Sydney Healthcare — Patient Booking App
A healthcare network launched a booking app — 82% of appointments now come through the app within 3 months.
TL;DR
- Challenge:
- A 6-clinic healthcare network with 12-minute phone wait times and 30% caller abandonment.
- Approach:
- Custom React Native iOS + Android app with practitioner directory, HICAPS/Medicare integration, records access.
- Result:
- 82% of bookings via app within 3 months, phone volume down 70%, after-hours bookings 34% of total.
Key Results at a Glance
82%
Bookings via app
-70%
Phone call volume
New
After-hours bookings
Client Context
Business Type
Multi-site healthcare network (GP + allied health)
Founded
2010
Team Size
78 practitioners + 24 reception
Market
Sydney metro (6 clinics)
Revenue Tier
$18M annual revenue
Stack Before
Cliniko, phone booking only, 12-min wait times
The Challenge
The network of 6 clinics had phone-only booking. Peak hour call wait times hit 12 minutes, 30% of callers hung up, and after-hours booking was impossible. Patients were switching to competitors with online booking.
Goals & KPIs
North-Star Metric
Cut phone volume 60%+ and enable 24/7 booking through app
Supporting KPIs
App-based bookings
Target: 70%+
Phone call volume
Target: Under 200/day
After-hours bookings
Target: 25%+
App store rating
Target: 4.5+
Patient records access rate
Target: 50%+
Discovery & Research
Audit Findings
- •12-minute peak phone waits
- •30% caller abandonment
- •Zero after-hours booking
- •HICAPS/Medicare eligibility unknown until in-clinic
- •Patient records only in-clinic
Baseline Issues
- •480 phone calls/day
- •0% app bookings
- •Zero after-hours booking
- •Reception burning out
Competitor Insight
Top AU healthcare networks ran custom apps with HICAPS + Medicare + records access — capturing after-hours market.
Audience Insight
Patients want to book at 10 PM after kids sleep, see gap payments upfront, and access records without ringing.
Strategy
Core Hypothesis
“If we build a native app with booking + payment + records, then most bookings shift to app because patients prefer self-service.”
Positioning Shift
Repositioned as "book any practitioner at any clinic — 24/7 from your phone".
Channel Mix
React Native app (iOS + Android) · 55%
Core platform
HICAPS + Medicare API · 20%
Payment clarity
Cliniko API integration · 15%
Live availability
Records access · 10%
Value + retention
Our Approach
React Native iOS & Android app
Built a cross-platform app with real-time practitioner availability, appointment booking, and push notification reminders — branded to the healthcare network.
Health fund & Medicare integration
Integrated health fund claiming (HICAPS) and Medicare bulk billing eligibility checks — so patients see gap payments upfront before booking.
Patient records access
Added secure access to appointment history, referral letters, and test results — reducing admin calls and giving patients control over their health records.
Phased Roadmap
Months 1–2
Discovery + Design
- →Patient journey mapping
- →Cliniko + HICAPS API scoping
- →App wireframes + design system
- →Compliance review
Months 3–4
Build
- →React Native cross-platform build
- →Cliniko API integration (bookings + records)
- →HICAPS + Medicare eligibility checks
- →Push notifications + reminders
Month 5
Launch
- →App Store + Google Play submission
- →In-clinic QR download codes
- →Email + SMS campaign to existing patients
- →82% of bookings via app by month 3
What We Built
The Results
App-Based Booking Share (%)
Before vs After — 5 Months
| Metric | Before | After | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bookings via app | 0% | 82% | 82% |
| Phone call volume | 480/day | 145/day | -70% |
| After-hours bookings | 0 | 34%of all bookings | New |
“Patients book at midnight on their phone. Our reception staff now handle complex cases instead of answering booking calls.”
Dr. Lisa W.
Network Director
Key Insights
- →After-hours bookings hit 34% — the phone-hours model was leaving money on the table
- →HICAPS integration removed sticker shock — bookings from allied health tripled
- →App Store rating 4.7 = better patient reviews than the website ever got
- →Reception now handles complex enquiries — burnout metrics dropped
What's Next
Adding telehealth video consultations, integrating pharmacy scripts, and testing AI triage for after-hours enquiries.
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Services Used
Representative case study. Figures illustrate the type of outcomes achievable through these strategies for Australian businesses; individual results vary based on market, budget and starting position.