How to schedule a doctor’s appointment

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Overview

There are many reasons you might need to schedule a doctor’s appointment, from regular health checkups to receiving prescriptions to help manage chronic conditions. Whatever your situation, it’s important to know how to make an appointment with a healthcare professional.

If you’ve never made a doctor’s appointment, you might not know where to start. Some people may also experience anxiety around making appointments. Knowing more about the process can make seeking healthcare easier and help you start your health journey as soon as possible.

Preparing to make the appointment

Before you begin to schedule an appointment, the first step is to research what type of appointment and professional will be right for you.

Type of appointment

First, think about what you’d like to discuss with a doctor. This can help guide your decision on which kind of professional will be right for you. For example, if you’d like to discuss a skin concern, you might want to research dermatologists near you. For sexual health queries, you will likely want to look for sexual health clinics.

There are different online tools that can help you find the right healthcare professional for you, such as Medicare and Healthgrades.

Location

Travel distance is also a common barrier to healthcare access, especially for people who live in rural areas. You can research which services are closest to you to make it easier to schedule a convenient appointment.

According to some 2024 research, people from rural areas had to travel further for specialist services rather than general appointments. For a first appointment, it may be better to schedule a general appointment before seeking a specialist.

Insurance

If you have health insurance, your provider might affect your decision on which healthcare professional to visit.

Individual health insurance plans usually have a specific network of healthcare professionals that they work with to provide special rates, known as in-network providers. It’s typically cheaper to visit an in-network professional because your insurance will pay for more of the costs.

You can still visit out-of-network doctors, but you may need to pay a little more for their services.

Looking into your insurance plan can help you narrow down which healthcare professional you’d like to schedule an appointment with.

Making the appointment

After you’ve completed your research and know which healthcare professional you’d like to contact, you’re ready to make an appointment.

Over the phone

Calling the practice directly is generally the most reliable way to make an appointment. You can usually find the telephone number on their website. Make sure to check their opening hours before you make the call. You may get through to an automated line or join a virtual queue before reaching a receptionist.

Before calling, make sure you have all of your information ready. This includes personal information like your name and date of birth, the reason for your appointment, and health insurance information. It may also be handy to have a few dates and times in mind that could work for your appointment, although you may need to be flexible.

By email

Making an appointment via email is less common than by phone, and not every practice offers this option. If it is an option, this information will be on their website alongside the best email address to contact.

It’s important to make sure you clearly provide all the necessary details in your email, including the following:

• your name
• your date of birth
• a contact number
• the reason for your appointment
• preferred dates and times
• insurance information, if applicable

Through online portals

Many healthcare practices now offer online portals to book appointments. According to 2017 research, the use of these systems has been steadily increasing, and they provide several benefits, such as convenience. Many people report being satisfied with these services.

What these services look like will vary with the individual practice and their own systems. However, the process will typically involve filling out a questionnaire about the reason for your appointment. You will likely need to create an account or leave your contact details.

Scheduling online care appointments

Some people may be nervous about requesting a doctor’s appointment due to anxiety around making phone calls, a form of social anxiety known as telephobia. Not every doctor’s office offers online portals to book appointments online. You may also have difficulty finding the right doctor near you.

Online care services, including Optum Perks Online Care, may make getting treatment easier. With these services, you can submit an online form answering a few questions about your symptoms, and a US-licensed healthcare professional will respond soon after to prescribe a treatment plan.

Summary

No matter your individual health situation, regular doctor’s appointments are important. Regular checkups can help identify any concerns before they potentially progress to something more serious, or they can help manage any existing conditions and monitor your medications.

There are many ways you can schedule doctor’s appointments — most notably, by phone, via email, or through online portals. You may also consider using online care services to make virtual appointments.

Before making your appointment, make sure you’ve done your research and know what you want to discuss with the doctor.

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