As HotDoc syncs your recall reasons into the Dashboard, they will need to be assigned to a template so we know what kind of communication to send.
This guide shows you how to add, edit and remove templates.
A number of popular templates are pre-populated already when you start using Recalls. You can edit these templates, add more to meet your needs and remove them when they are no longer used.
Click the appropriate tab below to learn how to add, edit or remove a template in your Dashboard.
Best Practice – Medical Director (Pracsoft) – Zedmed
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In this article |
| If your practice is on a shared database with other sites, making changes to your recall templates will affect templates for ALL practices on the database. Please ensure you have considered this and communicated it to relevant team members. |
Clinical Reminders
Training video
How to edit a template
HotDoc pre-populates some suggested templates as part of the Recalls product, so there may already be a template that meets your needs. We recommend you edit existing templates before creating new ones.
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Navigate to Recalls > Template groups in the HotDoc Dashboard. This page lists the pre-populated templates HotDoc has set up as a default for your practice, as well as any templates you have created.
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Click Edit Template on the template you want to edit:
- Follow the steps in Editing template settings to change the template.
How to add a template
If no existing recall template matches your recall reason, you may need to create a new template.
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Navigate to Recalls > Template groups and click New Template:
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Either select a template from the dropdown menu, or leave this field blank and create your own template by entering a name in the Template name field below.
- Follow the steps in Editing template settings to set up each field of your new template.
Editing template settings
This section explains how to edit your template settings. You'll see this page once you have created a new template, or by clicking Edit Template in the Template groups section.
Click to enlarge
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In Template name, you can edit the name of the template. We recommend a patient-friendly name, as it's shown within the SMS recall:
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In the Remind patients via field, select the types of contact attempts sent to a patient. The options are SMN message, call and letter. You'll then see a summary on the right explaining the selected sequence.
Note: By default, each template reminds patients via 2 SMN messages 7 days apart, followed by a letter.
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In the Reminder message field, you can edit the default message that patients will receive. This message is equivalent to what you would have written in your letters before using HotDoc, and is displayed to patients after they verify their DOB and surname in the SMS recall link:
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Below the Reminder message, you have a number of options to control how and when the message is sent to the patient:
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Add direct booking link: Tick this option to allow patients to book online for that recall type if you use HotDoc Online Bookings. In the Pre-select appointment type for the patient dropdown, select the appointment type you would like the patient to book directly:
We recommend you turn this on for as many templates as you can, to encourage patients to make a booking and save your reception team from handling phone bookings.
If you untick this option, the 'book appointment' button is removed and the patient will need to call the practice to request a booking. -
Delay sending first SMN until due date: This option lets you delay the first SMS message until the due date (recommended for recalls such as care plan reviews, so patients don't come in too soon).
Note that this setting only applies to clinics using Best Practice, Medical Director and Zedmed.
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Send HotDoc Recall automatically: This option determines whether HotDoc sends this template automatically. If unticked, the recall will immediately pause when it is synced into the Dashboard and will need to be resumed manually. For more information, see How to pause your recall templates.
If you are just starting with HotDoc Recalls, we recommend you use this setting to activate your templates when you are ready to start sending SMS messages. Set templates to manual first, then switch to automatic when you're ready to go live!
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The last section of the template determines when HotDoc stops sending SMS messages to the patient. There are two options:
- Patient has an upcoming appointment: Select this option if you want the patient to keep receiving SMS messages, as per the template's sequence, until they book an appointment. The recall sequence will only pause when the patient books an appointment. Learn more about the pause on booking feature.
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Patient reads recall: Select this option if you want the patient to keep receiving SMS messages, as per the template's sequence, until they verify their details and read the recall message.
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Lastly, on the right-hand side, you can see a preview of your template. To view the template in either SMN or Letter format, toggle the options above the phone image:
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When you are happy with the changes, click the green Save button:
How to remove a template
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To remove a template group, first make sure no reasons are still assigned to the template. See How to remove a reason from a template group to learn more.
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Once all reasons are removed, navigate back to the Template groups page and click Delete on the template you want to remove:
Results (Best Practice and Medical Director)
How to edit a template
HotDoc pre-populates some suggested templates as part of the Recalls product, so there may already be a template that meets your needs. We recommend you edit existing templates before creating new ones.
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Navigate to Recalls > Template groups > Results Templates in the HotDoc Dashboard. This page lists the pre-populated templates HotDoc has set up as a default for your practice, as well as any templates you have created.
