Online Scheduling Numbers: What Research Shows?

As a doctor or medical facility manager, you might be missing out on visits from a huge demographic by not allowing online appointment scheduling. If research is anything to go by, then this trend is and will continue to be one of the most useful in the medical scheduling industry. In a poll conducted by research company Accenture, the results were particularly useful for the medical industry.

For instance, among those who were surveyed on their use and likelihood of use of an online appointment scheduler, 17 percent said they had used one before. A more important statistic, though, is that 42 percent who said they would have booked an appointment online, but did not have a chance to do so since their service provider of choice did not offer such options. This goes to show that patients want this, and there is a huge gap in terms of demand and supply.

It is an industry that is estimated to grow exponentially in the next few years. Surveys predict that by the end of 2016, up to 66 percent of all the US health systems will offer some sort of digital self-scheduling. Up to 64 percent of patients will prefer booking an appointment using these online systems. A more accurate prediction would be the more than 900 million appointments that will be booked through self-scheduling systems, worth about 3.2 billion dollars for the service providers involved. The only way to get in on it is to ensure you have appointment scheduling software handy.

As the influence of the digital age grows further, the generation that is emerging as most influential and most dependent is the demographic between 25 and 34. They spend the most time online, and are the most likely to use online scheduling than any other. Online scheduling software can be viewed as an important part of the company’s customer attraction and retention strategy, especially for the wider age group of between 18 and 34.

Surveys show that a huge portion of scheduling done online happens after office hours, a whopping 34 percent. This represents the number which the staff would have had to deal with without this outlet. They therefore reduce strain in staff significantly.