CSV Template for Adding Multiple Locations, Participants, Appointments and 10 Misc Fields (33)
Navigating the 33-Column CSV File: A Beginner's Guide
The 33-Column CSV file serves as a medium through which Dialog Health can transfer your data to our platform. This file is exclusively designated for adding participant data, and appointment/event data for multiple facility locations all in one .
CSV, an acronym for Comma Separated Values, is a widely adopted format employed for seamless data exchange between distinct platforms. Although CSV files can present challenges when it comes to interpretation, they can be conveniently viewed and comprehended by utilizing spreadsheet applications such as Excel, Google Sheets, or Apple Numbers. By organizing the data into columns, these applications facilitate a more accessible understanding of the information presented.
Now, let's proceed with an in-depth exploration of each column within the file, allowing you to tailor it according to the specific requirements of your facility.
Scroll to the bottom of this article to download our template of the 33-Column CSV file
*asterisk denotes required fields for import
Column A: Location ID*
In this column, your team will need to pick an identifier to differentiate between each location you are adding to the file. In the example above, I have three different facility locations that I am identifying with a 5-digit code. This unique location identifier tells our team which console the data should be imported to.
(i.e. 26560, 28410, 25498)
Column B: Last Name*
In this column, input your patient's last name.
(i.e. White, Doe)
Column C: First Name*
In this column, input your patient's first name.
(i.e. Bob, John)
Column D: Mobile Phone Number*
In this column, input your patient's primary contact number. If they have an additional phone number, this can be placed in Column F.
Accepted Formats: xxxxxxxxxx or xxx-xxx-xxxx or (xxx)xxx-xxxx
(i.e. 1234567890, 5555555555)
Column E: Patient ID*
In this column, enter the distinct ID number linked to the individual. In case your organization doesn't allocate an identification number, you have the option to input their phone number in this cell. This column holds significance in differentiating individuals who share the same name. Failing to provide any information in this field will prompt Dialog Health to generate its own unique identification number for the person. Moreover, it is crucial to ensure that each assigned individual has a unique number. The same ID number cannot be used for different individuals.
(i.e. ABC123, DEF456)
Column F: DOB
In this column, you can input the patient's date of birth (DOB).
Accepted Format: MM/DD/YYYY
(i.e. 10/12/2000, 12/22/1972)
Column G: Additional Phone Number
In this column, if the patient has a secondary phone number on file, you can place it here.
If there is a secondary number on file, Dialog Health will automatically try to contact that number if the primary phone number is unreachable.
Accepted Formats: xxxxxxxxxx or xxx-xxx-xxxx or (xxx)xxx-xxxx
(i.e. 1111111111)
Column H: Address 1
In this column, input the patient's street address.
(i.e. 12 Main St, 231 West Rd, etc.)
Column I: Address 2
In this column, if the patient has any secondary information to their address such as an apartment number or suite number, this can be input here.
(i.e. Unit B)
Column J: City
In this column, input the city associated with the patient's address.
(i.e. Franklin)
Column K: State
In this column, input the state associated with the patient's address.
Accepted Format: 2-letter abbreviation, e.g. OH, TN, FL, IN, etc.,,
(i.e. TN)
Column L: Zip
In this column, input the zip code associated with the patient's address.
Accepted Format: xxxxx or xxxxx-xxxx
(i.e. 37067)
Column M: Email
If the patient has an email address on file that you'd like to add, you can input that in this column.
Column N-R: Patient Misc 1-5
These columns are unique because they are customizable to what you'd like to view in your console. In the example above, Patient Misc 1 was used to identify health insurance type. Creating unique selections in this column can help you set specific rules for the text messages you send when you want to reach out to a specific subset of subscribers.
(i.e. Health Insurance, Language)
Ideas for Patient Misc 1-5
- Language: English, Spanish, Chinese...
- Preferred Name/Nickname: Bob, Sam, Jimmy
- Health Insurance: BCBS, UHC, Aetna...
- Network Status: OON (Out of Network) versus In Network
- DRG (Diagnosis Related Groups): Sepsis, HF, Pneumonia...
- Pertinent Health History: Pacemaker, Epilepsy, Hard of Hearing (HOH)
Column S: Appointment ID*
In this column, input the ID number associated with that patient's appointment. If your organization does not use an identification number, you can create your own. If you do not enter anything into this field, Dialog Health will create its own identification number for the appointment. The appointment ID MUST be unique every time. Do not share appointment ID's with similar appointment types.
(i.e. 12345, 67890)
Column T: Appointment Name*
In this column, input the name of the patient's appointment.
(i.e. Annual Physical, Flu Shot)
Column U: Appointment Date*
In this column, input the patient's scheduled appointment date.
