaccine set up and should have enabled all the Flu Vaccine settings. Do you have a question? See if it's been answered in the Flu Vaccine FAQs. 

Promote your flu clinic

• How do I send a broadcast message to patients to inform them about flu vaccines?
• How can I activate or deactivate a HotDoc Inform Promotion?

Manage your vaccine stock

• How does the vaccine stock management feature work?
• How do I remove existing stock limits for COVID-19 Vaccines?
• How do I customise my flu vaccine appointment availability?

Patient communications and consent forms

• What communications do patients receive for a Flu or COVID-19 vaccine appointment?
• Why are patients receiving a vaccine consent form or reminder for a non-vaccine appointment?