Sample Doctor Appointment Letters

What Is a Doctor Appointment Letter?

A doctor appointment letter is either a request letter written by the patient to ask for a doctor’s appointment or a confirmation letter written by the doctor to inform the patient about the consultation schedule. Although there are nuances to what a doctor appointment letter is depending on the letter’s intent, the common denominator is that it is a document made between a doctor and a patient. And writing this type of formal letter via email or in print is standard courtesy when it comes to dealing with appointments.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s research survey, 83.4% of American adults have had a doctor or healthcare professional visit in 2020.

Why Is a Doctor Appointment Letter Essential?

The purpose of having a doctor’s appointment for medical concerns and checkups is important alone. But why should either party have to prepare a doctor’s appointment letter in the first place? These are the main reasons why writing a doctor’s appointment letter is essential:

Clear Appointment Details

Doctor appointment letters clarify if a patient needs medical consultation, a doctor has to reschedule someone’s appointment, or a doctor agrees to meet with a patient as promised. These documents are necessary to voice out intentions such as the reason why a patient wants an appointment, when a doctor is available for the next consultation, etc. And it’s important for both parties involved to read the meeting appointment letter and respond right away to proceed with what was planned.

Doctors Deal with a Number of Appointments

A single doctor can meet with how many patients per day. In fact, the CDC reported that 83.4% of US adults had a doctor visit in 2020. So while doctors deal with a lot of clients, it is only relevant for these medical experts to organize and schedule their meetings with patients meticulously. Thus, patients only expect a confirmation from a doctor’s appointment letter if the medical consultant is available.

For Convenience Sake

Writing a letter is convenient because spoken words could be misinterpreted or forgotten. In fact, there are request for doctor appointment email samples available so you never have to write written personal letters; focus on writing an appointment letter via email instead. That way, communication runs seamlessly and there’s no need for long hours or days to wait for a response.

Documentation Purposes

Instead of relying on spoken promises, writing doctor appointment letters is much better for documentation. In case you’ll take a long absence from your work office and your boss requires proof that you’ll be on medical leave, it is a basic protocol to use the doctor’s appointment letter as the initial proof that you have a consultation. And it will be a credible document if the letter is signed by the doctor.

The Parts of a Doctor Appointment Letter: Let’s Dissect

There are various types of doctor appointment letters, which will be discussed later on. But when it comes to the average format of a doctor appointment letter, it usually contains the following elements:

Title and Purpose: The main title of your letter would be “doctor appointment letter.” Write it on the top part of your document. And you can specify the title according to your statement of purpose, whether it is a letter about an appointment confirmation, a reschedule, or any other concern.Sender and Receiver Information: The next set of data would be the sender and the receiver information. If you are the one writing the letter, then input your name and contact list details as the sender. You may name your doctor or your patient in the recipient information.Letterhead: Letterheads are optional when the senders are the patients. But if you are the doctor writing the letter, then adding your own professional letterhead or the hospital/medical facility’s letterhead is necessary for identification purposes. Letterheads contain the company logo, contact details, and other business information.Date: The date to be specified in the letter would be the exact day, month, and year when it is written. Write it on the top part of the document, near the letterhead. Don’t confuse the date with your work schedule or the appointment date because that will be mentioned in the body of the letter.Salutation: Before mentioning the main message of your letter, open with the salutation. It is okay to write “to whom it may concern” but mentioning the name of the recipient would be much better to be specific or add a personal touch.Body: The meat of your letter is the body. This part contains important details such as the introductory statement, appointment details, and what your recipient should do next. Learn more about how to write this part properly, which will be discussed later.Complimentary Close and Signature: To properly close the doctor’s appointment letter, write the complimentary close such as “Sincerely yours” or “Cordially” and place your signature. The original format is to write your name in print and put your signature on top of the name. Others will include their position and branding as additional information.

The Types of Doctor Appointment Letters

It has already been iterated that doctor appointment letters differ in purpose or function. But what exactly makes them different aside from being a document involving both patients and doctors? Here are the common types of doctor appointment letters you should know:

Doctor Appointment Request Letter

The first common type of doctor appointment letter is the request letter format. Written by the patient, this letter politely requests an appointment. And by request, that means you state why you want to see a doctor such as how your back is in pain while doing daily employee duties, why your mind can’t concentrate in school, or any other concern.

