The waitlist uses the NexHealth Synchronizer to insert appointments into your calendar, preventing double bookings.
For use with NexHealth Scheduling
Overview
Option 1: Add from health record system ASAP list.
Option 2: Add from Continuing care list.
Option 3: Add from Missed or cancelled appointments.
Option 4: Manually search for patients.
Creating and sending waitlist requests
1. Go to Waitlist → New waitlist request.
Navigate to Waitlist in the left sidebar, then select New waitlist request.
2. Manually create slot or select from open slots.
If you choose to manually create a slot, you will select Date, Time, Duration, Provider, and Operatory.
If you choose to select from Open slots, you’ll be able to check one or more slots, and set appointment duration.
You can add up to 10 slots to each Waitlist request using the +Add slot button after selecting the initial slot you would like to fill.
3. Add patients.
You can add patients to a waitlist request from four different groups:
Your practice management system ASAP list
Patients overdue for Continuing Care
Patients who missed or canceled appointments
Manually
Click on a tile to select the desired patients and adjust the filters as needed.
Once you’ve added patients to the request, you can click on the X to the right of the patient's name to remove the patient from the request.
ASAP and Continuing Care lists are dependent on your EHR.
Option 1: Add from health record system ASAP list.
Use the filters to match the duration, provider, operatory, and even appointment type (if mapped in NexHealth).
If you do not return any patients with that appointment type, it is likely there isn't currently a patient on your health record system ASAP list with that specific appointment type.
Appointment type filtering is only available for some health record systems.
Option 2: Add from Continuing care list.
You can filter by Recall types and Select a date range. The Continuing Care Waitlist option lets you send out a waitlist request to patients marked in your health record system as due for continuing care within a certain time range.
Note: NexHealth doesn't enforce any relationship between the appointment time slot that is being filled and a patient's recall due date—it's probably not a good idea to send a waitlist request to a patient whose recall due date is after the time slot being filled, as their insurance may not cover a visit before the actual due date.
Option 3: Add from Missed or cancelled appointments.
Missed/Cancelled depends on how you mark those appointments in your practice management system and what we read in NexHealth. A good check is whether or not we send the Missed and Cancelled templates to patients.
Option 4: Manually search for patients.
Use the search bar to find patients to manually add.
4. Click Send.
NexHealth will send your Waitlist template.
Note: Waitlist requests automatically expire 15 minutes before the scheduled appointment time. A patient attempting to claim the slot less than 15 minutes prior will receive a message stating "We're sorry, but this slot is no longer available."
If an open slot is filled manually after the waitlist request is sent out, you must cancel the waitlist request, because it is still available in the active request.
Smart send
For larger selections of patients (over 100 patients), Smart Send will send out your Waitlist request in batches of 10 patients every 5 minutes. This ensures patients are not frustrated by "never" being able to claim a Waitlist spot, while still keeping your schedule full. Once the slot has been claimed, only those patients who attempt to claim the spot receive the message that it has been taken. We do not message everyone the request went out to, to avoid those who were not interested from receiving another unwelcome message.
When a patient receives a request
Patients will tap Book now to claim the spot, then NexHealth will update your records.
1. The patient taps Book now in the message.
The NexHealth 1-Click booking experience will match the patient with their profile in NexHealth, which means they don’t need any additional information to confirm.
If a patient selects a slot that has already been booked by another patient or through your Online Booking, they will receive a message that says “The time you have selected is no longer available.” They are redirected to your Online Booking and offered any upcoming open appointments.
2. NexHealth updates your records to fill the request.
After a patient successfully selects their appointment from your Waitlist request, three things happen:
The appointment is inserted in your health record system calendar.
You receive a notification on the Activity page.
The appointment slot no longer shows as available in the Waitlist request or Online Booking.
For patients selected from your ASAP list, you must cancel their original appointment.
Waitlist FAQs
What happens if a patient tries to book a slot filled manually by someone in the office?
If an open slot is filled manually after the waitlist request is sent out, you must cancel the waitlist request, because it is still available in the active request.
If a patient claims the slot, NexHealth will provide an alert in the Activity feed that a patient has accepted the slot, but it could not be inserted into your schedule.
You will then need to contact the patient who accepted the waitlist slot to reschedule.
Why would I want to filter by Appointment Type?
You can match the provider with availability to the appointment types they can service--for example, you might not want your oral surgeon to fill their availability with new patient exams.
You can select high-production appointment types for times when your office is prepared to serve them.
Why don't I see the option to filter by appointment type?
This feature is only available for select health record systems including:
Athena
Denticon
Dentrix
Dentrix Ascend
Dentrix Enterprise
Eaglesoft
eCW
ModMed
Open Dental
Can I see the notes about patients' preferred days/times, etc. from existing appointments on my ASAP list?
We support reading appointment notes for Dentrix, Eaglesoft, Open Dental, and Dentrix Enterprise.
How do I edit the default template wording?
There are two templates for Waitlist requests:
Waitlist ASAP Appointment, which is sent when you choose from your ASAP list, for patients who have missed or canceled appointments, and hand-selected patients
Waitlist Continuing Care, which is sent to patients chosen from your continuing care list