Pre-Appointment Messages
Browse through our Pre-Appointment Message Best Practices to explore options for your facility. All text messages are fully customizable.
Tips on Character Count:
- Short text messages are good text messages as they increase the likelihood of reading and retention. Messages cannot be more than 612 characters total.
- We recommend that you include your facility name at the beginning of every outbound text message to provide clarity for your patients. For example, "Main Street Medicine: Your appointment is tomorrow at..." You can use an abbreviated facility name to conserve characters. Keep in mind, those characters are not included in the character counts below.
- If you have a particularly long message, consider sending your main content in one message, and then creating a series of additional messages to provide the remaining content.
Pre-Registration Reminders
Pre-registration can save time for your staff as well as patients. The more information you can collect from the patient online prior to their appointment, the less time your staff and patients need to spend filling out paperwork in the waiting room.
Click HERE to learn how our client increased completed pre-appointment documentation via web portal by 225%!
Pre-registration reminder without appointment datePre-registration reminder with appointment date
If the patient must complete registration prior to their appointment, Pre-Registration Reminders can be sent out as early as at the time of scheduling. Additional reminders may be used leading up to the appointment to encourage completion.
Appointment Confirmations and Reminders
Eliminate hours of making phone calls and reduce no-shows by sending automated appointment confirmations and reminders. These messages help patients remember their appointments, confirm their plans to attend, cancel, or request to reschedule.
Click HERE to learn how a Physician Group uses Dialog Health to help reduce no-shows with patients by 34% and grew revenue by $100,000
Appointment confirmation with flow reply
Appointment reminder with pre-registration link
Appointment reminder based on appointment time
Day-of appointment reminder
We recommend sending Appointment Reminders to patients 10 days, 3 days and 1 day before OR 5 days, 3 days, and 1 day before the scheduled appointment. The first reminder typically prompts the patient to confirm or reschedule, and the following reminders will put the appointment back on the patient's radar as the date gets closer.
To send an appointment reminder based on the Appointment Time, use our Appointment Time filters.
Telehealth Appointment Reminders
Telehealth increases patient access to healthcare and saves time for both the patient and provider. According to the American Hospital Association, 76% percent of patients prioritize access to care over the need for face-to-face interactions with their health care providers.
Telehealth availability announcement
Telehealth availability announcement with appointment details
Telehealth appointment confirmation with flow reply
Day-of telehealth appointment reminder with link
Similar to in-office appointments, we recommend sending Telehealth Appointment Reminders to patients 10 days, 3 days and 1 day before OR 7 days, 3 days, and 1 day before their scheduled appointment. The first reminder typically prompts the patient to confirm or reschedule, and the following reminders will put the appointment back on the patient's radar as the date gets closer.
Compliance and Nothing-By-Mouth (NPO) Instructions
If your facility has multiple appointment types that each require their own Compliance or NPO Instructions, you can set up automated campaigns to deliver messages based on Appointment Name. You can also opt to send a more general message reminding patients to review the Compliance Instructions provided.
Colonoscopy compliance instructions
Upper endoscopy compliance instructions
General compliance instructions
Compliance and NPO Instructions should be sent before the critical timeframe when a patient must start following guidelines. Often this is 12, 24, or 48 hours before the scheduled appointment.
Interested in setting up targeted Compliance and NPO Instructions based on appointment type? Use our Appointment Type filters. Check out our Release Notes v25 to learn how or reach out to us at Support@DialogHealth.com.
Arrival Time Reminders
If you require patients to arrive prior to their appointment time, it's helpful to provide clear expectations beforehand.
Day-before arrival time reminder
Arrival time reminder and what to bring
Arrival Time Reminders are typically sent the afternoon before or several hours before the appointment to remind the patient not to forget their appointment and to give them enough notice to plan their arrival.
Arrival Instructions
Providing your patients with relevant instructions prior to their appointment will set expectations before they arrive at your facility. Arrival Instructions are typically sent the afternoon before or several hours before the appointment. That way any relevant arrival information is the last text message a patient receives prior to their appointment, making it the most easily accessible. Check out our Covid-19 Best Practices for suggested messages on communicating new safety procedures to patients prior to their arrival.
Directions to facility
Stay in car upon arrival reminder
For more information on creating Campaigns, check out our other articles: Create/Edit Campaign Broadcasts and Create a Campaign with a Flow Reply.
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