See integration with medical diaries
Doctolib, Maiia, Keldoc, ClickDoc, Docorga and other solutions: understand how a remote medical secretary really fits in with the organisation of the practice, its appointment scheduling rules and the reality of patient calls.
Doctolib: a market standard, but no single solution for all practices
Doctolib now plays a central role in the organisation of many GP practices. The tool has profoundly changed the way appointments are booked and the way in which the telephone is linked to the diary.
Telodoc by Optilib has been operating in this environment since the early days of Doctolib. As a result, we have a detailed understanding of diary logic, practice constraints, appointment scheduling rules and the adjustments needed to reconcile telephone reception with medical organisation.
However, the reality in the field is not limited to a single tool. Depending on the specialty, the practice's habits and the history of use, other solutions are also in place: Maiia, Keldoc, ClickDoc, Docorga, Medoucine or even mixed environments combining several diary logics.
Key points to remember
Performance depends not just on the diary solution, but on the quality of the management rules and their correct application.
Reasons, durations, practitioners, emergencies, exceptions, protected periods: a medical diary is never really "standard".
A good tele-secretariat must be able to work with different tools and keep pace with changes in the practice without being inflexible.
Contents
Why the diary is the heart of remote medical secretarial services
In a medical practice, the diary is more than just a calendar. It is an organisational structure. It contains the practitioner's constraints, consultation times, reasons, priorities, absences, emergencies, reserved slots and sometimes several patient logics in parallel.
When a patient calls in, the quality of the response depends directly on how well the remote secretary can read and apply this organisation. A department that doesn't have a good grasp of the diary can respond politely, while at the same time creating serious errors: the wrong slot, the wrong duration, the wrong practitioner, the wrong qualification or an unnecessary callback.
Overview of medical diaries in France
In recent years, the medical diary market has become highly structured around a number of players with different market positions. Understanding this ecosystem will enable you to better assess the integration challenges for a remote medical secretary.
| Solution | Positioning | Special features |
|---|---|---|
| Doctolib | Market leader | Very strong adoption, de facto standard in many practices |
| Maiia | Structured player | Developed by the Cegedim group, integrated into a medical software ecosystem |
| Keldoc | Targeted presence | Established in certain specific structures and organisations |
| ClickDoc | Alternative solution | Complementary positioning with appointment management logic |
| Docorga | Specific organisation | Adapted to certain practices with specific needs |
| Medoucine | Complementary market | Present in complementary and alternative practices |
| Other solutions / business software | Fragmented | In-house or specialised tools, depending on the practice and speciality |
In practice, many practices operate with a combination of tools: main diary, internal rules, reserved slots, or even several solutions in parallel.
The evolution of medical diaries: understanding the last 10 years
The medical diary market has undergone rapid transformation as a result of digitisation and changing patient expectations. This evolution gives us a better understanding of why call management remains a key issue today.
| Period | Dominant organisation | Impact on the practice |
|---|---|---|
| Before 2015 | Paper diary / telephone | Heavy reliance on telephone, manual organisation |
| 2015 - 2020 | Digitalisation of appointments | Gradual switch to online appointment booking |
| 2020 - 2023 | Digital acceleration and teleconsultation | Increasing use of online services and changing role of the telephone |
| Today | Hybrid model | Coexistence of digital agenda, telephone and need for greater organisation |
This development has profoundly changed the nature of calls. Simple requests are increasingly handled online. The remaining calls are more complex, more urgent and require better qualification.
What really needs to be compared between diaries and organisations
Many comparisons are limited to the ergonomics or reputation of the platform. But that's not enough. For a firm, the real issues are operational.
| Criteria | Why it's important | Impact on remote secretarial work |
|---|---|---|
| Management of reasons for appointments | Avoids errors of qualification and duration | Conditions the quality of positioning in the diary |
| Multi-practitioner / multi-site | Essential for practices organised on several levels | Requires a clear understanding of availability and rules |
| Booking rules | Allows you to protect certain slots or patient paths | Prevents inappropriate or misdirected appointments |
| Clear availability | Reduces handling errors | Facilitates smooth appointment booking over the telephone |
| Flexibility to adapt | The practice adjusts its instructions regularly | Tele-secretarial services must follow without disruption |
What is true diary integration?
Serious diary integration is more than just having access to the tool. It's about organisation. You have to define which appointments can be made, under what conditions, for how long, with which practitioner, how often, according to what priorities, and with what exceptions.
In the most efficient structures, the telesecretariat works to a clear grid:
- which appointments can be given immediately ;
- which appointments need to be filtered or validated; and
- which slots are reserved for certain categories of patients;
- what instructions apply in the event of an emergency or pressure on the diary;
- how to manage calls when several tools or practitioners coexist.
Why no single diary is enough to organise a practice
Appointment scheduling tools have simplified access to care for many patients. However, they only cover part of the actual course of treatment.
In practice, there are a number of situations that digital diaries cannot deal with:
- urgent or ill-defined requests
- patients who need to be talked to in person
- cases requiring medical validation;
- adapting appointments to suit the context;
- special situations that do not fit into a standard scenario.
Furthermore, practices rarely operate with a uniform logic. Each organisation has its own rules: specific times, reserved slots, priorities, exceptions, permanent adjustments.
That's why today's most effective models are based on a combination of digital tools and human call management.
The tangible benefits of well thought-out diary integration
The right patient is directed to the right slot, for the right length of time and with the right consultation logic.
Patients receive a more complete response from the first contact, reducing the number of repeat calls.
The schedule is fuller, easier to read and more compatible with the way the practice actually works.
The Telodoc by Optilib approach to medical diaries
At Telodoc by Optilib, diary integration is seen as an organisational issue, not just a technical access point. The challenge is not just to manipulate a tool, but to respect the rules of the practice, to direct patients correctly and to maintain the coherence of the medical schedule.
This approach is based on experience built up over time, particularly in the Doctolib environment, which has become essential for many practices. This historical expertise means that we can approach diaries with method, rigour and hindsight, without reducing them to a single logic.
In practice, Telodoc by Optilib can also be adapted to other appointment scheduling solutions such as Maiia, Keldoc, ClickDoc, Docorga or Medoucine, as well as to mixed organisations. The objective is always the same: to ensure reliable management of patient calls and appointment scheduling that is consistent with the way the practice operates.
Common mistakes when it comes to diaries
- Reducing the issue to Doctolib: many practices use other tools or mixed approaches.
- Thinking that tool access is enough: without clear rules, diary access guarantees nothing.
- Underestimating exceptions: it is these that create the most visible errors.
- Not formalising instructions: a diary without a management framework quickly produces inconsistencies.
- Choose an organisation that is too rigid: as a practice evolves, integration must be able to evolve too.
FAQ - Medical diaries and remote secretarial services
Do remote secretaries have to work on Doctolib?
No. Doctolib is very widespread, but other diaries are used depending on the practice and speciality. The important thing is the service's ability to adapt to the tool actually in place.
Is it possible to work with several diaries at the same time?
Yes, as long as the rules are clearly defined and the remote secretary has a clear understanding of the practice's practices.
Does good diary integration really improve patient reception?
Yes, because it reduces errors, unnecessary reminders and misdirected appointments. It improves both the patient experience and the fluidity of the practice.
Does the problem often lie with the tool itself?
Not always. Very often, the real issue is the lack of formalised rules or poor coordination between the tool, the practice and the remote secretary.
Going further
Integration with medical diaries is not just a question of technical compatibility. It's a question of organisation, appointment scheduling rules and the quality of patient call handling.