The first step in setting up online scheduling is adding the practice-level services. Here is a short video that explains how to set them up:
Important note: If you have a Bridge Version of 110 or higher, the online scheduling process can be set to push the appointment into the schedule automatically. If you have a lower Bridge Version, this will appear as an appointment request and will not automatically push the appointment onto the schedule. Click here to learn how to update your Engagement Bridge.
To learn more about appointment requests, click here.
Important note about reservation deposits
If you choose to require a deposit to be paid by a patient in order to reserve their appointment for a specific service, the patient will be asked to remit payment during the online scheduling process.
If the patient opts to skip the deposit payment during the scheduling process, they will receive a text, email, or in-app message requesting that they pay the deposit in order to reserve their appointment time. The patient then has 48 hours to pay the deposit.
You can preview the verbiage of this deposit reminder message in Settings > Verbiage > Online scheduling - deposit payment.
A few things to note:
The appointment WILL NOT show on your schedule until the patient pays the deposit
The payment will be posted to your ledger the day that that patient pays
If a patient DOES NOT pay their deposit after 48 hours, the requested appointment will be forfeited and the time will once again be offered to other patients to schedule
Create a Practice-Level Service
If you are unable to access this feature or make changes, you have not been granted permission in your user profile. Contact an admin team member in your practice to enable access or work with them to complete the steps outlined in the instructions below. Click here to learn how to update user permissions.
Access Settings in your Online Scheduling tab
Select Practice-Level Services, then click Create service
In the task window, enter Service Name and include a Description of the Service for easier organization and future reference
Add the total Time Duration of the appointment in minutes (must be an increment of 5)
Adjust the time needed for Assisted Preparation and Assisted Finish Time by dragging the sliding scale on the front and back end
The adjustable blue area indicates the specific time slot when the provider will be marked as busy. Let's say you have a hygiene appointment that typically lasts an hour, but the doctor is only needed for the last 20 minutes. In this case, the auxiliary time would be the duration of the hygienist's work with the patient. This allows us to open up more slots for providers based on the procedure time for the doctor and the auxiliary time for the hygienist. This feature helps you manage your appointments more efficiently.
Choose the Patient Status that this service should be available for: New Patients, Existing Patients, or both
Choose the Patient Type that this service should be available for: Adult, Child, or both
Select the checkbox to Automatically Create the service type in your practice management software (ie, Open Dental, Dentrix, Eaglesoft).
If this checkbox is not selected OR if you have not updated to Engagement Bridge Version 110, appointments will appear as requests in the Inbox and must be manually accepted to add to the schedule. Click here to learn how to update your Engagement Bridge.
ADA codes will not be automatically attached to the appointment. The applicable codes will be listed in the appointment notes to inform you of the reason for visit. ADA codes will need to be manually attached once the appointment is pushed through. To learn more about appointment requests, click here.
Click Next
Select the checkboxes next to the Operatories this service can be scheduled in, then select the applicable Providers assigned to that operatory (you must select at least one Provider per Operatory)
Select the checkbox if you would like to allow double booking for this service type. For example: If the doctor was scheduled from 10:00am-11:00am in Operatory 1 but was assigned to Operatory 2, this selection allows the doctor to be booked in Operatory 2 as well.
Select the checkbox if you would like to remove the ability for patients to pick a provider when booking this service type
When finished with your selections, click Next
If you would like to "hide" this service type from your Online Scheduling 'Reason for Visit' service list, select the first checkbox. When selected, this service type can only be chosen when sent directly to the patient via the 'Invite to Schedule' action
If you would like to allow scheduling for this service type only during specific blocks, select the checkbox. This is correlated with the Block Template Scheduling in your practice management software.
💥Block Template Scheduling💥
Engagement Online Scheduling is able to read block template scheduling in your practice management software. This is also known as:
Dentrix - Perfect Day Scheduling
OpenDental - Blockout Types
Eaglesoft - OnSchedule Templates
Please note: Open Dental is the only practice management software that can have a combination of blockout types and open time. If you utilize Dentrix or Eaglesoft, all practice-level services in Engagement must have selected to allow scheduling for this service-type only during specific blocks.
If you would like to utilize this feature, please ensure that your block template scheduling is enabled and set up in your practice management software. If you need assistance with this, please reach out to your practice management software's support. Once this is done, reach out to our support team to allow us to enable this feature.
Note for Engagement Payments users: If you would like to charge a reservation fee for this service type, select the checkbox and then enter the fee amount. The patient will pay the predetermined amount prior to scheduling the appointment.
📍Please note: If you are not an Engagement Payments user, this option will not be available
Add the related Procedures / Appointment codes for this service type
Choose the Earliest Availability for the appointment. Please note that 'business days' are specific to the practice hours as set up in Engagement Settings. Learn more about setting up your practice hours here.
When finished, click Next
Review the established settings and then click Create to finish adding the new service type
Once you've finished creating a new practice-level service type, it's important to sync your availability with your practice management software so that this new service is showing up accurately within your online scheduling portal.
To sync, navigate to the Online Scheduling General Settings and click the Sync Availability button
We recommend starting your Online Scheduling journey by watching our webinar! We'll show you how to leverage Engagement Online Scheduling in Dental Intelligence to increase the number of visits in your practice.
Keywords: setup, setting up, set-up, getting set up, getting started