The verdict in three sentences
For an inter-company occupational health service covering 85,000 employees and 6,000 member companies, an appointment and member portal application costs EUR 80,000 to 150,000 excluding VAT and ships in 6 months. The main gain is measurable: missed appointments drop from about 18% to 9%, recovering thousands of medical slots each year. Certified health data hosting and interoperability with the existing occupational health software are not options; they shape the budget.
The hidden cost of missed medical visits
In France, since the law of 2 August 2021, these services must deliver a core offer (prevention, individual health monitoring, job retention support) and go through certification. Similar obligations exist across Europe. Individual monitoring relies on thousands of appointment notices sent by mail or email to employers, who pass them on to employees with mixed results.
| Annual indicator (85,000 employees monitored) | Before the app | After the app |
|---|---|---|
| Scheduled visits and exams | 42,000 | 42,000 |
| Unexcused no-show rate | 18% | 9% |
| Lost slots | 7,560 | 3,780 |
| Assistant time for reminders and rescheduling | 5,200 hours | 2,300 hours |
| Average headcount declaration delay | 9 weeks | 3 weeks |
| Inbound calls from members | 38,000 | 24,000 |
A lost medical slot costs the service EUR 45 to 70 (occupational physician or nurse time, premises, assistant). Across 7,560 slots, that means EUR 340,000 to 530,000 a year of wasted medical capacity, at a time of severe shortage of occupational physicians.
Functional scope and cost
Figures are 2026 orders of magnitude for custom development in Europe, interfaced with an off-the-shelf occupational health software package or an in-house system.
| Module | Features | Budget excl. VAT | Duration |
|---|---|---|---|
| Member portal | Headcount declaration, risks per job position, membership invoices | EUR 20,000 to 35,000 | 8 weeks |
| Online appointment notices | Employee picks the slot, secure link, D-3 and D-1 SMS reminders | EUR 18,000 to 32,000 | 7 weeks |
| Automatic rescheduling | Slot release and reassignment, waiting list | EUR 10,000 to 20,000 | 4 weeks |
| Business software interface | API or HL7 FHIR feed, calendar sync | EUR 15,000 to 35,000 | 6 to 8 weeks |
| Management dashboard | No-shows by sector, delays, certification indicators | EUR 8,000 to 15,000 | 3 weeks |
| Security and compliance | GDPR impact assessment, penetration tests, strong clinician authentication | EUR 9,000 to 13,000 | Ongoing |
The total falls between EUR 80,000 and 150,000 excluding VAT depending on the quality of the business software API. Certified health data hosting in production costs EUR 800 to 2,500 per month, and application maintenance 15 to 20% of development cost per year.
What actually reduces no-shows
The drop from 18% to 9% does not come from the interface alone. It relies on four specific mechanisms.
| Mechanism | Observed effect on no-shows | Implementation cost |
|---|---|---|
| Direct notice to the employee (email or SMS) on top of the employer | 3 to 4 points | Low, if the member enters contacts |
| Employee chooses among 3 proposed slots | 2 to 3 points | Medium, depends on the calendar |
| D-3 and D-1 SMS reminders with a cancel link | 2 to 3 points | EUR 0.05 to 0.08 per SMS |
| Waiting list and reassignment of freed slots | 1 to 2 points recovered in capacity | Medium |
| Teleconsultation for some follow-up visits | 1 point | High, regulatory framework applies |
The critical point remains contact data: without the employee's phone or email, the notice goes back through the employer. The member portal must make that entry easy, with CSV import or a payroll declaration connection.
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Mini case study
Isabelle Moreau, director of an inter-company occupational health service in the Lyon region, monitors 85,000 employees with 32 physicians and nurses. She invests EUR 120,000 excluding VAT in the portal and online notices, plus EUR 1,800 per month of certified hosting and EUR 20,000 per year of maintenance, about EUR 161,600 in year one. No-shows fall from 18% to 9%: 3,780 slots recovered at an average EUR 55, or EUR 208,000 of medical capacity per year. On top of that, 2,900 assistant hours are freed, about EUR 87,000 at EUR 30 fully loaded per hour. The return exceeds EUR 290,000 from the first full year.
FAQ
How much does an appointment app for an occupational health service cost?
Budget EUR 80,000 to 150,000 excluding VAT for a service monitoring 50,000 to 100,000 employees, over 6 months. Certified health data hosting adds EUR 800 to 2,500 per month.
Is certified health data hosting mandatory?
Yes, appointment notices and individual monitoring data are health data. In France the app must run on HDS-certified hosting, with a GDPR impact assessment and access logging; other EU countries apply equivalent requirements.
Do we need to replace our business software?
No, in most cases the app connects to the existing software through an API or FHIR feed. The interface accounts for EUR 15,000 to 35,000 of the budget depending on the vendor's API quality.
Can no-shows really fall from 18% to 9%?
It is an observed order of magnitude when all four mechanisms are combined: direct notice, slot choice, SMS reminders and waiting list. Without direct employee contact, the drop usually caps at 3 to 4 points.
How long until production?
Allow 6 months, including 6 to 8 weeks for the business software interface and a 4-week pilot on one sector. Rollout to all members then proceeds in waves of 1,000 to 1,500 companies.
Let's scope your project. Send us your volumes, your business software and your no-show indicators: we will price a member portal and online appointment notices between EUR 80,000 and 150,000 excluding VAT, deliverable in 6 months on certified hosting. Detailed quote within 48 h. WhatsApp +221 77 596 93 33.
Mohamed Bah
Fondateur, Kolonell
Passionate about digital and entrepreneurship in Africa, Mohamed has been helping Sénégalese businesses with their digital transformation since 2020. Founder of Kolonell, he believes every SME deserves a professional and accessible online présence.
