Welcome to Jane’s Online Appointments Beta guide. With this version of Jane’s Online Appointments, our team is aiming to improve call quality and performance for both 1:1 and group calls – especially when users may be on older devices or have a slower internet connection.
In this guide, we’ll walk through:
- What’s new with Jane’s Online Appointments Beta
- Opting into Jane’s Online Appointments Beta
- How to join a call
- The waiting room
- Adjusting your settings
- Ending the call
- Frequently asked questions
💡 Jane tip: This is an experimental feature, meaning the functionality, availability, and cost could all change, but it’s secure and safe to use with clinic data.
What’s new with Jane’s Online Appointments Beta
Call quality
The main difference between the current versions and Jane’s Online Appointments Beta is that the beta technology delivers better performance when things aren’t ideal, for example, when someone has a slower or unstable internet connection.
No app is required for iPads and iPhones
Clients joining calls from iPads and iPhones no longer need the Jane Online Appointments app from the App Store. Now they can join their call from their web browser.
Client and practitioner names in the call
While this feature is in beta, client and practitioner names aren’t visible onscreen within the call, so you’ll just see generic labels for “Practitioner” and “Client”.
No client waiting tag on the schedule
On the Schedule, the “Client is waiting” indicator will not be shown. We know this is a helpful indicator and it will come back once this feature is no longer in beta.
Opting into Jane’s Online Appointments Beta
Staff members with Admin access levels or higher can opt their clinic into the beta by heading to Settings, selecting the new Experimental Features tab on the menu to the left, and toggling on the Online Appointments Beta.
📣 Jane tip: Only toggle the beta on or off when no calls are currently in progress across the whole clinic.
We’ll opt your clinic into the beta, so there’s no need to do anything on your end. Once your clinic is opted in, all staff on your Jane account will be moved over to the new Online Appointments platform.
How to join a call
You can join a call as normal by clicking on the appointment and then clicking the Begin button in the appointment panel.
📣 Jane tip: While this feature is in beta, there won’t be a “client is waiting” message in the appointment panel when the client has joined the call. Only once you’ve started the call and the client has knocked will you see that they are waiting to join the call.
Once you’ve begun your session, a new window will pop out and you’ll get a message that reads, “This service wants to use your camera and microphone”. Click the Request permissions button at the bottom. Your browser should then ask to access your camera and microphone and you can click Allow.
Now you can change which camera and microphone you’re using, test your audio, or change the language in the upper right corner. You can also adjust your video settings by clicking the cogwheel.
When everything looks good, click the blue Join meeting button.
The waiting room
Once your client joins the call, they’ll be in the waiting room. If you are on the call when the client enters the waiting room, you’ll hear a notification chime.
You can click the blue Let in button to admit them or write them a quick message if you need more time.
Adjusting your settings
In the call, a lot of the buttons are similar to our previous Online Appointments set up. Here’s how they work:
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Hover your mouse over your camera or microphone icon to adjust your settings
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Click the Share button to share your screen
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Click the Chat button to open the chat where you can write messages or share files
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Click the People button to see the participants. You can remove participants from this panel, or turn cameras or microphones off.
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To track the call duration, click the three dots in the upper right corner, and select Meeting time > Show timer. The timer will start counting when a second participant joins the call.
Ending the call
When it’s time to end the call, you can click the Leave button at the bottom of the screen.
💡 Jane tip: If you hover your mouse over the Leave button and select End Meeting, you’ll see an option to stay behind for another meeting. Use this if you want to stay in the meeting room, but know that you won’t be able to admit your next client to this call since Jane creates a new meeting room for each appointment. To start your next call, you’ll want to close the current window and click on the next appointment in Jane.
Frequently asked questions
Is a call started/ended the same way?
Yes, just follow the usual steps.
Do clients still receive email notifications and reminders as usual?
Yes, nothing is changing with notifications and reminders.
What should I tell my clients?
You can let them know that you are participating in a test for a new Online Appointments feature and their feedback will be invaluable. It’s worth giving them an extra reminder to let you know if they experience any difficulties on the call. They will also receive a post-call survey inviting them to rate the call from 1-5 stars.
While you are using the Online Appointments Beta feature, your clients can join calls from the link in their email notification, or their My Account portal. They will not need the Jane Online Appointments App.
Can I use the beta for all of my online appointments?
Yes, when you’re in the beta, all of your online appointments will be powered by the new Online Appointments system we’re testing. If you run into any issues, you can ask to opt your clinic out of the beta by heading to the Experimental Features tab under Settings and then switching off the toggle for the Online Appointments beta.
When I opt into the beta, does it take effect for my staff profile only, or for the whole clinic?
If you join the beta, it will be enabled clinic-wide and all staff members will move to the new Online Appointments platform.
Can I opt out of the beta?
Yes, staff members with Admin access levels or higher can opt their clinics out of the beta at any time by clicking Settings and selecting Experimental features on the left. Next, they can click the Online Appointments Beta toggle off.
📣 Jane tip: Only toggle the beta on and off when no calls are currently in progress across the whole clinic.
Are these calls still secure?
Yes. The Online Appointments Beta is fully HIPAA-compliant and secure, the same as Jane’s other Online Appointments versions.
Within the call, I sometimes see my tile labelled with the letter “P”, or my client’s tile labelled with the letter “C”. Why is that?
Great question! Client and practitioner names aren’t visible on screen within the call, so you’ll just see generic labels, P for Practitioner and C for Client.
If I haven’t joined the call yet, will I see that my client has joined the call and is in the waiting room?
No, currently you will need to join the call before you can see whether or not your client is in the waiting room.
Will there still be a “Client is waiting” indicator on the schedule when my client is in the waiting room?
No, while this feature is in beta, there won’t be a “client is waiting” message in the appointment panel when the client has joined the call. Only once you’ve started the call and the client has knocked will you see that they are waiting to join the call.
How soon can I expect to see this feature after the beta?
The beta will be used to collect feedback and data about the performance of a new Online Appointments platform. We may or may not choose to proceed with it after the beta.