How the Auto Waitlist Manager works
When a patient cancels, DoctorConnect texts the patients on your waitlist who match that opening, and gives the slot to whoever claims it first. Your staff approves the claim before the schedule changes. During business hours the whole exchange usually takes minutes.
The five steps, start to finish
Nothing here requires a phone call.
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A patient cancels
Someone replies to an appointment reminder to cancel, or your staff cancels in the schedule. The opening registers automatically. It makes no difference whether the cancellation arrived two minutes ago or yesterday.
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The system finds matching patients
It searches your waitlist for patients whose requested provider, location and appointment type match the opening. You choose which of those fields have to match.
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Matching patients get a text
Each one receives a message with a link to claim the slot. You set how many patients to contact per opening and how long to wait between messages.
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First to respond gets the slot
The patient taps the link and confirms. Anyone who taps later sees a message that the appointment has already been filled and that they remain on the waitlist.
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Your office approves
The claim appears as Claimed-Pending with Accept and Reject buttons. Nothing is final until your staff accepts, so you keep control of the schedule.
What the patient receives
Patients are never left guessing. Every outcome has its own message, including the ones where they do not get the appointment.
- The invitation text naming the date and time|A claim screen with the provider and time, and Yes or No buttons|A confirmation that the office has been notified|A clear message if someone else claimed it first|A clear message if the link expired or the time has passed
What your staff sees
The Waitlist Manager shows who is waiting, how long they have been waiting, and which claims need a decision. Accepting a claim takes one click.
- Tiles track patients waiting, claimed spots and claims still needing action|Claims that need a decision are flagged for review|Accept or Reject without leaving the screen|Sample data shown
Settings your office controls
The waitlist should follow your rules, not the other way around.
- Min Days Before Appt: how far out an opening must be. Set to 0 to allow today's openings|Min Hours Before Appt: your safety buffer, so nothing starting within that window is offered|Minimum Match Columns: which fields must match, from location, provider and appointment type|Max Patients Per Cancel: how many patients hear about one opening|Delay Between Msgs: minutes between invitations|Links Expire Same Day: whether claim links stop working at end of day|Test Mode: run the whole flow without sending real messages
Keep the wrong appointments out of it
Not every opening should go to the waitlist. Exclude appointment types that need preparation, and limit the waitlist to specific providers.
- Excluded appointment types are skipped entirely, even when a matching patient is waiting|New patient visits and procedures can be held back|Provider filters keep the waitlist to the schedules you choose
Questions we get about the waitlist
How fast are patients notified when a slot opens?
During business hours, roughly 8:00 AM to 9:00 PM US Central, patients are typically notified within minutes of the opening appearing.
Can it fill same-day cancellations?
Yes. Set Min Days Before Appt to 0 so today's openings qualify. With no buffer configured, an opening can be offered right up until its start time. Set Min Hours Before Appt if your staff needs lead time.
What stops the wrong patient from getting an appointment?
Matching rules and your approval. A patient is only offered a slot when the fields you chose match, you can exclude appointment types entirely, and every claim waits for staff to accept before the schedule changes.
What happens if two patients claim the same slot?
The first claim wins. Anyone who taps afterward sees a message saying the appointment has been filled and that they remain on the waitlist for future openings.
Do patients have to be added by staff?
No. With patient self-add enabled, patients are invited to join the waitlist when they book an appointment far enough out. Staff can still add patients manually at any time.
How long do claim links stay valid?
You choose. Links can expire at the end of the day they are sent, after a set number of hours, or a set number of hours before the appointment starts. Patients who open an expired link are told they are still on the waitlist.
Can we test it before going live?
Yes. Test Mode runs the full flow without sending messages to patients.
How do patients join the waitlist on their own?
When a patient books an appointment far enough in the future, they receive a second text alongside their confirmation asking whether they want to be notified if something earlier opens up. The opt-in takes two taps by design, so a link preview cannot enroll someone by accident.
See it running on your own schedule
We will show you the waitlist filling a real opening, and what your staff sees when it happens.
Talk to our team