Scheduler Settings: Appointment Communications

Appointment communications allow you to create and send out automated communications to patients and Resources about their appointment or group session. These messages can be based on appointment status, specific updates to an appointment or group session, or based on appointment/session time. These communications are customizable and can be sent out via text message and/or email. 

Note: Resources are active Kipu users with any of the following roles: Case Manager, Therapist, Doctor, Nurse, Provider, Patient Coordinator, and Other Therapist.

Default Messages

The Scheduler includes five default messages that you can review and update to fit your needs. You can also create your own messages as described later in this article.

Message	Send Criteria
Appointment Cancelled	Event Based: Status changed from Any to Cancel
Appointment Confirmation	Event Based: Status changed from Any to Confirm
Appointment Reminder	Time Based: 1 month before appointment time, recurring every 7 days AND 1 hour before appointment time
Appointment Scheduled	Event Based: Status changed from Any to Scheduled AND Status changed from Any to Rescheduled when the appointment type, room, resource, or location is changed.
Default	Event Based: Status changed from Any to Scheduled AND Status changed from Any to Rescheduled when the appointment type, room, resource, or location is updated.

Note: The default message cannot be deleted but can be edited. This communication ensures that resources and patients with telehealth appointments or group sessions automatically receive their link to join the session.

Create Appointment Communications 

Let’s review how to create appointment communications.   

Required Permissions: Super Admins and users with Manage Scheduler Settings. 

1. To begin, click on your initials and then click Settings. 
   
2. Then click the Scheduler tab.

3. Next, select Appointment Communications.
4. Next, click the + Add button. 
   
5. The New Appointment Communication card contains four main sections.
   • New Appointment Communication: Information about the communication.
   • Event Based: Settings for event-based communication triggers.
   • Time Based: Settings for time-based communication triggers.
   • Message Configuration: Choose how the message will be delivered and compose the message for each delivery method selected.

New Appointment Communication

Let’s review the New Appointment Communication section. This section allows you to configure the key message details.

1. Name (Required): Use a descriptive name for the communication you are creating. The name you choose will appear on the Appointment Communications list.
2. Location (Required): Use the drop-down list to select which location (or locations) will send this communication. This field is respected for both master and single instances.
3. Recipients: Determines who will receive the communication. You can choose Patient, Resource, or both from the drop-down. If this field is left blank, communications will not be sent automatically when the template is used. Instead, users will have to send the communications manually.
4. Resource: Choose which Resource(s) will receive the communication. This field only applies if you choose Resource from the Recipients drop-down. If you do not make a selection, it will be sent to all Resources by default. 
5. Appointment (Required): Choose All if you want the communication to be available for group sessions and appointments. Select Group Session or Appointment if you only want the communication to be available for one or the other.
6. Appointment Types: If you selected All or Appointment in the Appointment field, you can use this drop-down to choose which appointment types will use this appointment communication. If no selection is made, the communication will be sent out when any appointment type meets the criteria you set. This field will not be accessible if Group Sessions is chosen in the Appointment field.
7. Group Schedules: If you select Group Schedules you will be able to select the group schedules where this communication will be available. If you do not choose specific group schedules, it will be available for all.
8. Group Sessions (Adhoc): If you selected All or Group Sessions in the Appointment field, you can use this drop-down to choose which group sessions will use this appointment communication. If no selection is made, the communication will be sent out when any group session meets the criteria you set. This field will not be accessible if Appointment is chosen in the Appointment field.
9. Communication Type (Required): Choose In Person, Telehealth, or All to specify if the communication should be tied to In Person or Telehealth appointments, or both.
10. Start Date (Required): The date on which the appointment communication is eligible to be sent.
11. End Date: The date on which the appointment communication will no longer be able to be sent.
12. Enabled: The toggle is set to Enabled by default. If clicked, the communication will be disabled, and will not send until it is re-enabled. 

Event Based Appointment Communications 

Event-based appointment communications are triggered when a patient is moved from one status to another. For example, if a patient’s appointment status is moved from Scheduled to Cancelled, and there is a communication triggered when that happens, the Scheduler will automatically send the message to the patient. 

