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We know it can feel frustrating when a patient is not getting their e-mail or SMS notifications. Below, we outline how to make sure your appointment reminders are sent every time.
First, confirm that the notification was not sent by following the directions found via this link.
Then, move on to one of the 4 possible scenarios listed below to troubleshoot.
Jump to:
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Scenario 1: One patient is not receiving automatic notifications
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Scenario 2: Some patients are getting their automatic notifications, but some are not
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Scenario 3: None of my patients are receiving automatic notifications
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Scenario 4: I'm sending manual reminders and they aren't received by patients
Scenario 1: One patient is not receiving automatic notifications:
- First, navigate to the Calendar and click on this patient's appointment. Click the pen icon in the top right hand corner to bring you into the Appointment Details Window.
- Then, make sure the correct Notification Settings are set and turned on under Send Automatic Notifications. When a new appointment is scheduled for this patient, these Notification settings will be automatically copied from their previous appointment.
- Next, check within this Patient File > Personal Tab and Patient File > Messages Tab. The patient may have opted out through the Onboarding Process. If a patient opted out of SMS reminders, it is important to note that only the patient will be able to opt themselves back in. This is due to telecommunication regulations.
Learn more about How to Opt Patients In to Email Notifications and SMS notifications
If you have verified that the notification settings are correct and the patient is opted in to notifications, try sending a manual reminder and please reach out to our team with the patient ID and DOS that needs to be evaluated further
Scenario 2: Some patients are getting their automatic notifications, but some aren't:
- Did you recently pause or restart SMS notifications? If so, it's possible some patients were created and weren't opted into to SMS reminders.
You can check your SMS management report to verify if patients have opted out, and can manually add them in from there. If you'd like to quickly opt in all patients, head over to Account > My Account > Subscriptions. Re-toggle the SMS tab and ensure you "Opt-in all clinic patients"
- Confirm the SMS and email reminders settings you have set up.
- In Clinic Settings > Notification Settings, you'll be able to set all of your reminders.
Did you recently make any changes to your reminders? Notification settings are applied when the appointment is booked. Changes to reminders only impact appointments made after the changes are saved.
For example, if you have an appointment booked two weeks from now, but you remove the 2nd email reminder a week before the appointment occurs, the existing appointments will still receive the 2nd email reminder. See: Will Patients Get a Notification if Appointment Info was Edited?
Note: Telehealth reminders are always set 30 mins prior to an appointment and cannot be edited at this time.
If you have verified that the notification settings are correct and the patient is opted in to notifications, please reach out to our team with the patient ID and DOS that needs to be evaluated further.
Scenario 3: None of my patients are receiving automatic notifications
- Confirm the SMS and email reminders settings you have set up in Clinic Settings > Notification Settings
- In Clinic Settings > Notification Settings, you'll be able to set all of your reminders.
Did you recently make any changes to your reminders? Notification settings are applied when the appointment is booked. Changes to reminders only impact appointments made after the changes are saved.
For example, if you have an appointment booked two weeks from now, but you didn't enable email reminders until after the appointment was created, the existing appointments will not receive a reminder. See: Will Patients Get a Notification if Appointment Info was Edited?
Note: Telehealth reminders are always set 30 mins prior to an appointment and cannot be edited at this time.
- Have you turned on SMS and opted your patients in? See: How to Turn on SMS Reminders and How to Opt Patients into SMS Reminders
You may need to cancel and reschedule an appointment, if you edited the notifications after the appointment was created.
Once you know your reminders are active, you can track notifications in the Notifications Report. If you have verified that the notification settings are correct and your patients are opted in to notifications, please reach out to our team with the patient IDs and Date of Service that needs to be evaluated further.
Scenario 4: I'm sending manual reminders and they aren't received by patients
- Next, check within this Patient File > Personal Tab and Patient File > Messages Tab. The patient may have opted out through the Onboarding Process or their Patient Portal. If a patient opted out of SMS reminders, it is important to note that only the patient will be able to opt themselves back in. This is due to telecommunication regulations.
Learn more about How to Opt Patients In to Email Notifications and SMS notifications
If you have verified that the notification settings are correct and the patient is opted in to notifications, please reach out to our team with the patient ID and DOS that needs to be evaluated further.