Notifications

What:

We have built a new patient communication system that includes appointment reminders and notifications for events. These messages have default templates that can be changed to fit the customer’s needs. We also improved the schedule configuration, offering more control and additional reminders. This also includes new notification types and macros in messages to auto populate information.

Why:

Our current reminder system was not capable of expanding and sending notifications. We wanted to build a patient communication system that could be expanded and customized. This includes the message, as well as when and how they are sent. It needed to include appointment reminders and notifications along with future expansion capabilities. This new product will allow us to add more features in the future as well.

How:

*This new feature does need to be enabled by ChartLogic before it can be used. It is a replacement to the Appointment reminder system and will need to be configured when enabled. 

We have removed the Appointment reminders section from the tools menu and replaced it with Patient Communications. This is the new starting point for turning on/off and configuring these notifications.

This patient communication screen shows you the notifications and reminders that are sent and gives the user the ability to search them in case you need to see what was sent and when.

How to enable reminders and notifications:

To enable reminders and notifications you first need to turn on the communication method and activate the templates you want to use. The available methods are email, text and/or voice communications.

From the dashboard menu click on Tools and select Patient Communications.

Click on the configure button at the top right. Then click the toggle next to the methods you want to activate as seen below.

Once enabled you will need to edit the configuration to activate the communications you want to send. Click on the plus icon next to the communication you want to activate such as appointment reminders. 

Once added to the active templates the communication should be configured with messaging and sending intervals for appointment reminders and notifications will be sent with default messaging unless updated. 

Click the save button to commit the changes. 

How to configure Appointment Reminders:

Once a communication method is enabled, you will need to click on edit configuration. This will display the templates that are or can be activated. 

Select an active template from the list to configure the template. 

Here you can set your time zone, the time period to send, intervals and configure the message.

*Note: you will need to set the intervals for each enabled message type as the default is zero

Messages will be sent based on the intervals chosen. There can be up to 4 messages sent for an appointment reminder if each interval is set. Notifications will only send one per enabled method as it is a system driven event such as creating a form.  

Time zone:

Set the time zone to your default location as messages will be sent based on this location.

Start/Stop:

The Start/Stop time determines the window that messages will be sent in. If left at the default setting, messages will send when an interval is met. You can set a specific start/stop to prevent messages being sent too early or late in a day.

Intervals:

The four intervals allow you to send up to 4 reminders for an appointment. The default is 0 which means no reminder will be sent. You must set it to 1 or above to have a reminder sent. *Note: this is unavailable for notifications as they are event driven.

Setting a number in each of the interval boxes will produce a message for that time period prior to an appointment. For example, selecting 1 in the weeks before interval will send a reminder 1 week prior to an appointment.

Template:

The template is where you can customize your message. We have included default messages for each of the different message types. Make any changes needed, then click the save button. This completes the message setup and enables the messages.

Macros:

We use macros to personalize messages with practice and patient information. Below is the list of available macros for these messages. They must be typed exactly with the tilde marks, or they will not populate with data.

Available macros:

Macro	Output	Example
~clinicname~	Displays the clinics name	Hello World Health
~clinicphone~	Displays the clinic phone number	(888) 337-4441.
~patientfirstname~	Displays patients first name	Elissa
~patientlastname~	Displays patient’s last name	Ayles
~patientmothersmaidenname~	Displays patient’s maiden name	Smith
~patientname~	Displays patients First and Last name together	Elissa Ayles
~appointmenttime~	Displays the patient’s appointment time	2:30 PM
~appointmentdate~	Displays patients’ appointment date	3/9/2023
~appointmentdatetime~	Displays patients’ appointment date and time together	3/9/2023 10:00 AM
~resource~	Displays the resource associated to appointment	Anne Thompson, MD
~location~	Displays appointment location	Mesa Office

When all changes are complete click the save button to commit changes.

How to configure Notifications:

Configuration is done the same as appointment reminders, but do not require time zone, start/stop time, and intervals settings. These are sent based on system events such as creating an appointment or sending patient forms.

First turn on the communication method if it is not already enabled. Click on the edit configuration link. Click the Plus next to the notification you want to activate. Then click on the active template. This display’s the notification to edit. 

Edit the default message if needed and click the save button to commit the changes. 

Patient Communication settings:

Each patient can have reminders enabled and disabled by the practice or on their own through the patient portal or responding to messages. We have expanded the communication settings on the patient chart to allow for these toggles.

To enable/disable a communication method to a specific patient you will need to navigate to the patients’ chart, then click the Patient Detail button on the header.

On the Patient Communication card, you can turn on/off communications for each type.

Clicking a toggle will turn it on/off.

The information on the right displays where each method will be sent. The mobile phone is used for text messages, Email for email messages and Voice for voice call messages.

*Note: If a method such as Voice messages is not enabled in the system, then the toggle for that method will not be visible.

 Patient Portal Communication settings:

Patients have two ways they can turn communications on/off. This is through the patient portal and directly from the communication method. They have a similar patient communications card in their patient portal where they can turn their patient communications on and off.

To turn on/off a communication method they will click on a toggle button next to the method.

The upper right will also display where communications will go but they cannot change it. They will need to contact the clinic to have it changed.

The second way they can turn off communications is by clicking the opt-out link in a message. When an opt-out link is clicked from an email for example, then all email communication will be disabled for that message type.