You can allow multiple patients to book in one appointment slot for your appointment types. Follow the instructions in the article below to see how this works and how to set this up in your HotDoc Dashboard.

How does multiple bookings for one appointment slot work? 

• You can set a maximum number of bookings that you would like to make available online, for one appointment slot. This means for one appointment duration, you can increase your bookings and attend to multiple patients within this time. 
  
  
• The maximum number of appointments per slot is 1 per minute of the duration of the slot. For example, if your appointment type goes for 30 minutes, you can allow a maximum of 30 appointments to be available for that slot.
  
  
• We will insert these appointments side by side in your appointment book. 
  
  
• Pracsoft only:
  - Multiple bookings will be inserted as "Fit" appointments when booked online. 
  
  - Clinic-booked appointments will also need to created as "Fit". However, please bear in mind we won't be able to sync these with the same start time (as we do for online booked appointments). For this reason, reminders for "Fit" clinic-booked appointments will mention the exact start time of each appointment (eg. 1:30PM, 1:31PM, 1:32PM).
  
  
• This feature will also works for tandem bookings. We will input multiple bookings into the supporting practitioners appointment book if we can. 
  
  
• The multiple bookings maximum limit takes into account both appointments booked online and through reception at your practice. 
  
  
• If there is an appointment type that allows for multiple bookings (eg. COVID-19 Vaccine) booked into a time slot, and the practice manually inputs another appointment type (eg. Standard appt) that doesn't allow for multiple bookings in the same time slot, we will remove the time slot from being bookable online and not allow multiple bookings. Example of what this may look like in your book:
  

• For COVID Vaccine & Flu Vaccine appointments only:
  Appointment types must be setup via the Vaccine wizard in the Dashboard, see:  Getting Started with Flu Vaccinations and How to set up COVID-19 Vaccine appointments (dose 1,2,3 + boosters).
  
  
  • If COVID vaccine appointment types have the same appointment duration (eg. 15 minutes) and are all enabled for multiple bookings with the same max bookings per slot (eg. 5 patients), we will allow any of these appointment types in a given time slot. For example, if a patient books an AstraZeneca Dose 1 appointment for 9:00am, we will also allow multiple bookings for AstraZeneca or Pfizer Dose 2 appointments to be booked in the same time slot.
    
    
  • Similarly, if Flu Vaccine appointment types have the same appointment duration (eg. 15 minutes) and are all enabled for multiple bookings with the same max bookings per slot (eg. 5 patients), we will allow any of these appointment types in a given time slot. For example, if a patient books a Flu Vaccine 65+ appointment for 9:00am, we will also allow multiple bookings for Flu Vaccine under 65. 

Example of correct setup in appointment type settings

• For all other appointment types:
  • If more than one appointment type is enabled for multiple bookings (eg. Care plan and Standard appointment), we will only allow one appointment type in a given time slot. For example, if a patient books a Standard appointment for 9:00am, we will only allow multiple bookings for Standard appointments to be booked in the same time slot.

How to set up multiple bookings per appointment type 

1. In the Dashboard go to Bookings > Appointment Types. Click Edit next to your  desired appointment type: 
   
   
   
   
2. Scroll down to the templates section and check the box next to Allow Multiple Bookings in one appointment slot. In the maximum bookings field set the number of bookings you will allow per slot, then press Save. 
   
   Please note: This is the number of bookings that can be made per practitioner. 
   
   
   
3. You will then be asked if you would like to apply this feature to each practitioner who has this appointment type enabled. Click Yes, Update to make the changes or No, Skip:
   
   
   

How to set up multiple bookings per practitioner

1. In the Dashboard go to Bookings > Practitioner setup. Click Edit next to the practitioner. 
   
   
   
2. Scroll down to the Appointment Types section and select Edit next to the appointment type you'd like to allow for multiple bookings:
   
   
   
   
3. Within the Practitioners settings section, check the box next to Allow Multiple Bookings in one appointment slot. In the maximum bookings field set the number of bookings you will allow per slot, then press Save.
   
   Please note: Here you can make changes for both existing and new patients. 
   
   
   

What multiple bookings look like in Best Practice/Medical Director/Zedmed

Best Practice 

Medical Director

Zedmed 

Optomate