Common Availability Mistakes and How to Fix Them
Here are the most common issues practices run into when setting up availability in Akute.
Mistake 1: Expecting Appointment-Type Availability to Restrict Default Availability
What happens:
A provider adds an availability set for telehealth only on certain days, but patients can still book in-office visits during those times.
Why it happens:
Appointment-type availability is additive. It adds more availability, but does not remove what is already allowed through default availability.
How to fix it:
Remove those days or hours from Default Availability first, then add them back as an appointment-type availability set.
Mistake 2: Leaving Too Much in Default Availability
What happens:
A provider wants a more customized schedule, but patients can still book a broader range of visits than intended.
Why it happens:
Default availability applies to all appointment types unless overridden.
How to fix it:
Use default availability only for the days and times where you truly want to be available for everything. Use appointment-type availability for anything more specific.
Mistake 3: Forgetting That Date Overrides Take Priority
What happens:
A provider has recurring weekly availability set, but a certain date behaves differently than expected.
Why it happens:
Date-specific availability overrides all other availability settings.
How to fix it:
Check the Date-Specific Availability section to see whether there is a one-off override affecting that day.
Mistake 4: Using Default Availability for Telehealth-Only Days
What happens:
A provider expects a day to be telehealth-only, but patients can still schedule in-office visits.
Why it happens:
Default availability always applies to all appointment types.
How to fix it:
Remove that day from default availability and create an appointment-type availability set that applies only to telehealth.
Mistake 5: Forgetting to Select the Correct Provider
What happens:
Changes are made, but the provider’s schedule does not update as expected.
Why it happens:
Availability settings were edited under the wrong provider.
How to fix it:
Before making changes, confirm the correct provider is selected at the top of the Availability page.
Quick Logic Reminder
Akute applies availability in this order:
- Date-Specific Availability
- Appointment-Type Availability
- Default Availability
If something looks wrong, check in that order.