If your clinic has this enabled, direct messages to patients are able to be sent with a link to book an appointment or to upload images and forms.
There are two main use cases for this:
A patient is on the phone trying to book their appointment and you need them to upload a form (e.g. requisition) or image (e.g. photos of areas of concern). Solution: You can use the ‘Send Request’ button to send the patient a link to upload the info you need.
You have a busy reception and a patient was unable to book their next appointment (in-person or over the phone). Solution: When you have a moment, you can use the ‘Send Request’ button to send the patient a link to an appointment request chat, where they can book their appointment.
How it works:
Select the template you want to send, fill in the patient's phone number and/or email address, and assign the task to yourself or someone on your team.
Click ‘Send Appointment Request Link’. The patient will receive the message instantly and can begin filling in their appointment request.
If you want to add or change an appointment request template, submit a request here.
Currently, Mikata handles Booking tasks, allowing patients to request or book appointments online through an interactive chatbot. Clinics have three types of booking options to choose from, providing flexibility based on their needs:
1. Basic Appointment Requests
Patients select a general day of the week and time of day that works best for them. Your team reviews the request and manually books the patient into the EMR based on availability.
Use case: Ideal for clinics where appointment scheduling requires more hands-on management.
Fallback option: If a patient can't find an appropriate time in an advanced request or autobooking, or are not associated with an exisiting patient file, they will be redirected to a basic appointment request.
Notifications: Required for this task type to keep both clinic and patient informed.
2. Advanced Appointment Requests
Patients select specific days and times for their appointment. Your team reviews the request and schedules the patient into the EMR, if possible, based on the chosen slots.
Use case: Best for patients who prefer to choose exact times but still require confirmation from the clinic.
Notifications: Required to update patients on their booking status.
3. Autobooking
Patients choose from real-time available appointment slots in your EMR and book directly into the EMR without requiring clinic review or approval.
Use case: Perfect for streamlining appointment scheduling for exisiting patients in the EMR.
Restrictions: Only available to patients with an existing EMR chart. Optionally, you can limit it to patients with a designated primary provider.
The Dashboard and Quick Panel in the Inbox are designed to streamline your workflow, offering a clear view of all booking requests and task assignments. With these features, you can manage tasks efficiently without navigating away from your main interface.
The Dashboard is the first place you'll see when you access the Inbox feature. It provides a summary of all tasks, neatly organized into actionable categories, such as:
Tasks are divided into three sections to help you prioritize and track progress:
To-do: Displays new and in-progress tasks.
Done: Displays completed tasks.
All: Displays new, in-progress, and completed tasks.
Effortlessly refine your task list using the search bar or advanced filtering options:
Search Bar: Search tasks by a specific word or phrase to quickly locate relevant items.
Task Type: View tasks within a specific category (e.g., new, completed) or all tasks together.
Assigned to: View tasks based on which team member is responsible.
Advanced Filter: Set multiple criteria (e.g., booking type, location, reason for appointment, provider) to find tasks that match your needs.
Sort tasks by different attributes to prioritize or organize your workflow more efficiently:
Assignee: Organize alphabetically ("A to Z" or "Z to A").
Task Status: Sort tasks from "New to Complete" or "Complete to New."
Created Time: View tasks from newest to oldest or oldest to newest.
Select multiple tasks at once to assign them in bulk to specific team members, reducing the need for individual updates and streamlining your workflow.
Assign tasks to clinic staff directly from the Inbox, enabling efficient handling of booking requests. You can assign or reassign tasks to different team members as needed.
Update the status of tasks to reflect their progress. Tasks can be updated with the following statuses:
Ready (New): Initial status for all new tasks.
Waiting on Input: Indicates the request is in progress, but awaiting input from another team or member (e.g., triaging).
Booked: Appointment successfully booked in the EMR/RIS.
Auto Booked: The system automatically booked the appointment.
Unable to Book: The task was reviewed but could not be completed.
Insufficient Info: An appointment was booked, but a follow-up with the patient is required.
Not a Request: The task was invalid or irrelevant (e.g., spam).
Once a task reaches a "completed" status (Booked, Unable to Book, Insufficient Info, or Not a Request), it moves from the To-do list to the Done list.
Note: Changing a task's status to "Booked" does not automatically book the appointment; you will still need to complete this step separately.
Bulk Selection: Select one or multiple tasks for bulk action.
Task Type: An icon that indicates the type of request (Appointment Request, Request with Times, Auto Book).
Recipient: Displays the patient’s name, along with a green checkmark if the patient is verified.
Assign to: Displays the clinic user assigned to the request. You can click this link to assign/unassign the task.
Status: Displays the current task status, which could be new, in progress, or complete.
Reason: Displays the patient’s reason for the appointment or request (e.g., reschedule/cancel).
Task Details: Brief details about the task, such as location, time, provider, and booking status.
Created at: The date and time when the patient submitted the request.
View More: Opens the full task details page for further action.
The Quick Panel allows you to manage tasks without needing to leave the Inbox dashboard. By clicking on any task row, the Quick Panel will slide open, giving you instant access to key task information. This panel is designed to save time and reduce the need for navigating between pages.
In the Quick Panel, you can view:
View Task Type: Identify the type of request (e.g., booking request, follow-up).
