National Register

The National Register is Health Focus’s fully automated online system for patient bookings. A patient makes an appointment online with the practitioner, the practice confirms it, and the confirmation is sent to the patient. Nobody has to answer the phone. It matters because patients look online first. A 2023 Experian Health survey, reported by TechTarget, found that three quarters of patients said the most important digital service a provider can offer is the ability to book appointments online or on a mobile device. A register puts your practice where patients are looking and takes them from finding you to booking without a call.

The confirmation matters too. It tells the patient that the booking is real, and reminders work: a Cochrane review of eight trials found that text message reminders increase attendance compared with no reminders or postal reminders, although the effect is modest and the wording matters. Patients who book online also give you their details, so privacy needs care. Under POPIA an online form is processing of personal information, and the details about your practice that patients see should be accurate and match what you say offline, on your website and on the phone.

It is a fully automated online system, and it is a standard Eminance feature, so there is no extra program to buy or install. The patient chooses an appointment with the practitioner, the practice confirms it and the confirmation is sent to the patient. It is accessible from anywhere there is internet, from a phone, tablet or computer, so your patients can book at any hour and you can confirm from wherever you are.

It works with the rest of Eminance. The National Register integrates seamlessly with our patient portal, and every new booking is synchronised with your Eminance appointment calendar after verification. The online diary can be configured per practice, including how many days into the future a patient may book, and it automatically searches for the first available opening. It also integrates fully with our tele-medicine, so a video consultation can be booked with a link sent by SMS.

You stay in control. You maintain and control your data, and you decide where and when bookings are allowed, in a controlled, secure environment. New patients capture their own information online, so there are no forms to complete on arrival, and existing patients log in with a one-time PIN.

It does more than take bookings. Through the patient portal your patients can check their next appointment, see a reminder to book, view and print their statements and make online payments, and optometry patients can order contact lenses. Health Focus was the first to create a national online register, and you can try it and sign up for free.