When a patient receives an appointment link by email, and the practice takes any action that alters the validity or status of that appointment before the patient responds, the system expires the link and displays a prompt based on the latest state of the appointment. If the calendar is trimmed or deleted, or if a block is added on the appointment slot, the appointment is treated as canceled and the patient sees the message in bold: “This appointment is already canceled by the practice.” followed by the practice information shown on the previous page. 

If the appointment status is updated by the practice before the patient interacts with the link, the message shown to the patient depends on the new status. If the status is ‘Canceled’, the prompt reads: “This appointment is already canceled by the practice.” If the status is ‘Confirmed’, the prompt reads: “This appointment is already confirmed by the practice.” For all other statuses such as checked-in, checked-out, no-show, rescheduled, or wait list, the prompt reads: “This appointment is currently being processed by the practice.” In the case of a confirmed appointment, if the workflow allows, the patient may still proceed to cancel the appointment. 

If a provider note or a co-pay is added before the patient responds to the email, or if the appointment is converted to a tele-visit, the link expires and displays the message: “This appointment is currently being processed by the practice.” 

If the appointment link is accessed after the scheduled date and time of the appointment, the system displays the prompt: “This link has expired.” This message overrides all other status-based prompts. These changes apply across both manually and automatically processed appointment confirmations. 

What’s New?

With this update, the appointment link accessed by patients through email now displays the latest status of the appointment if any updates occur before the patient responds. This ensures that patients receive the correct prompt and take appropriate next steps based on the appointment’s updated state.

How This Benefits You

• Accurate and Up-to-Date Information – Patients will always see the most current appointment details, reducing confusion and miscommunication.

• Improved Patient Engagement – Ensures that patients take timely actions based on real-time appointment changes.

• Enhanced Workflow Efficiency – Minimizes scheduling conflicts and administrative follow-ups due to outdated appointment statuses.

This enhancement strengthens patient communication, ensuring a seamless scheduling experience while improving operational efficiency.