A fair follow-up policy
for your clinic.

Why a follow-up policy matters

Follow-up visits are where most clinic arguments start. The patient believes the second visit is free; the counter believes the free period ended last Tuesday; the doctor is asked to settle it with a patient in the room. A written follow-up policy — how long a follow-up is free, what it costs after that, and how to book one — removes the argument before it happens and, more importantly, makes patients come back.

Deciding the policy

How long is a follow-up free?

Common windows in Indian OPDs are 7, 10 or 15 days from the first visit; some specialities (post-procedure checks, dermatology courses) use longer windows. Pick the number that matches how the condition is actually managed, not the number that sounds generous. A window that is too long fills the day with free visits; one that is too short makes patients feel cheated.

What does it cost after the window?

Many clinics charge a reduced follow-up fee for a second visit after the free window and a full fee after a longer gap (say 30 or 60 days). Three tiers are easy to explain: free within the window, reduced after it, full for a fresh problem.

Who decides it is a follow-up?

The doctor, for the same condition. A new complaint is a new visit even inside the window. Write that down too.

How is it booked?

Ideally the patient books the follow-up while still at the clinic, or from home when it is due, and it takes a seat in a sitting like any other visit. A follow-up without a date is the one that gets forgotten.

Does it count towards the day?

Yes. A follow-up is a consultation and takes the doctor’s time. Count it in the day’s capacity so the doctor’s list stays honest.

Follow-ups on Treatlly

• ✓Per doctor, not per clinic. Each doctor sets their own follow-up window and fee; a surgeon and a paediatrician in the same clinic can run different rules.
• ✓The booking page knows. When a patient opens the booking page, it shows a follow-up if one is due for that person, otherwise a new appointment — and charges accordingly.
• ✓Family members handled. A follow-up is tied to the person who was seen, even when a family member booked under the same number.
• ✓Counted like any visit. Follow-ups take a seat in a sitting and count towards the plan’s appointments per day, online or at the counter.
• ✓Visible to the doctor. Today’s new-versus-follow-up mix is on the doctor’s dashboard.

See doctor consultation software for the visit itself and how booking the follow-up early reduces no-shows.

Should a free follow-up need a booking?+

Yes. A free visit still takes a seat and the doctor’s time. Booking it keeps the day’s list honest and gives the patient a sitting to arrive at instead of a queue to join.

Can the follow-up be done on video?+

Often, yes — a follow-up within six months of an in-person consultation for the same condition is exactly what the Telemedicine Practice Guidelines allow more freely. On Treatlly the video consultation add-on books and runs it from the same record.

What if the patient comes a day after the free window ends?+

Decide in advance and apply it every time. Many clinics give the doctor discretion for a day or two and leave the rule as written for everyone else; the counter should never have to decide on its own.

Do follow-ups count towards my plan’s daily limit?+

Yes. On Treatlly, appointments per day counts every booking — new visit or follow-up, online or at the counter — so a Pro plan means 100 bookings a day in any mix.