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Click Edit Template on the template you want to edit:
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In Template name, you can edit the name of the template. We recommend a patient-friendly name, as it's shown within the SMS recall:
-
In the Remind patients via field, select the types of contact attempts sent to a patient. The options are SMN message, call and letter. You'll then see a summary on the right explaining the selected sequence.
Note: By default, each template reminds patients via 2 SMN messages 7 days apart, followed by a letter.
-
In the Reminder message field, you can edit the default message that patients will receive. This message is equivalent to what you would have written in your letters before using HotDoc, and is displayed to patients after they verify their DOB and surname in the SMS recall link:
-
Below the Reminder message, you have a number of options to control how the message is sent to the patient:
-
Add direct booking link: Tick this option to allow patients to book online for that recall type if you use HotDoc Online Bookings. In the Pre-select appointment type for the patient dropdown, select the appointment type you would like the patient to book directly:
We recommend you turn this on for as many templates as you can, to encourage patients to make a booking and save your reception team from handling phone bookings.
If you untick this option, the 'book appointment' button is removed and the patient will need to call the practice to request a booking. -
Send HotDoc Recall automatically: This option determines whether HotDoc sends this template automatically. If unticked, the recall will immediately pause when it is synced into the Dashboard and will need to be resumed manually. For more information, see How to pause your recall templates.
If you are just starting with HotDoc Recalls, we recommend you use this setting to activate your templates when you are ready to start sending SMS messages. Set templates to manual first, then switch to automatic when you're ready to go live!
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The next section of the template determines when HotDoc stops sending SMS messages to the patient. There are two options:
- Patient has an upcoming appointment: Select this option if you want the patient to keep receiving SMS messages, as per the template's sequence, until they book an appointment. The recall sequence will only pause when the patient books an appointment. Learn more about the pause on booking feature.
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Patient reads recall: Select this option if you want the patient to keep receiving SMS messages, as per the template's sequence, until they verify their details and read the recall message.
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The last section of the template is the option to Add Practitioner Comments to Results Message. When this option is selected, HotDoc can sync the comments practitioners leave on results and correspondence, and show them to patients in the recall message. Practitioners can use this to give patients additional information in their results recall messages. Learn more about how to display practitioner comments in a results message.
Note: Each practitioner needs to be enabled individually. Only do this after discussing it with the practitioner, so they're aware the patient will be able to see the comments field.
Best Practice
HotDoc syncs the Comment field as shown in the practitioner's Inbox.
Medical Director
HotDoc syncs the Comment field as shown while actioning an item in the practitioner's Holding File.
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Lastly, on the right-hand side, you can see a preview of your template. To view the template in either SMN or Letter format, toggle the options above the phone image:
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When you are happy with the changes, click the green Save button:
Dental4Windows – HotDoc Calendar
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In this article |
How to edit a template
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Under Recalls > Template Groups, click Edit Template next to the template you want to edit.
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Here you can see a preview of what the patient will see, and edit the template fields by typing or selecting from the options. See Editing template settings for more details on each field.
- Click the green Save button once you've made your changes.
How to add a template
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In Recalls > Template Groups, click New Template:
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Select Choose a Template to Start From if you would like to copy the settings from an existing template, or complete the following details:
- Template name
- Remind patients via (contact attempts)
- Reminder message (that the patient will see when they open the recall)
- Add direct booking link, with the option to pre-select an appointment type for the patient to book
- Send HotDoc Recall automatically
- Stop recall sequence when: the patient has an upcoming appointment, or the patient reads the recall message
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Link the relevant appointment type to the template
In this example, we have created a Check Up & Clean template:
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Click Save. The template will then appear with all the other Template Groups.
Editing template settings
This section explains how to edit your template settings. You'll see this page once you have created a new template, or by clicking Edit Template in the Template Groups section.
Click to enlarge
-
In Template name, you can edit the name of the template. We recommend a patient-friendly name, as it's shown within the SMS recall:
-
In the Remind patients via field, select the types of contact attempts sent to a patient. The options are SMN message and call. You'll then see a summary on the right explaining the selected sequence.
-
In the Reminder message field, you can edit the default message that patients will receive. This message is equivalent to what you would have written in your letters before using HotDoc, and is displayed to patients when they open their recall:
-
Below the Reminder message, you have a number of options to control how and when the message is sent to the patient:
-
Add direct booking link: Tick this option if you want to allow patients to book online for that recall type if you use HotDoc Online Bookings.
The Pre-select appointment type for the patient dropdown lets you select the appointment type you would like the patient to book:We recommend you turn this on for as many templates as you can, to encourage patients to make a booking and save your reception team from handling phone bookings.
