Buffer time

Definition

Buffer time is free time before or after an appointment that keeps the doctor, room or device blocked as well; it is set aside for room preparation, cleaning and writing notes, and does not change the appointment length the patient sees.

How much buffer time should you add?

There is no general figure; it depends on the procedure. Add it after procedures that need cleaning and preparation, after consultations with long notes, and on the device resource for procedures tied to a single device. Too much buffer means empty slots, too little means running late.

Adjust the starting value after two weeks by looking at real delays. Buffer is not shown to the patient on the booking page; it only decides which times the calendar offers as free.

Calendar, week view: consultations, 3D scans, implant, hair transplant and rhinoplasty surgeries and phone pre-consultations of three practitioners, Monday to Saturday. — The week calendar: appointments and the time they hold, by doctor and room.Real product screen · fictional sample data

Related reading

GlossaryOnline booking pageAn online booking page is a web page where patients see a clinic's free times and book an appointment themselves, or leave a booking request, without having to phone.
Guides8 min readHow to set up online appointment booking for a clinicTo set up online booking, define your appointment types and durations, decide which doctor, room and device each needs, add buffer time between them and choose whether a booking is confirmed instantly or on approval. Then enter opening hours and time off, pick reminder times and add the booking page to your website as a link or an embedded widget. The system must stop the same resource being booked twice at the same time. It does not replace MHRS: MHRS is Türkiye’s public hospital and family-doctor booking system, while a private clinic’s appointments are managed in its own system.
ProductScheduling and online bookingIn Klinikbook you manage practitioner, room and device calendars for every location on one screen, and the database itself prevents double bookings. Patients book on your online booking page or a widget on your site and get e-mail reminders.
GlossaryNo-showA no-show is a patient who misses an appointment without cancelling or letting the clinic know. The empty slot is lost income and time that could have gone to another patient.

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