Rayan FaroukYou are consistently on the run, every minute matters, from the moment the clinic opens until you close for the day. The way the dental clinic manages the appointments can slightly impact both patient satisfaction and clinic efficiency. So managing the operations is crucial to keep the clinic running smoothly. One of the helpful ways is the use of appointment statuses. Whether in real-life scenarios or within Balsam Medico, properly utilizing appointment statuses can make a world of difference.
Appointment statuses are labels that indicate the current state or progress of an appointment. These include statuses like “Scheduled”, “Waiting”, “Unconfirmed”, “In visit”, “Finished” and “No Show”. In Balsam Medico, these statuses are colour-coded for easy identification.
1. Scheduled: When the appointment has been made and confirmed by both sides
2. Waiting: When the patient arrives at the appointment and is in the waiting area of the clinic
3. Unconfirmed: When the appointment is made but unsure if the patient will commit or not
4. In visit: When the patient has entered the examination room and has started the visit
5. Finished: When the visit is complete and the patient has left the examination room
6. No show: When the appointment is made but the patient has not shown up to it
How to change appointment statuses in Balsam Medico?
You can change the status in the appointment details pop-up box, at the bottom of the box, you can find a Set button, when clicked, a drop-down list shows all the statuses. Select the desired status and the appointment status will be changed. Each status has a colour that corresponds to it.
So why do appointment statuses matter?
In a busy clinic environment, keeping track of where each appointment stands isn’t just helpful—it’s essential. Appointment statuses serve as real-time indicators of a patient’s journey through the clinic. By accurately assigning each appointment a status—such as Scheduled, In Visit, Cancelled, No Show, or Finished—your team can instantly assess the situation and take appropriate action. For example, if a patient is marked as No Show, the front desk team can promptly follow up to reschedule or gather feedback, preventing delays and improving patient retention.
These statuses aren’t just operational—they’re also analytical. Over time, patterns begin to emerge. If your clinic notices repeated Late or Cancelled statuses for specific time slots, service types, or providers, it may be time to re-evaluate scheduling practices, improve communication strategies, or introduce automated appointment reminders. According to recent healthcare workflow studies, clinics that actively use appointment status tracking see up to 25% improvement in operational efficiency and a 15–20% reduction in missed appointments.
Moreover, appointment statuses provide a macro view of daily clinic performance. For clinic owners and managers, reviewing appointment flows—how many are still Scheduled, how many are In Visit, and how many have been Completed—gives a live pulse of productivity throughout the day. This kind of insight helps in making informed decisions, reallocating staff when needed, and optimizing room usage.
When integrated with systems like NABIDH Health Information Exchange (HIE), assigning appointment statuses becomes even more impactful. NABIDH requires specific status updates—Scheduled, In Visit, and Finished—to be sent to their platform to ensure appointment tracking is accurate and compliant with Dubai Health Authority (DHA) standards. These updates create a synchronized, transparent record of a patient’s visit across the healthcare ecosystem, supporting better continuity of care.
In short, while appointment statuses may seem like a minor administrative detail, they are in fact a cornerstone of smart clinic management. They help reduce chaos, improve internal coordination, and offer a rich source of data for long-term planning.
For more help in changing the appointment statuses in Medico, contact our customer success team! We are always ready to help you take your clinic to the next step!
To learn more about managing your clinics, improving your operations and increasing your patient satisfaction, follow us on all our socials and keep reading our blogs.
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