If you untick this option, the 'book appointment' button is removed and the patient will need to call the practice to request a booking. -
Send HotDoc Recall automatically: This option determines whether HotDoc sends this template automatically. If unticked, the recall will immediately pause when created and will need to be resumed manually. For more information, see How to pause your recall templates.
If you are just starting with HotDoc Recalls, we recommend you use this setting to activate your templates when you are ready to start sending SMS messages. Set templates to manual first, then switch to automatic when you're ready to go live!
-
-
The last section of the template determines when HotDoc stops sending SMS messages to the patient. There are two options:
- Patient has an upcoming appointment: Select this option if you want the patient to keep receiving SMS messages, as per the template's sequence, until they book an appointment. The recall sequence will only pause when the patient books an appointment. Learn more about the pause on booking feature.
-
Patient reads recall: Select this option if you want the patient to keep receiving SMS messages, as per the template's sequence, until they verify their details and read the recall message.
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When you are happy with the changes, click the green Save button:
How to remove a template
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You can only remove a template if you have not yet sent a recall with it. To do this, navigate to Recalls > Template Groups and click Delete next to the template you want to remove:
Optomate
|
In this article |
Training video
How to edit a template
HotDoc pre-populates some suggested templates as part of the Recalls product, so there may already be a template that meets your needs. We recommend you edit existing templates before creating new ones.
-
Navigate to Recalls > Template groups in the HotDoc Dashboard. This page lists the pre-populated templates HotDoc has set up as a default for your practice, as well as any templates you have created.
-
Click Edit Template on the template you want to edit:
- Follow the steps in Editing template settings to change the template.
How to add a template
If no existing recall template matches your recall reason, you may need to create a new template.
-
Navigate to Recalls > Template groups and click New Template:
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Here, you can either select a template to start from if it's similar to an existing template. Select the template by clicking on the drop-down menu bar. If it doesn't match an existing template you can skip this step.
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Select a template from the dropdown menu to start from. Alternatively, you can leave this field blank and create your own template from scratch by entering a new template name in the field below:
- Follow the steps in Editing template settings to set up each field of your new template.
Editing template settings
The Template Settings page lets you edit and customise a number of settings for your recall template:
Click to enlarge
-
In Template name, you can edit the name of the template. We recommend a patient-friendly name, as it's shown within the SMS recall:
-
In the Remind patients via field, select the types of contact attempts sent to a patient. The options are SMN message, call and letter. You'll then see a summary on the right explaining the selected sequence.
Note: By default, each template reminds patients via 2 SMN messages 7 days apart, followed by a letter.
-
In the Reminder message field, you can edit the default message that patients will receive. This message is equivalent to what you would have written in your letters before using HotDoc, and is displayed to patients when they open their recall:
-
Below the Reminder message, you have a number of options to control how and when the message is sent to the patient:
-
Add direct booking link (recommended): Tick this option if you want to allow patients to book online for that recall type if you use HotDoc Online Bookings.
You can also select the appointment type you would like the patient to book from the Pre-select appointment type for the patient dropdown:We recommend you turn this on for as many templates as you can, to encourage patients to make a booking and save your reception team from handling phone bookings.
If you untick this option, the 'book appointment' button is removed and the patient will need to call the practice to request a booking. -
Delay sending first SMN until due date: This option lets you delay the first SMS message until the due date (recommended for recalls such as annual eye checks, so patients don't come in too soon).
-
Send HotDoc Recall automatically: This option determines whether HotDoc sends this template automatically. If unticked, the recall will immediately pause when it is synced into the Dashboard and will need to be resumed manually. For more information, see How to pause your recall templates.
If you are just starting with HotDoc Recalls, we recommend you use this setting to activate your templates when you are ready to start sending SMS messages. Set templates to manual first, then switch to automatic when you're ready to go live!
-
-
The last section of the template, under Stop Recall sequence when, determines when HotDoc stops sending SMS messages to the patient. There are two options:
- Patient has an upcoming appointment: Select this option if you want the patient to keep receiving SMS messages, as per the template's sequence, until they book an appointment. The recall sequence will only pause when the patient books an appointment. Learn more about the pause on booking feature.
-
Patient reads recall: Select this option if you want the patient to keep receiving SMS messages, as per the template's sequence, until they verify their details and read the recall message.
-
Lastly, on the right-hand side, you can see a preview of your template. To view the template in either SMN or Letter format, toggle the options above the phone image:
-
When you are happy with the changes, click the green Save button:
How to remove a template
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To remove a template group, first make sure no reasons are still assigned to the template. See How to remove a reason from a template group to learn more.
-
Once all reasons are removed, navigate back to the Template groups page and click Delete on the template you want to remove: