Data Dictionary — Muthoni Veterinary Clinic Appointments
Grace Akinyi (receptionist) has maintained this spreadsheet since October 2024. Every booked appointment gets a row. Data entry is manual but consistent — Grace follows the same format for every record.
Columns
| Column | Data type | Allowed values | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| date | date (YYYY-MM-DD) | 2024-10-01 to 2026-03-31 | Date the appointment was scheduled for |
| time_slot | string | Morning, Afternoon, Evening | Time block: Morning (8am-12pm), Afternoon (12pm-4pm), Evening (4pm-6pm) |
| day_of_week | string | Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, Saturday | Day of the week. The clinic is closed on Sundays. |
| visit_type | string | Consultation, Vaccination, Dental, Surgery | Type of appointment booked |
| pet_species | string | Dog, Cat, Rabbit | Species of the patient |
| client_tenure | string | New, Returning | Whether the client has visited the clinic before |
| appointment_status | string | Show, No-show, Cancelled | Outcome: Show = client attended, No-show = client did not attend and did not cancel in advance, Cancelled = client cancelled before the appointment day |
| appointment_length | string | Standard, Extended | Standard appointments are 45 minutes. Extended appointments are 90 minutes (used for procedures like dental cleaning or minor surgery). |
Notes
- appointment_status categories: "Show" means the client arrived and the appointment happened. "No-show" means the client did not show up and gave no advance notice. "Cancelled" means the client called or messaged to cancel before the appointment day. Grace records the status at the end of each day.
- appointment_length: Most appointments are Standard (45 min). Extended (90 min) appointments are primarily for dental cleanings and surgeries. The clinic books fewer extended slots per day because they take twice the time.
- No Sunday data. The clinic is closed on Sundays. Saturday is a half-day (morning only for most weeks, though occasional afternoon slots appear).