1. Choose the Statuses which will trigger communication using the Status drop-down menus.
2. When Resource is selected in the Recipients section, the Resource Communication drop-down appears in this section, allowing you to choose how often the Resource should be notified.
   • All Status Change: This option sends a communication to the Resource each time there is a change to an appointment status for all patients.
   • Individual Status Change: This option only sends a communication to the Resource when the specified status change occurs for a patient in a multi-patient appointment.
   • No Communication: This option exempts the selected Resource(s) from receiving the communication, which then will only be sent to the patient.
3. Appointment is updated: Use this drop-down to automatically send the communication any time the existing appointment is updated. Choose one or more of the following options:
   • Appointment Type: When the type of appointment is adjusted.
   • Room: When the Room scheduled for the appointment is changed.
   • Resource: When the Resource the appointment is scheduled with is modified.
   • Location: When the Location for the appointment is updated (respected for both master and single instances).
4. Click on the + Add button to add the status change trigger and continue. You can create multiple event-based options, and each will send out the same appointment communication. 

Time Based Appointment Communications 

Time-based communications are used when a message should be sent at a specific time or interval before or after a scheduled appointment or group session. You can use time-based communications to create recurring communications for key things like appointment or group session reminders.

1. Duration: Type in the desired number in the Duration box and select the unit of time (Minutes, Hours, Days, Weeks, and Months) from the Time drop-down options. The communication will trigger before or after the selected amount of time. 
   1. Note: You cannot schedule a communication more than three months in advance.
2. When Event: Choose whether the trigger occurs before or after the appointment/group session time or end time.
3. Appointment Status Exemption: When the "Except When Appointment Status is" box is checked, you can choose which appointment status(es) should be exempt from sending the time-based communication. For example, you can exclude appointments in a Cancelled status from receiving an appointment reminder message.
4. Repeat Every: When the box is checked, the Duration field and Time drop-down become available, and you can determine how often the appointment communication repeats. You can choose to repeat the communication by the specified number of minutes, hours, days, weeks, or months. 

Delivery Method and Message

Use this section to determine how the patient should receive the message (e.g., Email or Text) and craft the message for the selected delivery method. We've also included a list of dynamic variables that you can use to automatically customize the subject line and message for each patient.

Delivery Method

Select one or more delivery methods.

• Text checkbox: The communication will be sent via SMS message. SMS messages are sent at an additional charge. If your organization has not opted into SMS messaging, this option will not be available for selection.
• Email checkbox: The communication will be sent via email. 

Text Message

Use this field to compose the message you wish to be sent by text to patients and/or Resources. There is a 250-character limit, and you can use the dynamic variables (e.g., Recipient First Name) to automatically customize the message with each recipient’s information.

Email

Use this field to compose email messages for patients and/or Resources. Create the Subject line and message. As described above, you can add dynamic variables like Appointment Date using the options on the right, as necessary. Additionally, if you are creating a message for a Telehealth appointment, you can include separate instructions specifically for those appointments. There is a limit of 1,000 characters for the message section of the email.

Save

Be sure to save your work using the Save or Save & Copy buttons before moving on. 

Managing Existing Appointment Communications (Edit, Delete, Disable, Copy)

Edit

To edit an existing appointment communication, click on the pencil icon next to the enabled toggle. All fields will appear and act exactly as they do when creating a new communication, but the top section will indicate that you are editing an existing communication.

Delete

There are two ways to delete an appointment communication.

1. Bulk: Check one (or more) of the checkboxes on the left to select which communications you want to delete. You can delete all communications by clicking the checkbox next to Message.
2. Individual: Click the Delete icon that appears when you hover over the section to the right of the Enabled toggle and choose Delete in the warning pop-up. 

Disable

There are two ways to disable a communication.

1. Bulk: Check off one or more communications and click Disable. You cannot disable all communications at once with the checkbox next to Message.  
2. Individual: Set the Enabled toggle to off for whichever communication you want to disable.  

Copy

To copy an existing communication, click on the Copy icon, which is the two overlapping pages. The copy will have the same name as the copied article, but with - Copy on the end, and can be opened and edited just like other communications.

Downloading and Printing 

There are two other functions available on the Appointment Communication screen.  

• Export: Click the download icon next to the + Add button to see the three export options: PDF, CSV, and Excel. Clicking on the one you want will initiate the download.  
  
   
• Print: If you click on the print icon, the print preview screen can appear, allowing you to print the complete Appointment Communication list. 
   

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