What is overbooking and how is it managed in Epic?

Overbooking is a common practice in appointment scheduling, particularly in healthcare settings, where providers anticipate that not all scheduled patients will show up for their appointments. By scheduling more appointments than there are available time slots, healthcare organizations can maximize their resource use and maintain more efficient patient flow. This strategy helps minimize downtime for healthcare providers and ensures that patient access to care remains a priority.

In the context of Epic, managing overbooking involves systematically handling the potential for patient no-shows and cancellations. This may include utilizing patient reminder systems, monitoring appointment trends, and analyzing data to predict attendance patterns. The goal is to balance patient access with efficient use of clinical time, thereby improving overall service delivery.

In contrast, scheduling fewer appointments intentionally does not align with the concept of overbooking, as this would limit access rather than optimize it. Increasing staff availability offers a solution to accommodate more patients but does not directly define the mechanism of overbooking itself. Likewise, patient feedback forms may help improve services but do not play a direct role in the management or definition of overbooking in an appointment scheduling context.