Reschedule Doctor’s Appointment Letter

Another type of doctor appointment letter is when a patient asks for a reschedule or if the doctor has an emergency that rescheduling an appointment is necessary. This can be a type of request letter in the patient’s case since it’s requesting a reschedule but what makes it different is that the intent of the letter is to move the appointment schedule.

Doctor’s Appointment Letter of Confirmation

The next type is when the doctor writes a doctor appointment letter ala confirmation letter. In this case, the doctor accepts the patient’s request for an appointment. And the confirmation letter would contain the details such as the appointment schedule and what the patient should bring or prepare for the appointment.

Doctor’s Appointment Reminder Letter

A doctor’s appointment reminder letter works like a letter notice. It is sent to a patient so that she/he/they would be reminded about the upcoming doctor’s appointment schedule. When an appointment date is weeks away or still too long, patients may forget about their appointment. Hence, doctors send out a second letter in the form of a reminder once the said date is coming very soon; that way, patients won’t miss their appointment.

How to Build a Riveting Doctor Appointment Letter

Now that you have been introduced to the anatomy of doctor appointment letters from their meaning, importance, and parts, down to their types, it’s time for the real deal by learning how to make a doctor appointment letter. And following these five basic steps are all you need:

Step 1: Understand Your Purpose in Writing

Figure out why you are writing the letter in the first place, and you may choose from the types of doctor appointment letters discussed earlier for reference. With a clear letter of intent in mind, you can make sure that what you write later on actually meets your goals and intentions. For example, it would be wrong to write a doctor’s appointment confirmation letter if you are the patient requesting an appointment.

Step 2: Download a Sample Doctor Appointment Letter Template

Now that your intention is set regarding what the type or purpose of the doctor appointment letter is, download a template from our collection of free doctor appointment letter templates in PDF or MS Word at Sample.net. There are loads of options to choose from such as a change of doctor appointment letter template, a doctor’s appointment request letter template, a doctor appointment notification letter template, and more. Then, you can edit the format, data, and overall content of the template to make it your own.

Step 3: Insert the Doctor Appointment Letter Parts

From the title down to the signature line, add the elements of a doctor appointment letter, as previously discussed. Be sure to mind their arrangement and you can even insert another part that is relevant to the letter. Some people even mention the consultation fee proposal and certain remarks ahead. And be sure there is a smooth transition in moving from one part to another rather than writing a jumbled set of data.

Step 4: Be Specific with the Appointment Details

In the body of the letter, learn how to write details with a seamless flow. You begin with an introduction, mention what to expect from the appointment, state the expected fees, remind the patient about the requirements to pursue the appointment, and wrap it up with a conclusion. What needs to be said must be accurate and complete inside the letter.

Step 5: End the Letter with the CTA

Speaking of wrapping up, it works best to input a compelling closing statement near the end of your letter. That means you summarize the important parts and add a call-to-action statement (CTA). CTA refers to the instructions you order your recipient to do such as how to reply to the letter, when the reply is due, or simply what to do next. Don’t forget to highlight your contact information to make it easy for the recipient to reach out to you after reading the letter. Then, submit the document to the respective patient or doctor.

FAQs

What should I mention in requesting a doctor’s appointment?

Mention if you’re a new patient or have already set an appointment before, state why you are requesting an appointment, ask ahead regarding what to bring for the appointment, mention if they accept any insurance plan, and most importantly, name the doctor to keep the letter personal and not a mere copy-and-paste document.

Are you allowed time off in taking doctor’s appointments?

It depends on your employer or employment contract because your boss is not legally asked to grant time off for a medical appointment; your contract may say it is allowed, a paid or unpaid leave, or not at all.

Do I say I have a appointment or an appointment?

Say “I have an appointment” because “appointment” starts with a vowel letter and it is in the singular form.

Doctor appointment letters are the main bridges between patients and doctors before the patients actually get consulted by these medical professionals. With that said, always put some effort into writing it because you won’t be able to get the doctor’s notes and other crucial medical records coming from the doctor without confirmation from the letter. Thankfully, crafting exemplary and professionally made doctor appointment letters are super easy using the free premade samples in this post.