Online booking for physiotherapy assistants

Who does what in a practice is set by the physiotherapist and the practice's organisation. Around individual treatment, some sessions an assistant may lead fit a booking page well: exercise classes with a fixed number of places, balance groups for older patients, supervised hours in the practice gym, and short reviews of a home exercise programme the physiotherapist has prescribed.

Each becomes a service on the practice's page, with a description saying who it is for, who runs it, what to wear and what to bring. Patients pick a date and book without an account.

A class is only as good as the space and the attention you can give each person. Set the number of places on each slot, for example eight for a back class or five for the gym hour: every patient books one place, and when the slot is full it no longer appears. When a patient signs up at the desk, book the place for them from the calendar.

Classes that run every week are quick to set up: create the slot once and repeat it on the weekdays you choose until an end date, such as the end of a ten-week programme.

Patients book with their first name, last name, email and phone, plus an optional note, and receive a confirmation email. The practice receives an email for each new booking. To move or cancel a class, use the bookings list and let participants know. The calendar syncs with Google, iPhone or Mac, and the page shows times in the practice's time zone, with its name displayed.

Book handles appointments and places, not payments or patient records. It costs €5/month, everything included: unlimited bookings and services, no commission, no contract.