Email reminders and the option to cancel appointments with the click of a button have long been a part of the Vaden Health Center’s online services, but patients can now schedule appointments from the comfort of their own computers.

The beta version of the service launched this past summer as a way for patients to schedule annual exams. Clinical Assistant Prof. at the School of Medicine Robyn Tepper, who manages the electronic medical system at Vaden, quickly saw that people were trying to use it to schedule other types of appointments as well. The service has been gradually expanding to include scheduling for injections and routine visits, as well as for more complex issues like anxiety or insomnia.

“We haven’t had to do any kind of advertising because people seem to be finding it on their own,” Tepper said. “The Web appointments are always the first to fill up, even at two in the morning.”

Convenience is the key advantage of the new service since patients can schedule appointments at all hours of the day without having to wait on hold. The new system also alleviates some of the pressure on office phones.

Furthermore, patients can often save time in the office by filling out any required health questionnaires online. This also allows physicians to review the questionnaires beforehand so that they do not have to take the time to do so during the visit.

But the system is not perfect.

According to Tepper, one of the problems with the online interface is that patients tend to click through the forms without reading the instructions, which may contain important details about preparing for appointments.

For this reason, some types of visits cannot be scheduled online. Appointments involving payments not covered by insurance must be made over the phone or in person, along with visits regarding a number of complex health issues.

Tepper also said that some patients have misused the site by signing up for the wrong type of appointment, prompting the office to prepare for the wrong kind of visit.

“People would pick anything just to get an appointment, figuring they could straighten it out upon arrival,” she said. “If the visit you want isn’t there, there’s probably a reason. Call in and check.”

Sometimes, particular appointments are unavailable online simply because all slots are filled. But Tepper said that patients should not be deterred because Vaden also reserves time slots each day for call-ins and urgent care.

“The online system is meant to be an enhancement to Vaden’s services,” Tepper said, “not a replacement.”