Follow-ups
Schedule a patient's next Appointment, track reminder status, and manage your clinic's follow-up queue to ensure no patient is missed.
What are Follow-ups?
A follow-up is a scheduled next appointment for a patient: typically created at the end of an appointment when the dentist determines the patient needs to return. Each follow-up has a date, time slot, and optional notes, and moves through its own status lifecycle.
Follow-ups are separate from the Appointment record but linked to both the patient and the originating Appointment for traceability.
Who can use this?
| Action | Admin | Dentist | Receptionist |
|---|---|---|---|
| Schedule a follow-up | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ |
| View follow-up list | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ |
| Update follow-up status | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ |
| Cancel a follow-up | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ |
Scheduling a Follow-up
Follow-ups are created directly from an active Appointment, usually right after the consultation finishes.
Web App:
- Open the Appointment → scroll to the Follow-up section.
- Pick the next Appointment date using the calendar picker.
- Select an available time slot.
- Add optional notes (e.g. "Review root canal progress").
- Click Schedule Follow-up.
Mobile App:
- Open the Appointment → scroll to Follow-up.
- Pick the date from the calendar.
- Select the time slot from available options.
- Type notes: or tap the mic icon (🎙️) to dictate notes.
- Tap Schedule Follow-up.
Follow-up Fields
| Field | Required? | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Patient | ✅ Yes | Auto-filled when scheduling from an appointment |
| Next Appointment Date | ✅ Yes | The date the patient should return |
| Start Time / Time Slot | ✅ Yes | Selected from available clinic slots |
| Notes | Optional | Reason for follow-up or instructions |
Double-Booking Rules
- A patient cannot be booked twice in the same time slot.
- A time slot can hold only 1 patient.
- Cliops will show an error if the selected slot violates these rules.
Follow-up Status Lifecycle
Each follow-up moves through the following statuses:
| Status | What it means |
|---|---|
| Follow-Up Required | Scheduled; patient has not yet returned |
| Checked-In | Patient has arrived for the follow-up Appointment |
| Completed | Follow-up Appointment is done |
| Cancelled | Follow-up was cancelled |
| Overdue | The scheduled date has passed without a check-in |
Update the status from the follow-up detail screen as the patient progresses.
Viewing the Follow-up List
Web App: Click Follow-ups in the sidebar. You'll see a list of all upcoming and past follow-ups with status badges. Filter by status (upcoming, overdue, completed, etc.).
Mobile App: Tap Follow-ups from the bottom tab bar. Swipe or filter to see pending, overdue, or completed follow-ups.
Notifications for Follow-ups
When a follow-up is scheduled, Cliops sends an in-app notification to the relevant staff (based on their role) so nothing is missed. Overdue follow-ups also surface in the notification bell.
See → Notifications for how notifications work.
Booking an Appointment from a Follow-up
When the patient returns for their scheduled follow-up, you can book their appointment directly from the follow-up record: the patient is pre-filled, saving time at the front desk.
What's Next?
-
Dentogram: Record tooth-level findings during the Appointment.
-
Notifications: How follow-up reminders reach your team.
-
Medical History Timeline: See all follow-ups in the patient's history.
Last updated: July 2026 · Cliops v1.0 · MVP