Overview
The SMS Templates section allows practitioners to create, edit, and manage customized text message templates for patient communications. These templates streamline follow-ups, bulk SMS's and other brief communications while maintaining consistency across the practice.
Accessing SMS Templates
- Navigate to Settings in the top menu
- Select Templates from the sidebar menu
- Click on SMS
SMS Templates List
The main screen displays all available SMS templates:
- Each template shows its title
- Templates are listed alphabetically by title
- Action buttons (Edit, Delete) appear to the right of each template
- Search functionality helps find specific templates
List Features
- Search: Filter templates by title using the search bar
- Add Template: Create a new SMS template
- Back: Return to the previous screen
- Rows Per Page: Control how many templates display per page (default is 10)
Adding a New Template
To create a new template, click the "Add Template" button on the SMS Templates list page. The template editor includes:
SMS Title
- Enter a descriptive title that identifies the purpose of the SMS
- Use clear, specific titles such as "Appointment Reminder" or "DNA late for appt"
Insert Placeholders
The system provides various placeholder categories that dynamically insert specific information:
- Patient Items: Name, contact details, etc.
- GP Items: Referring doctor information
- Referrer Items: Referral details
- Third Party Payer Items: Insurance or funding details
- User & Date Items: System user and timestamp information
- Appointment Items: Date, time, duration, type, etc.
- Consulting Practitioner: Provider name and details
Each category has a dropdown menu of available placeholders.
SMS Content
- Text area for composing your message
- Character limits apply (standard SMS messages are limited to 160 characters)
- Important note: Appointment-related placeholders will only work if the SMS is sent in relation to an appointment
Using Placeholders
Placeholders appear in the format %category.field_name% and are automatically replaced with actual data when messages are sent. Examples include:
%patient.first_name%- Patient's first name%appt_item.time%- Appointment time
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.
Template Actions
- Save: Create the new template or update an existing one
- Close: Return to templates list without saving changes
Editing an Existing Template
To modify a template, click the "Edit" button next to its title. The editing form includes:
SMS Title
- Update the template title as needed
SMS Content
- Modify the message text
- Add or remove placeholders as needed
- Keep an eye on character count for SMS length
Common Template Uses
- DNA (Did Not Attend) Follow-ups: Check in with patients who missed appointments
- Appointment Changes: Notify patients of schedule modifications
- Brief Patient Instructions: Send pre-appointment preparation instructions
- Standard Responses: Create consistent replies to common inquiries
- Bulk SMS messages: Templates can be used in the Bulk SMS tool
Best Practices
- Use placeholders to personalize messages
- Test templates before implementing them
- Be mindful of privacy and confidentiality in text content
- Create templates for different scenarios (reminders, confirmations, follow-ups)
Example Template
The following example shows a typical appointment reminder:
Hi %patient.first_name%, just checking you're on your way for your appointment today at %appt_item.time%? Thanks, Matthew @ Eastern Brain Centre
Navigation
- Close: Return to templates list without saving changes
- Save: Update and save template changes
- Help: Access additional information about SMS templates