Closed Beta: The next appointment indicator is currently available only to clinics taking part in the closed beta.
What is the next appointment indicator?
The next appointment indicator is a button in the top navigation of Digitail. It displays the appointment currently in progress or your next appointment of the day, with a live countdown (for example, Next · in 3h 23m). It also displays any earlier appointments from today whose SOAP is still open.
From the indicator, you can open the patient's Health Card, ask the Tails AI Assistant to summarize the patient, or start a new SOAP, without returning to the calendar.
Note: The indicator displays only your own appointments for today, at the clinic you are currently logged in to.
How this helps your daily work
Veterinarians and veterinary staff: View the time remaining until your next appointment, review a Tails summary of the patient before the consult, and start the SOAP as soon as the visit begins.
Staff with consecutive appointments: Identify visits whose time slot has ended while the SOAP is still open, so that no records remain incomplete at the end of the day.
Where to find it
Top navigation > next appointment indicator (available on every page). The indicator is located next to the notifications area of the top navigation.
On smaller screens, the indicator is displayed as an icon only. Select the icon to view the same details.
How to check your next appointment and open the SOAP
The indicator displays one of the following:
Next · in 3h 23m - your next appointment starts in 3 hours and 23 minutes. The countdown updates live, and at the scheduled start time the label changes to Next · Starting now.
Now · 1 (with a pulsing dot) - one appointment is currently in progress. Hover over the indicator to view the Visit Type and patient name.
In progress · 1 - the appointment's time slot has ended, but its SOAP is still open.
To open the appointment and its SOAP:
Click the indicator to open the appointment details.
Review the appointment card. For an upcoming appointment, the card includes the Visit Type (for example, Drop-Off Urgent Care), the start time and length (for example, 03:30 PM · 30m) followed by the time remaining (for example, In 17 minutes), the room, the patient's name, species and breed, and the client's name. For an appointment in progress, the card displays the time elapsed instead of the time remaining.
Click the SOAP button on the card. The patient's SOAP opens and is ready for editing.
The SOAP button changes depending on the visit:
Open new SOAP - when no SOAP has been started for the appointment
View existing SOAP - when a SOAP has already been started
Continue SOAP - when the visit remains in progress after its time slot has ended
Other things you can do
View the patient's Health Card
Click the patient's name, or the link icon next to it, on the appointment card. The patient's Health Card opens in a new tab, so the indicator and your current page remain open.
Ask the Tails AI Assistant about the patient
Click the Tails AI Assistant icon in the bottom-left corner of the appointment card. When you hover over the icon, it displays Ask about [patient name]. The Tails AI Assistant opens with the patient already selected. You can ask it to summarize the patient, or ask specific questions about them, before you begin the consult.
Note: This option is available only if your clinic uses the Tails AI Assistant.
View overlapping appointments
When appointments overlap, the panel displays the appointment currently in progress first. Below it, a Coming up section lists the next appointment that starts before the current one ends, together with the time remaining until it starts (for example, in 31m).
For example, if a visit runs from 03:15 PM to 04:25 PM and another appointment starts at 03:55 PM, the indicator displays Now · 1. The panel shows the 03:15 PM visit with its SOAP button, followed by the 03:55 PM appointment under Coming up.
View appointments with the same start time
When several appointments start at the same time, the panel lists all of them (for example, "3 appointments start at this time").
Tips & best practices
Complete open SOAPs before the end of the day. If the indicator displays In progress, at least one visit still has an open SOAP.
Update visit stages on the Flowboard. A visit is removed from the indicator once it reaches Pending Checkout or Closed.
No manual refresh is required. The indicator updates automatically every few minutes, and the countdown updates every minute.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Why is the next appointment indicator not visible?
The indicator is displayed to users who have permission to view appointments and who have Available for appointments enabled in their staff profile. It is also hidden when you have no remaining appointments for the day. During the closed beta, it is displayed only at clinics taking part in the beta.
Why does the indicator display Now instead of my next appointment?
An appointment is still in progress. While an appointment is in progress, the indicator displays Now, and any appointment that starts before the current one ends appears under Coming up in the panel.
Does the indicator display appointments for the whole clinic?
No. The indicator displays only the appointments booked with you, for the current day, at the clinic you are logged in to. Canceled appointments are not displayed. To view the whole team's schedule, use My Dashboard or the Calendar.
Why is an appointment still displayed after its time slot has ended?
The SOAP for that visit is still open. Complete the SOAP and move the visit to Pending Checkout or Closed on the Flowboard, and the appointment will no longer be displayed.
When will a newly booked appointment appear?
Appointments you book yourself appear immediately. Appointments booked by another team member appear within a few minutes, or as soon as you return to the Digitail tab.
What happens if the patient does not have a SOAP yet?
Click Open new SOAP, and Digitail creates a SOAP for that appointment.