- A request, a provider offer, and a confirmed new appointment are different events.
- Record dates and ownership; route clinical questions outside the scheduling list.
- Give each employee one current appointment and confirm it privately.
Set the rules before the first reminder
Ask the provider for its change deadline, available replacement sessions, any charges, and how it verifies who is expected. Ask your clinical lead whether appointment preparation, timing, or the approved participant group limits substitutions. A colleague volunteering to fill a gap is not automatically a suitable substitute.
Give employees one private scheduling contact and a separate clinical contact. A coordinator can ask which dates an employee can attend. If the employee raises a health question affecting attendance, offer the clinical route without asking them to explain symptoms in a roster or team chat.
Use a short private reply
“Thanks for letting us know. I have marked your [date/time] appointment as change requested. Your slot is not changed yet. Would [option A] or [option B] work? I will check the provider's availability and send a confirmation. If you need advice about preparation or a health concern, please contact [clinical contact] privately.”
If no appointment alternatives are confirmed, replace the options with a date for an update. For a shift swap, check release with the supervisor and confirm each person's appointment with the provider. Send each employee their own details; do not forward one person's original appointment record to the other.
Reconcile at the end of the session
Use a few clear statuses: booked, change requested, rebooked, attended, and awaiting contact. Give each person one current status and keep the original appointment reference with the coordinator. Mark a missed slot as an operational event, not a medical finding, a refusal, or a disciplinary conclusion.
Example: a driver misses a Tuesday slot because a delivery ran late. The clinic confirms Thursday at 10 a.m.; the coordinator checks shift cover, updates the roster, and sends the new details. If Thursday is only a possibility, the status stays change requested. Review unresolved cases with the designated coordinator at the agreed time, and reconcile any missed-slot charges against the confirmed booking terms.
About this guide
An original HealthSoGood planning guide. Examples and templates are illustrative; replace assumptions with the details confirmed by your team and provider.