How an AI agent handles a clinic's appointments
When reception is with a patient at the counter, the phone rings unanswered and appointment requests wait. Here is, step by step, how an agent like Luna manages a patient's administrative path, from the first request to the hygiene reminder, without ever giving medical advice.
The problem: the phone and the empty chairs
In a dental clinic, several situations repeat: appointment requests, especially emergencies, go unanswered when reception is busy; last-minute no-shows and cancellations leave empty chairs; and the hygiene recall gets lost when no one follows up with patients who did not rebook on their way out.
Luna is Orvel's agent for dentists and clinics. She answers the phone and texts, books and confirms appointments, reminds patients and answers common questions. She prepares and follows up; your team decides and approves.
From the new request to the appointment
A patient's path has eight stages: New request, Waiting list, Appointment booked, Confirmed, Attended, No-show (to reschedule), To recall (follow-up), Active patient.
When a request arrives, a callback task is created for the same day: call the patient back within the hour to offer an appointment, with priority if the request is marked urgent. A welcome email tells them they will be called and asks them to bring their health insurance card and private insurance information, if any. Luna asks the questions on your intake form, no more, and offers only the slots the clinic has opened.
- Appointment type: new patient, hygiene recall, emergency, consultation or planned follow-up.
- Urgent request: it rises to the top of the list; the clinical assessment is still done by your team.
- Preferred contact channel: text, email or phone.
- Insurer or plan: private insurance, RAMQ (child), federal dental care plan, no insurance or to verify.
Confirmation and the day-before reminder
The day after the appointment is booked, the confirmation goes out by email, after checking text-message consent. It explains that the patient can change the appointment by replying or calling as early as possible, which lets you offer the slot to another patient.
The day before, a reminder text asks the patient to reply YES to confirm or call to change, and notes they can reply STOP to stop receiving texts. The reply is recorded. This step reduces empty chairs, without promising anything about the no-show rate.
No-shows, cancellations and the waiting list
If the patient does not show up, the file moves to "No-show (to reschedule)" and a task calls for reaching out the next day, without blame. The standard text says: "No worries: would you like us to find a new slot?" The file also counts no-shows without notice, to apply the clinic's cancellation policy.
When a slot frees up, Luna relies on the waiting list: she offers the slot by text to patients who agreed to be called on short notice, with the instruction to reply YES within the next few minutes. Your reception validates the assignment.
After the visit and the hygiene recall
Once the patient has attended, a short thank-you is sent and they are offered to book the next appointment right away if not already done. The clinic sets a recall frequency for each patient (3, 4, 6, 9 or 12 months), which computes the next recall date.
At the "To recall (follow-up)" stage, a task calls for contacting the patient to offer a hygiene appointment. If an active patient has not been seen for 365 days, a follow-up invites them to get back in touch with the clinic. The message always includes an unsubscribe link.
What the agent never does
Luna's limits are clear and not negotiable:
- She never gives medical advice or a diagnosis.
- For an emergency, she follows the clinic's protocol; in case of danger, she directs to 911.
- She applies your confidentiality rules and hands over to reception.
- She records no clinical detail in texts or in the file: the clinical record stays in the clinic's software.
- She sends no text without recorded consent.
How to follow the results
Five indicators help you see what is happening: no-show rate, cancellations filled, hygiene recall rate, new requests converted and first-response time. Review them with your team and adjust the messages as needed. None of these figures is a promise: they serve to spot what works and what snags.
An eight-stage path, reminders that respect the patient's choice and strict limits help fill the schedule better without ever encroaching on the clinical team's role. Luna handles the administrative side; the decision stays with your clinic.
General information, not legal advice. Check with your professional order or the official source.
Questions
Can Luna answer a question about a treatment?
No. She never gives medical advice or a diagnosis. She hands over to your team, and for anything involving fees and treatment plans, the dentist explains.
What does Luna do in an emergency?
She follows the clinic's protocol. If someone is in danger, she directs them to 911. The clinical assessment is still done by your team.
Who decides to grant a freed slot?
Your team. Luna offers the slot to waiting-list patients who agreed to short notice, and reception validates.
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