Appointment Book Terminology, Or: What Is Today
October 18, 2018 11:32 AM Subscribe
In American English, if I call my dentist today and schedule an appointment for November 1st, I would call November 1st my "Appointment Date."
What is the corollary term for the first of these date pairs?
Some of the terms I have heard (there are probably others):
Date scheduled.
Date made.
Date booked.
Some of these are pretty imprecise, or seem to float between the first date and the second date like phantoms.
What is the best term?
If it helps, the scenario I'm looking at includes appointments scheduled with medical providers and mental health counselors. Thanks.
Some of the terms I have heard (there are probably others):
Date scheduled.
Date made.
Date booked.
Some of these are pretty imprecise, or seem to float between the first date and the second date like phantoms.
What is the best term?
If it helps, the scenario I'm looking at includes appointments scheduled with medical providers and mental health counselors. Thanks.
I would say "date scheduled."
posted by FencingGal at 11:35 AM on October 18, 2018 [7 favorites]
posted by FencingGal at 11:35 AM on October 18, 2018 [7 favorites]
In my field, it’s the “scheduling date.”
“On her scheduling date, the first available appointment was two weeks out.”
“His scheduling date was May 2nd, the same day we had those computer issues.”
“Can you check who had an earlier scheduling date and move the other person’s appointment to next Tuesday?”
posted by whitewall at 11:36 AM on October 18, 2018 [15 favorites]
“On her scheduling date, the first available appointment was two weeks out.”
“His scheduling date was May 2nd, the same day we had those computer issues.”
“Can you check who had an earlier scheduling date and move the other person’s appointment to next Tuesday?”
posted by whitewall at 11:36 AM on October 18, 2018 [15 favorites]
Some of these are pretty imprecise, or seem to float between the first date and the second date like phantoms.
I see what you're saying. "Date appointment made" could refer to the date OF the appointment, as well as to the day the person called to book the appointment.
Is there a limit on characters? If not, why not use plain language such as "Day the patient called to make the appointment"?
posted by ImproviseOrDie at 12:10 PM on October 18, 2018 [1 favorite]
I see what you're saying. "Date appointment made" could refer to the date OF the appointment, as well as to the day the person called to book the appointment.
Is there a limit on characters? If not, why not use plain language such as "Day the patient called to make the appointment"?
posted by ImproviseOrDie at 12:10 PM on October 18, 2018 [1 favorite]
Some your terms benefit from a clarifying preposition:
Scheduled on date / Booked on date - the date you created the appointment by phoning
Scheduled for date / Booked for date - the date of the appointment
'Booked per date' is clunkier but perhaps even less ambiguous.
If this is a form, using ' on' and ' for' would act as clarifiers by contrast - you'd know what one meant because it wouldn't be the other one.
posted by How much is that froggie in the window at 12:22 PM on October 18, 2018 [2 favorites]
Scheduled on date / Booked on date - the date you created the appointment by phoning
Scheduled for date / Booked for date - the date of the appointment
'Booked per date' is clunkier but perhaps even less ambiguous.
If this is a form, using '
posted by How much is that froggie in the window at 12:22 PM on October 18, 2018 [2 favorites]
If not, why not use plain language such as "Day the patient called to make the appointment"?
Seconded. Or even just "date called"? Or "Date Telephoned" for maximum clarity.
I think most concise adjective references to the date an appointment was booked from (that is, the first date of your date pairs) will have a risk of being ambiguous because we don't often talk about that. Instead we might reference the action that was made - a phone call, a conversation, receipt of a letter/email, etc.
Even Whitewall's examples seem risky to me, though I can understand how they'd work if it's a regular point of conversation or the surrounding conversation gave clearly context.
“On her scheduling date, the first available appointment was two weeks out.” vs
"When she called to make an appointment, the first available..."
posted by Nonsteroidal Anti-Inflammatory Drug at 12:37 PM on October 18, 2018 [1 favorite]
Seconded. Or even just "date called"? Or "Date Telephoned" for maximum clarity.
I think most concise adjective references to the date an appointment was booked from (that is, the first date of your date pairs) will have a risk of being ambiguous because we don't often talk about that. Instead we might reference the action that was made - a phone call, a conversation, receipt of a letter/email, etc.
Even Whitewall's examples seem risky to me, though I can understand how they'd work if it's a regular point of conversation or the surrounding conversation gave clearly context.
“On her scheduling date, the first available appointment was two weeks out.” vs
"When she called to make an appointment, the first available..."
posted by Nonsteroidal Anti-Inflammatory Drug at 12:37 PM on October 18, 2018 [1 favorite]
The best wording may depend on the specific visual presentation. Are these column headers in a spreadsheet? Will it read as a complete sentence?
For instance, my first thought was to suggest "booked on" and "booked for"; this is compact and parallel, and lets you write a sentence like as "Sandy Smith booked an appointment on 18 Oct 2018 for 22 Oct 2018". But these would not work as well for column headers, because it requires more attentiveness—in that case you might want "booked/appointment,"
posted by adamrice at 3:48 PM on October 18, 2018 [1 favorite]
For instance, my first thought was to suggest "booked on" and "booked for"; this is compact and parallel, and lets you write a sentence like as "Sandy Smith booked an appointment on 18 Oct 2018 for 22 Oct 2018". But these would not work as well for column headers, because it requires more attentiveness—in that case you might want "booked/appointment,"
posted by adamrice at 3:48 PM on October 18, 2018 [1 favorite]
Best answer: Booking date and appointment date?
posted by XtineHutch at 4:04 PM on October 18, 2018 [1 favorite]
posted by XtineHutch at 4:04 PM on October 18, 2018 [1 favorite]
Contact (or Called, Emailed, etc.) Date? (or flip--Date of Contact)
It's short and not ambiguous (someone had to have contacted the provider to make the appointment).
posted by MikeKD at 8:39 PM on October 18, 2018
It's short and not ambiguous (someone had to have contacted the provider to make the appointment).
posted by MikeKD at 8:39 PM on October 18, 2018
In my field, it’s the “scheduling date.”
Same here.
posted by Miko at 9:06 PM on October 18, 2018 [1 favorite]
This thread is closed to new comments.
posted by praemunire at 11:33 AM on October 18, 2018