1. Purpose
The Online Booking feature allows patients to schedule appointments directly through a practice's website or social media channels at any time. This feature provides patients with convenient access to appointment scheduling while helping practices automate portions of the traditional front desk workflow.
By connecting directly with the practice's real-time schedule, online booking allows patients to view available appointment times, select a time that fits their schedule, and have the appointment automatically recorded in CareStack. This improves scheduling efficiency, reduces inbound calls, and enhances the patient experience.
In addition to operational efficiency, direct online booking aligns with modern patient expectations and industry best practices. Patients increasingly expect healthcare scheduling to function similarly to other digital services such as banking, travel, and retail. Studies show that
Practices that do not offer online booking risk losing patients to competitors who provide more convenient access.
| Online booking also removes common barriers associated with traditional scheduling methods. Phone-based scheduling can take an average of 8 minutes per call, is limited to business hours, and requires staff availability. In contrast, online booking provides 24/7 access, real-time availability, and instant confirmation — allowing patients to schedule appointments more efficiently. |
From a patient experience perspective, online booking provides greater convenience and control. Patients can schedule appointments at any time, including nights and weekends, select providers and time slots that fit their needs, and manage appointments without contacting the office. This flexibility contributes to improved patient satisfaction and long-term retention.
From a business perspective, implementing online booking can increase patient volume and revenue by capturing patients at the point of search and making it easier to complete the scheduling process. Additionally, automated confirmations and reminders help reduce no-shows — a major source of lost revenue. Even small reductions in missed appointments can have a meaningful impact on overall practice profitability.
2. Scope
This procedure applies to administrative staff, office managers, and scheduling coordinators responsible for configuring and managing online appointment booking within CareStack.
3. What is Online Booking?
Online booking is a patient self-scheduling feature that allows patients to request or schedule appointments 24 hours a day, 7 days a week through a web-based link.
Once enabled, the system synchronizes with the practice's calendar and displays only available appointment slots that meet the configured scheduling rules. Patients can select an appointment reason, choose an available time slot, and confirm the appointment.
The scheduled appointment is then automatically added to the CareStack schedule.
4. How Online Booking Works in CareStack
Setting up online booking involves three main steps:
| 1 | Enable the Online Booking Feature |
| 2 | Create Appointment Reasons |
| 3 | Embed the Booking Link on Your Website |
Step 1: Enable the Online Booking Feature
To begin using online booking, the feature must first be activated in the system settings.
| Navigate to: System Menu → Online Appointments Select Enable Online Booking to activate the feature. |
Once enabled, the system will allow patients to access available appointment times through a shareable booking link.
Step 2: Create Appointment Reasons
Appointment reasons determine what patients see when they schedule appointments online. These should be written in clear, patient-friendly language and should avoid internal or technical terminology.
To create an appointment reason:
- Navigate to Appointment Reasons.
- Select + Add Reason.
- Enter the required detail and click Save.
Appointment Reason Configuration
Provide the following information:
| Field | Description |
| Name | Enter a clear name for the appointment type (e.g., Cleaning, Consultation). |
| Description (Optional) | Provide a short description to help patients understand the purpose of the appointment. |
| Production Types | Select the production types that should be linked to this appointment reason. Patients selecting this reason will only see appointment slots associated with the chosen production types. |
| Patient Category |
Specify which patients can book this appointment: New Patients | Existing Patients | Both |
| Appointment Mode |
Select the appointment format: In-Office Appointment | Tele-Appointment |
| Deposit Fee | Optionally configure a deposit fee to be collected during booking. The default value is $0, but this can be adjusted if the practice requires a booking deposit. |
Once all settings are configured, select Save.
Step 3: Embed the Booking Link on Your Website
After configuring appointment reasons, CareStack generates a shareable booking link that can be embedded into your practice's online platforms.
This link can be added to:
- Your practice website
- Google Business Profile
- Social media pages
- Email campaigns
To access the link:
Navigate to the Home tab within the Online Appointment setup page.
-
Select Copy URL to obtain the booking link.
Once embedded on your website or shared online, patients can click the link to access the booking interface and schedule appointments.
Example:
To Learn more: Use the below links
Book an Appointment on the Online Appointment Portal
Google Analytics Integration for Online Appointment Bookings
Reserve Appointments with CareStack Google Integration
Frequently Asked Questions
| Will I lose control over my schedule? |
No. Patients can only view appointment slots associated with the production types linked to the appointment reason. This allows the practice to control which appointment types and time slots are available for online booking. If desired, practices can create a separate production type specifically for online appointments to maintain even greater control over availability.
| How is the appointment time determined? |
The duration of each appointment slot is based on the default slot duration configured for the selected production type. When a patient selects an appointment reason, the system automatically assigns the corresponding appointment length.
| How can I see appointments booked online? |
CareStack includes an Online Appointments notification icon labeled "Online."
When a patient schedules an appointment using the online booking system, a notification will appear. Selecting this icon will display a list of all appointments booked directly by patients through the online booking feature.
To learn more: Click here
Benefits of Online Booking
Online booking allows practices to streamline scheduling while maintaining full control over appointment availability.
Key benefits include:
| 1. 24/7 appointment scheduling for patients |
| 2. Reduced phone calls to the front desk |
| 3. Automatic synchronization with the CareStack schedule |
| 4. Improved patient convenience and satisfaction |
| 5. Greater control over appointment availability through production types |
While the scheduling process becomes more automated, the practice retains full control over the calendar by determining which appointment types, providers, and time slots are visible to patients during the booking process.
By implementing online booking, practices can modernize the scheduling experience and create a more efficient workflow for both staff and patients.