Most physicians’ offices already send appointment reminders, and for good reason. Research in the National Library of Medicine “found consistent evidence that all types of reminder systems are effective at improving appointment attendance across a range of healthcare settings and patient populations. … Unless otherwise indicated, all patients should receive a reminder to facilitate attendance at their healthcare appointment.”
Researchers also found text messaging was the most effective way to remind patients: “SMS reminders are reported to have successful contact rates of 97%–99%.”
Does your electronic medical record (EMR) system let you send appointment reminder texts? If not, it’s easy to add that capability with Plivo’s SMS API. We’ve written a getting started guide that shows just how easy it is for developers to add text messaging to existing application code. Plivo provides SDKs for the seven most widely used web development languages, including Python, Ruby, and Java.
Implementing appointment reminders is technically easy, but you should follow some best practices for optimal results. These practices apply to any kind of business in which customers make appointments — not just healthcare communication but also hair stylists, tax professionals, and even restaurants that accept reservations.
What is an appointment reminder text?
An appointment reminder text is just what it sounds like—a short message sent to a person reminding them about an upcoming appointment. These messages are typically sent via SMS to conveniently make sure someone doesn't forget about their scheduled meeting, salon appointment, medical consultation, or other type of event.
Why do some clients prefer text message reminders over call and email?
There are several reasons why some people prefer to get text message reminders rather than email or calls. Text messages are convenient and non-disruptive: they can be read when the client has a free moment and don’t require immediate action, especially if received during work hours. Text messages are also quick and easy to respond to if someone needs to reschedule or cancel their appointment.
Text messages are also one of the most effective ways to reach clients. More than 80% of consumers check their texts within five minutes of receiving a notification. Text messages typically have higher open rates than emails, which can get lost in cluttered inboxes.
Finally, text messages are accessible to virtually anyone with a basic mobile phone — no internet is needed. Text messages may be the easiest way to communicate, especially for medical patients with hearing impairments.
How do you write an appointment reminder text message?
Appointment text messages should be clear, straightforward, and to the point. The most important thing is to include the following information:
- Time and date of the appointment
- Your business name
- How to reschedule or cancel
Some businesses include the appointment location (address) to make it convenient for clients to find them. Note that SMS messages have a limit of 20-40 words; as a result, stick to the most important information with a way for clients to get in touch if they need more details.
Examples of appointment reminder texts
Here are a few templates that you can customize to send appointment reminders to your clients.
Example 1: Hi, [Name]! You have an upcoming appointment on [Date] at [Time] with [Business Name]. Please respond 1 to confirm, 2 to cancel and 3 to reschedule. We look forward to seeing you soon!
Example 2: Hi [Name], this is a friendly reminder that your appointment is on [Date] at [Time]. You can find us at [Address]. If you can no longer attend, please call us at [Phone Number]. We look forward to seeing you soon!
Example 3: Hi [Name], I’m with [Business Name] reaching out to remind you that your appointment is on [Date] at [Time]. Please let us know within 24 hours if you need to cancel or reschedule. Thank you!
Best practices for text message reminders
1. Be timely
Medical offices and most other businesses should send a reminder 24 hours before the appointment. If your office charges a fee for last-minute cancellations, send the reminder 24 hours before the fee would kick in. That gives the patient enough time to cancel or reschedule.
2. Be personal
Include the recipient’s name so that the recipient knows the message is coming to the right person, even if they’re forgotten all about the appointment.
3. Be precise
Include all of the facts they need to know — not just the appointment time but the location. You can also remind them to bring proof of insurance. If there are special considerations, such as a nearby detour for ongoing roadwork or a closed parking garage, include that information as well if you want your patients to be on time.
4. Be professional
Appointment reminder messages should be conversational in tone — friendly and professional. Nobody wants a machine-generated text that sounds like it was generated by a machine.
5. Be compliant
Make sure you comply with legal and regulatory SMS messaging compliance requirements in your country. If you send appointment reminders through Plivo’s Premium Communications Network, we’ll make sure you stay in compliance with rules about the volume of messages you send and allowed times of day. It’s your responsibility to stay compliant with message content. For example, in the US, to comply with HIPAA, you should avoid including any personally identifiable information or protected health information in the body of the reminder text. (That’s good advice no matter where you are.)
6. Ask for confirmation
How will you know your patient has seen your message? Provide a keyword they can use to confirm that they plan to come in. It can be as simple as “Reply Y to confirm or N to cancel.” You can also supply your phone number in case they have questions or need to reschedule.
7. Have a backup
If a patient doesn’t have a cellphone, or if you get a notification of an SMS delivery failure, you should be able to generate a voice reminder with the same information using machine-generated text-to-speech technology.
Here’s an example of a reminder message that touches all the bases.
Sam, your appointment with Dr. Adams is tomorrow at 11:45 at Adams Medical, 123 Main St, Springfield. Reply Y to confirm or N to cancel, or call us at 610-555-3456. Please bring your insurance card and a photo ID.
These simple rules will ensure your reminder texts help patients keep the appointments they made. Sign up for Plivo — it’s free to try — and review our sample message notification code to get started.
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