Customizing appointment communications

You can customize the schedule and content of an appointment communication (an email message and a text message that get sent to active patients automatically regarding their appointments).

To customize an appointment communication

1. On a location's Patient Communications page > Appointment tab, clicktap a communication.

   

   Samples of the corresponding email message and text message appear, and the options for the communication become available.

   Appt scheduled

   

   Appt confirmed

   

   Appt start (without ability to confirm)

   

   Appt start (with ability to confirm)

   

   Appt broken

   

   Appt no show

   

   Appt completed

   

2. ClickTap Edit.

   The wizard for editing the appointment communication displays.

3. Configure the appointment communication options on the following tabs as necessary:

   • Notification Schedule tab

     

     1. From the Appointment reminder is based on list, select an action that you want to associate this communication with:

        • Appointment Scheduled Date - When someone schedules an appointment.

        • Appointment Confirmed Date - When a patient confirms an appointment from an automated appointment reminder, or when a staff member manually changes an appointment's status to "Confirmed."

        • Appointment Start Date and Time - When the date and time of the scheduled appointment arrives.

        • Appointment Completed Date - When an appointment's status is changed to "Complete."

        • Appointment Broken Date - When an appointment's status is changed to "Broken."

        • Appointment No Show Date - When an appointment's status is changed to "No Show."

        The applicable options become available.

     2. Configure the following options:

        • Schedule - Specify the number of hours, days, months, or years before or after the selected action that you want the message to be sent. The Before option is available only for Appointment Start Date and Time.

        • Exclude automated message - Turn this setting Off to use the default, automated message and any custom message that you specify later on in the wizard. Turn this setting On to use only a custom message that you enter later on in the wizard.

        • Include Premedicate Message - This setting is available only for Appointment Scheduled Date, Appointment Confirmed Date, and Appointment Start Date and Time. Turn this setting On to have instructions for the patient regarding pre-medication appear on the message; however, the pre-medication instructions will appear only if the patient's appointment has the option selected that indicates that pre-medication has been requested. Turn this setting Off to exclude the pre-medication instructions. The text of the pre-medication instructions is, "Please do not forget to take any required medication before your appointment."

        • Ability to confirm - This setting is available only for Appointment Start Date and Time and if Before is selected. Turn this setting On to provide a Confirm Appointment button for a patient to click (in an email message) or texting instructions that a patient can follow (in a text message) to confirm their appointment. The status of the appointment will be updated automatically when the patient confirms their appointment. Turn this setting Off to not include a way for the patient to confirm their appointment from the email or text message.

        • Continue sending - This setting is available only for Appointment Start Date and Time, Appointment Broken Date, and Appointment No Show Date. Turn this setting On to keep sending a patient this message at a specified interval (Repeat every ...) after this notice is sent out initially until the specified number of notices (up to 10) have been sent (Discontinue after ... notices). Turn this setting Off to send this message only once.

     3. Click Next to proceed to the next tab of the wizard, or clicktap any tab.

   • Preferred Sending Method tab

     

     1. Select the format that you prefer to use for the message:

        • Email - Send this message by email. If a patient receiving the message does not have an email address, Ascend Academic will attempt to send the patient a text message.

        • Text - Send this message by text. If a patient receiving the message does not have a valid mobile phone number, Ascend Academic will attempt to send the patient an email message.

     2. Click Next to proceed to the next tab of the wizard, or clicktap any tab.

   • Email Message tab

     

     1. Customize the email message as necessary:

        • Subject - Type the subject of the email message as you want it to appear for patients.

        • Automated message - You cannot change the content, layout, or formatting of the default message. The correct patient names and appointment times will be inserted accordingly into the message. There is no automated message if the Exclude automated message setting is On on the Notification Schedule tab of the wizard.

        • Custom message - Type and format any custom text that you want to include in the message.

     2. Click Next to proceed to the next tab of the wizard, or clicktap any tab.

   • Text Message tab

     

     1. Customize the text message as necessary:

        • Automated message - You cannot change the content, layout, or formatting of the default message. The correct patient names and appointment times will be inserted accordingly into the message. There is no automated message if the Exclude automated message setting is On on the Notification Schedule tab of the wizard.

        • Custom message - Type any custom text that you want to include in the message.

     2. Click Next to proceed to the next tab of the wizard, or clicktap any tab.

   • Practice Info tab

     

     The logo, name, address, and phone number of the selected location display as they will appear on an email message. The name and phone number of the selected location display as they will appear on a text message.

4. When ready on the Practice Info tab, clicktap Done to save the settings on all the tabs of the wizard.