Schedule an appointment

Schedule, manage, and fulfil time-bound interactions (such as appointments, visits, or sessions). The pattern aligns with the GovStack Scheduler building block and the GovStack messaging building block.

Users jobs to be done:

• choose a suitable time and place for a service interaction understand what options are available and why

• confirm, change, or cancel a booking when circumstances change

• receive clear confirmation and reminders

Steps

Scheduling an appointment may be triggered:

• as part of a broader service flow

• by a notification to user

• when user seeks out a scheduling service

1. Check eligibility

Before scheduling proceeds, the service may need to determine whether the user is eligible and what constraints apply.

Use the check eligibility functional pattern.

Let users view availability before authentication, unless identity is required to determine valid options, enforce limits, or meet legal or privacy obligations.

Use matching where needed to link to existing records and apply constraints.

2. Ask for additional information (if needed)

Collect the minimum information needed to support the appointment scheduling. Information such as:

• interaction or appointment type

• preferences affecting availability (location, mode, time range)

• accessibility or support needs

• any other inputs required to calculate availability

3. Select an available option

Presents valid options such as appointment date and time for the user to choose and explain constraints where necessary.

Collect additional user preferences, support requirements or contextual information linked to the booking.

Use the asking questions step

4. Take payment (if required)

Where required, payment is collected as a prerequisite

Collect payment where it is a requirement to confirming the appointment booking.

Use the payment functional pattern.

5. Check appointment details and submit

Allows the user to review booking details, make changes and confirm submission. Use the check answers step.

6. Confirm booking

Confirm that the booking has been successfully created and communicate what happens next.

Useful information to include:

• booking reference

• confirmed time, location, and mode

• next steps or instructions

7. Manage booking

Allow the user to view, change, or cancel the booking.

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