Communicate with patients directly through their Patient Channel via manual messaging.

How is this different from other Artera messaging options?

Unlike Triggers, Bulk Messaging, or Campaigns, which are all focused on delivering the same message (with personalization) to many patients at once, manual messaging is for direct, one-on-one communication. For instance, if a patient sends a message asking about their bill, a staff member can use manual messaging to send a personalized reply.

Sending Manual Messages

To respond or message a patient, select the Patient's Channel from the "All Messages" view:

Type a message for the patient in the communication box and send. If the message contains PHI/PII, make sure you send the message securely. Learn more about secure and unsecure messaging below.

When messaging a patient who shares a phone number with another patient within the Practice, an alert will appear in the Patient's Channel indicating that the message will be sent to a phone number shared by multiple patients. Include a patient-identifying Smart Phrase in your message, such as {clientFirstNameProperCase}, to remove the alert. Click here to learn more about how to identify patients who share the same phone number within a Practice. 

Channel Status

The Patient's Channel has two available statuses: "open" and "closed". Typically, when a patient sends in a message, the Patient Channel will open. When a user manually responds to the message, the Patient Channel will then automatically close.

Click here to learn more about Channel Status.

Character Count

To ensure your messages are delivered properly to patients, we recommend keeping them short and concise. If a message is too long, a patient's phone carrier might split it into several separate messages called concatenated messages. 

Our leading practice is to keep messages at or under 160 characters for the most reliable delivery. Messages cannot exceed 1,600 characters; otherwise, they will fail to send. 

You can easily check the message length by hovering over the character count in the communication box where you are typing a message. A pop-up will show you the total character count and confirm if it is within the recommended length. Learn more about SMS Character Limits and Message Formatting Guidelines.

Message Format

Let's review how manual messages are delivered to patients.

Secure vs Unsecure

We take the privacy of your patients' Protected Health Information (PHI) very seriously. By default, all messages are sent to patients as a secure link. 

However, you can choose to send unsecured (plain text) messages when needed. A good rule of thumb is: if you would leave the information on a patient's voicemail, it is okay to send it as an unsecured text message. This can make day-to-day communicaiton much easier. 

However, if you would not leave the information in a voicemail, you should not send it in a text message unless it is sent as a secure link. 

If you have any questions about what information is safe to send unsecured, please check with your organization's compliance team. 

Simply select the lock icon, located in the communication box, to secure or unsecure the message. Tip: You can also insert two !! prior to the start of the message to unsecure it. 

Patient View

Click here to learn more about secure vs. unsecured messages.

SMS/Email Messaging

If the Allow Email Default Setting is enabled for your Enterprise, you can send manual email messages to patients in addition to text messages. Use the drop-down arrow located in the communication box to select the desired delivery method. 

Like text messages, emails can be sent either securely or as unsecured plain text. to protect a patient's PHI, always be sure to send the email securely if necessary. 
NOTE: If the patient does not have an email address on file, email will not be an option for communication. 

If your Enterprise supports email messages, the email to the patient is sent through SendGrid, Artera's email delivery partner. Each email address is unique to the patient and will display as follows: ARTERApatientID.ARTERAlineID@sg.wellapp-email.com.

Message Tools

When sending messages to the patient directly, there are a number of tools available:

Smart Phrases

Use the Smart Phrases curly brackets icon to insert dynamic variables that automatically populate with patient information, instantly personalizing your message.

Event Smart Phrases

It is important to keep a few things in mind when using Event Smart Phrases (e.g. {eventDateAtTime}). Event Smart Phrases automatically use information from the patient's first upcoming appointment. If they have more than one appointment scheduled, the message will populate with the details of the soonest one. 

If a patient does not have an upcoming appointment, a message using an Event Smart Phrase will fail to send. Always check the "Events" section of the Patient Facesheet to confirm the patient's next appointment. 

Click here to learn more about Smart Phrases.

Quick Responses

Use the lightning bolt icon to send the patient a Quick Response for fast resolutions to common questions. Click here to learn more about Quick Responses.

If the Quick Response contains an Event Smart Phrase, make sure that the patient has an upcoming appointment or the message will not be sent. Review the Event Smart Phrase section above to learn more.

Forms

Use the document icon to attach one or more Artera Forms to the message.

Once you have selected an Artera Form, you can edit the pre-populated text and send it to the patient for completion. A number appears near the document icon displaying how many Artera Forms have been selected.

Attachments

Use the Paper Clip icon to include one or more attachments in the message. A number icon appears displaying how many attachments have been selected. 

NOTE: Any attachments over 600KB are required to be sent as a Secure Link. This prevents the message from being filtered out by the patient’s phone carrier. Click here to learn more about sending attachments.

Internal Mentions

To tag another user, User Group, or Enterprise User Group in a Patient's Channel, use Internal Mentions.

From the Patient's Channel, select the @ Mention tab and enter the "@" symbol in the communication box to locate the user or User Group you would like to tag in the Patient Channel. Type a message for the user and choose Send Internal.

Staff AI Co-Pilot

NOTE: Staff AI Co-Pilot is a Harmony solution and this messaging feature is only available to Harmony customers.

Use the AI button to create engaging messages to patients, translate messages, and improve overall communication efficiency.

Click here to learn more about Staff AI Co-Pilot. 

Communication Expectations

Professional Tone

When messaging with patients, always maintain a professional tone. Avoid using slang or text abbreviations like "c u soon," lol," or "brb."