Overview
The Birthday SMS feature allows practices to automatically send personalized birthday messages to patients. This feature helps maintain patient relationships and enhances your practice's personal touch with minimal staff effort.
Accessing Birthday SMS Template
- Navigate to Settings in the top menu
- Select Templates from the sidebar menu
- Click on Birthday sms
Editing the Template
The Birthday SMS Template editor provides tools to customize the message sent to patients on their birthdays:
Insert Placeholders
- Patient Items: Dropdown menu of patient-specific information that can be dynamically inserted
- Common placeholders include:
%patient.first_name%- Patient's first name%patient.last_name%- Patient's last name
Note: If the preferred name placeholder is used in a template, and the patient does not have a preferred name saved, the system will automatically insert the first name instead.
SMS Content
- Text area for composing your birthday message
- Character counter shows message length (160 characters = 1 SMS credit)
- Note that final message length will depend on the actual patient data inserted
Message Format
- Keep messages concise and personal
- Include your practice name for identification
- Consider using emoji to add a celebratory tone (where appropriate)
- Default format typically includes:
- Greeting with patient's name
- Birthday wishes
- Signing off with practice name or practitioners' names
Message Length Considerations
- Standard SMS messages are limited to 160 characters for the first part of the message and 153 characters per part thereafter
- Longer messages require multiple SMS credits
- The system displays the current character count and credits required
- Placeholders will be replaced to actual patient data, which likely affect the final length
Best Practices
- Keep messages brief but warm
- Avoid including sensitive health information
- Consider cultural appropriateness of birthday messages
- Test the template before enabling automated sending
- Review and update the template periodically
- Consider the time of day messages will be sent
- Ensure patients have consented to receive SMS communications
Navigation
- Save: Apply and save your template changes
- Close: Return to the previous screen without saving changes
- Help: Access additional information about SMS templates
Automation Settings
Birthday SMS messages are queued to be sent at 10am local time for your practice. The settings are configured under Settings->Email/SMS Appt Reminders->Reminder Settings. Individual patients can be opted out of receiving birthday SMSs via the Communications page.
Example Message
Hi %patient.first_name%, just a quick message to wish you Happy Birthday. Hope you have a great day. Best wishes, All at the Chiro Clinic
This example uses the %patient.first_name% placeholder which will be replaced with each patient's actual name when the message is sent.