Recipient and Created Info: See the patient’s name and the date/time when the request was created, along with the verified patient indicator.
Assigned Staff: See who is responsible for handling the task. You can click this link to assign/unassign the task.
Task Status: View and update the task’s current status (e.g., Ready, Waiting on Input, Booked).
Task Summary: Access key details like chat transcripts, patient information, and the request timeline.
View Full Task Details: Click to expand and see the complete task details page.
Clicking the View icon at the end of a task row opens the Task Details Page, where you can access a comprehensive overview of the task. This page includes the full timeline of interactions, task status updates, and any additional information necessary for processing the request.
Assigned & Booking Status: Displays which clinic user has been assigned to the task and its current booking status. Click the fields to update or change assignments or status directly from the page.
Chat Summary: Displays key information submitted by the patient during the appointment request or booking process.
Attachments: Shows any files uploaded by the patient (if available). You can download these files as PDFs. Note: Files are available for 30 days before they expire.
Chat Report: A summarized version of the patient’s responses to follow-up questions or any other information provided during the booking chat.
Chat Transcript: A complete record of all messages exchanged between Mikata and the patient, including automated messages.
Timeline: A detailed log of changes made to a patient's appointments, online requests, or demographic information. You can scroll through the timeline or use sorting options like Oldest to Newest or Newest to Oldest. For specific details, use 'Command + F' to search through the timeline.
The Task Status and Progress section helps you understand how tasks move through different stages, from the moment they are created to their completion. Managing the status of tasks is key to keeping your workflow organized and ensuring that booking requests are handled efficiently.
Tasks in the Inbox can be assigned one of several statuses to indicate their current state. Here’s a breakdown of each:
Ready (New): This is the initial status for any new task or booking request that comes into the system. It indicates that the task has not yet been processed or assigned.
Waiting on Input: This status shows that the task is in progress but requires further input, either from another team, a patient, or external information (e.g., for triaging). The task will remain here until the needed information is provided.
Booked: Indicates that the task was successfully completed, meaning an appointment was booked in the EMR/RIS without needing a phone call to the patient. Once marked as booked, the task moves to the Done list.
Auto Booked: This status signifies that the request was automatically processed and booked successfully without manual intervention. Like "Booked," this moves the task to the Done list.
Unable to Book: This status shows that the booking request was reviewed but couldn't be completed. For example, the patient couldn’t be reached, or the available times were unsuitable. The task is marked as complete and moves to Done.
Insufficient Info: This status means the request was completed with some manual intervention required, such as contacting the patient to fill in missing details. Once finished, the task moves to Done.
Not a Request: Indicates that the task was reviewed and determined to be invalid, such as spam or a mistaken submission. It is marked complete and moved to Done.
To-do: When a new task comes in or is actively being worked on but hasn't yet been resolved, it stays in the to do category. Tasks can remain here while waiting for additional information or while being actively processed.
Done: Once a task has been marked with a final status such as "Booked," "Auto Booked," or "Unable to Book," it is automatically moved to the Done section of the Inbox. These tasks are considered completed and no longer appear in the active task list.
All: All tasks—whether open, in-progress, or completed—are located in the "All" section. This gives you a comprehensive view of every task's status.
You can manually update the status of a task as progress is made. However, switching a task to "Booked" will not automatically book the appointment; it simply marks the task as complete for tracking purposes.
Tasks that have moved to Done can be reversed by navigating to the Archive section and changing the status back to "Ready." This is useful if further action is required on a previously completed task.
The ability to update and manage task statuses ensures that your team can always track what has been completed and what still requires attention. The clear distinction between "To-do," "Done," and "All" tasks helps streamline workflows and ensures that no task falls through the cracks.
You can also subscribe to email notifications at any time to keep up to date with any task that require review.
The Inbox feature is your centralized hub for receiving, managing, and organizing booking-related tasks submitted by patients through the appointment booking/request chat. This feature simplifies task management, allowing clinic staff to efficiently handle booking requests, update task statuses, and assign tasks to others with ease.
What’s Inside:
Dashboard and Quick Panel Learn how to navigate the Inbox dashboard and make the most of the Quick Panel for rapid task management. Quickly access essential information and update tasks without leaving the main view.
Task Details Page Get a complete overview of each task by exploring the Task Details Page. Understand how to access comprehensive task histories, view important details, and track task progress through detailed timelines.
Task Status and Progress Discover how tasks move through different statuses, such as "In Progress," "Booked," or "Unable to Book." This section also explains what happens when a task is completed and how it transitions to the "Done" section.
Send a Request (Add-On) Discover how to send booking or appointment requests directly from the Inbox. This section covers how to utilize this add-on feature, simplifying the process of initiating patient communications or follow-up actions.
Task Types Understand the different types of tasks you’ll manage, from booking requests to follow-ups. This section breaks down task categories and explains how to handle each effectively to keep your operations running smoothly.
Instant Access: View and update task details quickly without leaving the inbox.
Quick Updates: Modify task information in real-time through the Quick Panel.
Advanced Filtering: Use search and filter options to narrow down tasks and find relevant information faster.
Task Management: Efficiently assign and track tasks, keeping your team informed and on top of bookings.