Simplified Availability for Epic

Show real provider appointment availability on your public website. Integrates with Epic Open Scheduling.

The problem

Health system marketing websites are where new patients start their journey — but they rarely show real appointment availability. Visitors see provider bios and a “Schedule” button that takes them through a multi-step authentication or call-back flow. Many drop off before they ever reach a bookable slot.

Meanwhile, Epic’s Open Scheduling capability already exposes real availability through FHIR APIs. The gap isn’t the data. It’s the integration work between Epic and the marketing website.

What Simplified Availability does

Simplified Availability bridges that gap. It queries Epic’s Open Scheduling APIs in real time, displays next-available appointment times directly on provider bio pages and search results, and hands visitors off to MyChart’s Open Scheduling flow to complete their booking.

The result: visitors see real availability before they click, which dramatically improves the likelihood that they continue through to a booked appointment.

How it works

Backend integration. Simplified Availability authenticates to your Epic environment using SMART Backend Services (OAuth 2.0 with signed JWT). No patient login is required, no PHI flows through the public widget.

Visit-type mapping. Each provider on your marketing site is mapped to a representative visit type (typically a new-patient visit for the provider’s specialty). This mapping is configured once and maintained as your provider directory changes.

Real-time availability queries. When a visitor loads a provider page, Simplified Availability queries the Appointment $find operation against your Epic FHIR endpoint, retrieves available slots, and displays the next several options.

Caching. Slot queries are cached briefly to keep your Epic API load reasonable while still showing fresh data. Cache TTLs are configurable per organization.

Hand-off to MyChart. When a visitor clicks an available time, they’re sent to your MyChart Open Scheduling URL with the department, visit type, and provider pre-populated. They complete the standard Open Scheduling decision tree and book the appointment in Epic — exactly as they would today, but starting from a much higher-intent point.

Who it’s for

Simplified Availability is designed for health systems that:

• Use Epic and MyChart
• Have Open Scheduling enabled (or are willing to enable it) for at least some specialties
• Operate one or more public-facing marketing or provider-finder websites
• Want to improve conversion from website visitor to booked appointment

It works alongside existing provider directories, marketing CMS platforms, and digital front door tools. It does not replace MyChart — bookings still happen inside MyChart’s Open Scheduling flow.

Security and compliance

• No protected health information (PHI) is exposed by the public widget
• Communication with Epic uses OAuth 2.0 Backend Services with signed JWT authentication
• All API traffic uses TLS 1.2 or higher
• Business Associate Agreement (BAA) available for customer engagements
• Designed to comply with HIPAA Security Rule technical safeguards
• No patient identifiers are stored; only public scheduling metadata is cached

Integration model

Simplified Availability is deployed as a managed service. Data Automation handles the Epic FHIR app registration, the backend authentication and caching infrastructure, and the front-end widget embedded in your website. Your team configures the provider-to-visit-type mapping (with our help) and integrates the widget into your existing site templates.

Implementation typically takes 6–10 weeks from kickoff to go-live, depending on the scope of providers and departments included and the state of your existing Epic Open Scheduling configuration.

About Data Automation

Data Automation builds API-driven integrations for businesses that need real data flowing reliably between systems. Our healthcare practice helps health systems connect their public-facing websites to clinical and scheduling systems through documented, standards-based APIs.

Contact

For more information or to discuss whether Simplified Availability is a fit for your health system, contact us at sales@dataautomation.com.