In 2009, Children’s Hospital of Pittsburgh of UPMC launched a new service that allows parents to schedule medical appointments with physicians online through the hospital’s website. The pilot program began with the Division of Pediatric Rheumatology, with other divisions added throughout the year.
The goal of the service is to make it more convenient for parents to request appointments with Children’s Hospital. It also allows working parents to request appointments at a time that better suits their schedules. The form takes about three minutes to complete and submit, and all requests are submitted directly to department scheduling staff. Parents then will receive a phone call to confirm the date and time of their child’s appointment.
The need to provide online services is growing fast in the health care industry due to today’s busy lifestyles. Online appointment requests are one of the tools that will make it easier and more convenient for parents to access Children’s services and information.
Other divisions now offering online appointment scheduling are Diagnostic Referral; Ear, Nose, and Throat; Heart Center; Infectious Disease; Medical Genetics; Nephrology; Neurology; Surgical Services; Child Advocacy, Gastroenterology; Hematology/Oncology; and Endocrinology.
The online appointment request form can be found on Children's website at www.chp.edu/appointment.
