Specialist appointments made easy and digital

Monday morning, the back pain is getting worse – but there isn’t an appointment at the practice for at least three weeks.

Things are even more difficult at the dermatologist's: "We won't be taking on new patients for another six months." And then you look at the calendar: When was your last cancer screening?

In everyday life, which is already characterized by appointments and to-dos, doctor's visits are in danger of getting lost between waiting times and forgetfulness.

That's why it makes sense to manage the search for medical appointments more specifically. Digital tools can help with this.

Apps help with appointment searches

When things need to be done quickly, most people pick up the phone. However, callers often have difficulty getting through, are stuck on hold or are put off.

You can get an appointment (or the address of the nearest emergency practice) within seven days by calling the statutory health insurance company's appointment service on 116117, but otherwise you have no free choice of doctor.

This is where digital solutions come into play. For example, one can use the App Doctolib allows you to search for available appointments directly with your own doctor or to use the map function to look for specialists in specific fields near your place of residence.

The digital waiting list involved is particularly practical. As soon as this is activated, patients are informed via push notification about previously available appointments and can book them according to the first-come, first-served principle.

Plan early detection checks early

If you don't want to create stress in the long term, you can also organize all your regular check-ups, for example with the dentist, gynecologist or dermatologist, in one go in advance - if necessary, even for the whole family, if you add the respective relatives to your own user account.

Timely appointment reminders via email or SMS ensure that you don't forget to schedule your examinations. You can find all the information, including the various functions, at doctolib.de.

There are also other options for finding an appointment. For example, if you don't necessarily want to visit the doctor's office, video consultations or digital requests for follow-up prescriptions, referrals or medical reports are a good alternative that can be conveniently done from a distance.

Last but not least, some health insurance companies offer a separate service by telephone or online form to help find the desired doctor's appointment – ​​it's best to check on the respective website.

Sierks Media / © Photo: Alena1919, de.depositphotos.com / Source: djd