Configuring Reminders

Abstract

Capable 21C has powerful features for generating reminders to help patients/clients comply with their booked appointments.  This knowledgebase article explains how to configure these features.

Underlying challenge

Reminders are typically some kind of contact with a patient/client shortly before their appointment is due to remind them of their appointment.  This can occur as little as an hour before the appointment, or can occur a day or even a week ahead of the appointment.  Capable Software research into the success of these compliance strategies suggests that sending reminders between 12 and 24 hours before the appointment is most effective.

Resolution

Accessing Reminders

To track reminders within Capable 21C:

1. Click the Action Other Tasks button on the Things To Do List.
2. Choose Track Reminders on the fly out menu.
3. Refer to the fundamental training videos for details on how to use these screens.

Alternatively, configure a periodic task to make Reminders appear on the Things To Do List at regular intervals:

1. Refer to the fundamental training videos for details on how to use these screens.

Enabling/Disabling Reminders

Each individual patient/client may be marked to either receive reminders or not.  To enable or disable reminders for an individual patient/client:

1. Go to Patient/Client Details for the nominated patient/client.
2. Go to the Tracking Options tab.
3. Tick (or untick) the checkbox for 'Patient/Client likes reminders'

Capable 21C can be configured such that all new Patients/Clients will have this tickbox ticked or unticked.  To change this setting:

1. Go to Setup|Settings.
2. Go to the Other tab
3. Click on the New Patients system component.
4. Click on the All New Patients Get Reminders setting
5. Change its value to True or False as desired.
6. Click Close (no need to apply).

Calculating the Reminder Date

The reminder date itself is automatically set whenever the patient/client's next appointment changes.  So, for example, when the next appointment is created, the reminder is automatically created.  If the next appointment is changed, the reminder date changes too.  Capable 21C uses a generic reminder date advance setting to determine how far in advance to remind the patient/client.  This setting can be altered by:

1. Go to Setup|Settings
2. Go to the Client Tracking tab
3. Change the Reminder Advance AM and Reminder Advance PM settings to the desired number of days.  For example, if reminders are to be sent 1 day before the appointment, set the value to 1.  If reminders for morning appointments are to be sent the day before, but reminders for afternoon appointments should be sent on the morning of the appointment, set the values to 1 and 0 respectively.
4. Click apply and the close.
5. Note that changing these values do not automatically alter the reminder dates for existing appointments.  Changing these values will only alter the default reminder date for appointments created or altered after the change.

Note that from version 1.5.665 onwards, it is possible to override the Reminder Advance values on a patient-by-patient basis.  To do this, take a look at the Tracking Options tab in Patient Details.

Capable 21C also checks for common sense scenarios when creating a reminder.  If the reminder is going to be created on a day that the office is typically closed (eg a weekend or public holiday), then Capable 21C will dynamically place the reminder up to seven days earlier so that it falls on a day that the office is open.  To configure the days when reminders may be sent:

1. Go to Setup|Settings
2. Go to the Client Tracking tab
3. Tick (or untick) the days in accordance with the office's working hours.
4. Click Apply and then Close.

Starting using Reminders

If the office has never used reminders before, and would like to 'seed' the database with reminders for all clients:

1. Go to Setup|Settings
2. Go to the Client Tracking tab
3. Click the Auto Create Reminders button.
4. Note that this feature will generate a reminder for every patient/client who has a future appointment.

Changing Reminders

Capable 21C normally confirms an appointment when the reminder is sent.  This allows the operator to know which patients/clients have been reminded and which ones have not.  By default, Capable 21C displays confirmed appointments with an underline under the patient/client's name.  If an appointment has already been confirmed (suggesting that the reminder has been sent), and then the appointment is changed, Capable 21C can either:

• Re-issue the reminder according to the new appointment date/time; or
• Assume that there is no need to re-confirm the altered appointment; or
• Ask the operator which of the above two options to select.

To configure Capable 21C to use any of the above options:

1. Go to Setup|Settings.
2. Go to the Appointments tab
3. Change the dropdown setting for 'When an appt is changed' according to the desired behaviour.
4. Click Apply and Close

Detailed Information

More information about configuring Capable 21C for SMS Messaging
More information about configuring Capable 21C for EMail Messaging
Training Videos on Reminders
Track undelivered SMS Messages
Patient-Client Tracking

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