Our On-Demand feature is designed to make healthcare services more accessible and convenient for patients. This feature allows you, as a doctor, to provide immediate consultations within your chosen timeframe.
For a complete overview of the guidelines you need to follow when using On-Demand, kindly refer below ⬇️
Enabling On-Demand
To get started with On-Demand Consultation, follow these simple steps:
In your Dashboard, locate the "Available on On-Demand" option.
2. Once you find it, you can set your service fee for On-Demand Consultations.
After setting your fee, click the "Enable" button.
3. Upon enabling, you will see the On-Demand status displayed as a banner on your Dashboard. This banner will be your guide for managing On-Demand requests.
Accepting an On-Demand Appointment Request
Keep an eye on the On-Demand status bar in the banner. When a patient requests an appointment through On-Demand, the status bar will change to "Awaiting Payment." This means a patient has booked a consultation and is in the process of making payment.
2. Once payment is confirmed, the status will change to "Request Received." Click on "VIEW REQUEST" to access the patient's details.
🚨 Note: You have 10 minutes to accept the request.
3. Review the patient's information, including their name and reason for consultation.
To accept the request, click the "ACCEPT" button. Please be aware that you have a limited timeframe to accept the request before it's automatically declined. Make sure to act promptly!
4. After accepting the request, click "SAVE" to confirm the appointment details.
5. You are now ready to start the video call with the patient and proceed with the consultation as you would for any other appointment.
Note: This patient will automatically be queued in your Online Clinic
Ending an On-Demand Consultation
An On-Demand call needs to run for at least 2 minutes 30 seconds before you can end the session.
If you click End Session before that, the session stays open and you will see a message that the call cannot be ended yet. Once you pass the 2 minute 30 second mark, End Session works as normal.
On-Demand consults are meant to start right away, so the session needs to run before it can be closed. This applies even when the call needs to end early, for example the patient never picks up or the booking clearly is not for your specialty.
You cannot turn On Demand back on while a session is open
While an On-Demand session is open you cannot close the session window, and you cannot turn On Demand back on from another page. Refreshing will not release it either.
If you try, you will see:
The prompt shows the patient's name and a Rejoin button. If you navigated away by accident, Rejoin takes you straight back into the consult.
This keeps your current consultation protected, so you are never pulled into a new request while you are still with a patient. It also means that if you accidentally close the page, you can easily jump back in, rather than a patient left hanging.
After an On-Demand Consultation
End the session first. Once the call has run at least 2 minutes 30 seconds, click End Session to close out the consult. The session has to be closed before you can turn On Demand back on for the next patient. After that, decide whether to stay available for On-Demand or disable it until you are ready to use it again.
2. Mark the patient consultation as complete. This action helps maintain an organized record of your consultations.
3. Repeat these steps as needed to provide timely care to patients seeking On-Demand consultations.
4. For ongoing guidance, please refer to the On-Demand Consultation Guidelines here.
Searching for an On-Demand Doctor - Patient's Side
Open the NowServing app, and on the main screen, the patient will see the "Doctors Available Now" section. This will show doctors who are currently available for immediate consultations.
Alternatively, the patient can access the On-Demand option by navigating to the "Find a Doctor" section under the "Doctor's Tab" in the app.
Booking a consultation follows the same process as normal. They will need to fill out a form with relevant information about their medical needs and contact details.
After completing the form, the patient will proceed with the payment for the consultation.
🚨 Note: They have 5 minutes to settle the bill
Once their payment is successfully processed, the status will change to "Waiting for Approval." This means that the appointment request has been sent to you, and they are waiting appointment acceptance.
After you accept the appointment, the status will change to "Accepted" and they're now just waiting for your call.
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
How do I get paid?
Similar to our paywall system, patients will pay for On-Demand upon booking, so there's no need to worry about payment processing. Your earnings for On-Demand will be included in your weekly payouts, just like your regular consultations.
Can I still hold consultations while On-Demand is enabled?
We strongly discourage holding consultations with patients while the On-Demand feature is enabled. The primary goal of On-Demand is to provide immediate assistance to patients who are booking at that moment. Accepting a patient's On-Demand request but not being able to attend to it promptly may lead to a poor patient experience and defeat the purpose of the feature.
What happens if the patient doesn't answer my calls?
If a patient does not answer your call, message them through Messages in your SeriousMD account to check whether they are available. Note that the chat inside the session only works once the call has started, so Messages is the way to reach them before that.
Keep in mind the call still needs to run 2 minutes 30 seconds before you can end the session.
What if my internet connection suddenly doesn't work?
If the call drops or will not connect, refresh the page first rather than ending the session. Then connect again to start the call. Refreshing keeps the session open, so you will not lose the consult.
If your connection still is not stable after that:
Message the patient through Messages in your SeriousMD account to let them know there is a technical problem.
Reschedule the consultation for when your connection is stable.
What if a patient books me for a concern that’s better suited to a different specialist?
If this happens, you may decline the booking. Under Reason for Declining, choose Others and briefly explain why the patient would benefit from seeing another specialist.
6. Why can't I end the call yet?
An On-Demand call has to run for at least 2 minutes 30 seconds before it can be ended. On-Demand consults are meant to start right away, so the session needs to run before it can be closed. Stay on the call and End Session will work once you pass 2:30.
If the reason you are ending early is that the call will not connect, refresh the page and connect again instead.
7. Can I chat the patient instead of calling?
Not in On Demand. On-Demand consultations are call-based. The chat inside the session only becomes available once the call has started, so you will need to start the call first before you can chat there.
If you would rather not be on camera, you can start the call and turn your camera off.
8. How do I message an On-Demand patient before the call starts?
Use Messages inside your SeriousMD account. That is separate from the chat inside the session, and it works before the call begins.
The patient is notified through the NowServing app. They will also get an SMS if you have SMS credits and have SMS notifications for custom messages turned on.
By following these detailed steps, you can ensure a smooth and efficient experience for both you and your patients when using On-Demand. If you have any further questions or need assistance, please don't hesitate to contact us by going to Help > Talk to Us.