Accepted Format: MM/DD/YYYY
(i.e. 05/27/2022, 05/28/2022)
Column V: Appointment Start Time*
In this column, input the patient's scheduled appointment time.
Accepted Format: HH:MM AM/PM for 12 hour or HH:MM for 24 hour
(i.e. 8:00 AM, 1:00 PM)
Column W: Appointment Arrival Time
In this column, if you do not input anything, Dialog Health will automatically assume the arrival time is the same as the start time. You can leverage this column if you'd like your patient to arrive earlier than the scheduled appointment time. This functionality is used with Dynamic Tags. In the example above I kept the Arrival time the same as the Start time.
Accepted Format: HH:MM AM/PM for 12 hour or HH:MM for 24 hour
(i.e. 8:00 AM, 1:00 PM)
Column X: Appointment Location
In this column, you can add the location of the patient's appointment. When using the 33-Columned CSV format, it may be helpful for your team to put the facility name in this column that is associated with the Location ID listed in Column A.
(i.e. Main Street Clinic, West Street Clinic, South Street Clinic)
Column Y: Appointment Status
In this column, you can enter the status of the patient's appointment, such as scheduled, canceled, or rescheduled. This functionality will vary depending on why you are uploading the 33-column CSV file to your console. If you are uploading the file to add new patient appointments, this column would be Scheduled. If you were uploading the file to do a bulk update of patient appointments already added in Dialog Health, this is when you may use Rescheduled or Cancelled.
(i.e. Scheduled)
Column Z: Provider Name
In this column, you can input the provider name whom the patient has an appointment scheduled with.
(i.e. Dr. Smith, Dr. Brown, Dr. White)
Column AA: Provider Phone Number
If your office, or the provider the patient is scheduled with, has a phone number associated with the clinic, you can place that in this cell.
Accepted Formats: xxxxxxxxxx or xxx-xxx-xxxx or (xxx)xxx-xxxx
(i.e. 4444444444)
Column AB - AF: Appointment Misc 1-5
These columns are unique because they are customizable to what you'd like to view in your console. In the example above, Appointment Misc 1 was used to show the patient's past-due balance. Creating unique selections in this column can help you set specific rules for the text messages you send when you want to reach out to a specific subset of patients. You can also leverage Misc fields by using Dynamic Tags in your messages.
(i.e. $5.00, $37.42...)
Ideas for Appointment Misc 1-5
- Location: Main, North, East...
- Waitlist: Use "Waitlist" as an identifier for whether or not someone requested an earlier appointment date
- Readmission Status: Use "Readmitted" as an identifier for where or not they were readmitted from a previous visit
- Pre-op Instructions: Use PREP as an identifier when a patient needs instructions related to their procedure texted to them
- Post-Appointment Education: Use EDU when a patient needs educational materials texted to them after their appointment
- Diagnoses Codes: Input diagnoses codes related to the appointment to help with billing
Column AG: Notes
The notes column is the last column on the file. Here you can add notes related to the patient's appointment.
(i.e. Patient has been fasting for 24 hours)
Each cell can only import a maximum character count of 50, except for address 1, address 2, email, appointment name, appointment location, and Misc Fields. These may contain up to 250 characters.
Keys Points
- The basic information required to text a person is Location ID, Last Name, First Name, Mobile Number, Patient ID, Appointment ID, Appointment Date, and Appointment Start Time; It is up to your discretion if you wish to utilize the remaining fields in order to better identify your participants.
- The Patient ID and Appointment ID must be unique per each person/appointment you add to your file. If your facility does not use an identification number you may use their phone number. If you do not add one at all, Dialog Health will generate its own.
- If you have two phone numbers for a patient, you can use the Additional Phone Number field to add the second number. Dialog Health will try both numbers in order to validate the mobile number.
- The template must be saved in CSV format and the 33-columned Header Row must always be present in order to successfully transfer your data into Dialog Health.
- Make sure you follow the character count recommendations, otherwise, the overage will not cross over into Dialog Health.
Best Practices for Naming Your CSV File
The ideal approach for naming your CSV file upon completion would involve incorporating the facility name associated with the data, providing a brief description of the data, and including the date and time of data retrieval. Adopting this naming convention will greatly assist in organizing and tracking the data you have uploaded into Dialog Health.
Standard: FacilityName_ContentDescription_MMDDYY_HHMM.csv
Examples:
GreySloanMemorial_ColonoscopyRecall_011521_1400.csv
SacredHeartHosiptal_DrKelsosPatients_120221_1045.csv
SeasideHealth&WellnessCenter_LALocationAppointments_060621_0545.csv
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