The final step is to configure your Booking Links. This will provide you with a URL for your patients to book their appointments online.
Booking Links provide you with a URL that your patients can use to book their appointments online. This URL is often placed on a website, or sent out via email to patients.
Prerequisites
- Ensure you have already configured your Appointment Types and Booking Schedule(s) before configuring your Booking Links.
To set up a Booking Link:
- Log in to the Ocean Portal, open the 'Menu', and select 'Online Booking'.
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- Click the 'Settings' button.
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- Next to the 'Booking Links' heading, click 'Configure'.
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- Click 'Add Booking Link'
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- Consult the 'Booking Link Settings/Configuration Options' section below for details on each setting and configuration option available within the Booking Link.
- Click the 'Save' button at the bottom of the page.
- After saving, the URL for your Booking Link will be generated at made available under the 'Booking Links' heading within the Online Booking Settings page.
Booking Link Settings/Configuration Options
- Booking Link Name
- Enter a descriptive name for your Booking Link. This name will only be visible in the online booking configuration page in the Ocean Portal. It will not be seen by patients. An example name could be “Dr. Kavanagh’s Online Booking Link” if only Dr. Kavangh’s schedule is hosted using this link. If multiple Booking Schedules are being hosted on this single link, you may use a more generic name such as “[Your Clinic Name] Online Booking Link”.
- Linked Directory Listing
- Select the Directory Listing to be associated with this Booking Link. Contact information from the Directory Listing will appear on the confirmation page and confirmation email sent to patients once an appointment has been successfully booked. The logo from the selected Directory Listing will be visible on the online booking landing page.
- Who can book into this link?
- Restrict your online booking link to only allow patients with an existing chart in your EMR to book, or allow brand new patients (no existing chart in the EMR) to book online. To learn more about how brand new patients can book online, please refer to this article: Can brand new patients book appointments online?
- Authentication Type
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Choose if patients should authenticate using their Health Number, or an Alternate ID*.
Note: Ocean does not support new patient chart creation using Alternate IDs.
- Alternate ID Label*
- If Alternate ID is chosen as the Authentication Type, enter the label that will be displayed to patients during check-in (e.g., "Student Number").
- Bookable Schedules
- Select the Booking Schedule(s) that will be available for patients to book using this link.
- If your Booking Schedule has an Alternate Configuration(s), each configuration version will be listed independently for you to select. You can host multiple Alternate Configurations within a single Booking Link, as long as each alternate configuration has a unique 'Patient Facing Schedule Name'.
- Introductory Message
- Optional. This message will appear on your online booking link's landing page. You can choose to provide a welcome message to patients, or even additional information about online booking at your clinic.
- You can apply basic formatting including bold, italicized, and underlined text, as well as bulleted or numbered bullet lists.
- What action message should the patient be shown when there are no schedules available for them to book into?
- Optional. This message will appear to patients when they are ineligible to book into the Booking Schedule(s) hosted on this booking link.
- If 'Default' is selected, patients will see the following message: "Sorry, we are unable to process your check-in. There are no appointment schedules available to use for online booking. Please contact the office in the usual manner to book an appointment."
- If 'Custom' is selected, you can add your own instructions to the end of the message: "Sorry, we are unable to process your check-in. There are no appointment schedules available to use for online booking. [your custom message here]"
- If 'None' is selected, patients will see the following message: "Sorry, we are unable to process your check-in. There are no appointment schedules available to use for online booking."
A Note About Embedding Online Booking Links and Using iFrames
It is recommended that you do NOT embed your online booking link in an HTML iFrame. Embedded iFrames may not always load or layout properly in web browsers, which can lead to usability and reliability problems for you and your patients.