Appointment-Level Preferences
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Table of Contents
Overview Triggers Impact Appointment vs. Patient-level PreferencesTriggers: Appointment-level Preferences Truth TablesBulk Messages and CampaignsManual MessagesAppointment-level preferences, which are synced from your EMR or system of record, can dictate how Triggers are delivered to patients. It is important to note that these preferences only apply to Trigger messages and do not impact Bulk Messages, Campaigns, or manual messaging.
Overview
If appointment-level preferences are synced from your EMR, the appointment-level preference is automatically set within Artera. Artera can support the preferred phone number and/or preferred contact method for appointment-level preferences, depending on how your EMR handles preferences.
- Preferred Phone Number: The phone number Artera will send the Trigger to (i.e. if the preferred number is a cell phone, Artera will text the patient)
- Preferred Contact Method: The contact method Artera will send the Trigger by (i.e. SMS, voice, DNC).
- Both Contact Options Are Supported: You can have a preferred phone number that is a cell phone but a preferred contact method of voice, so Triggers will send by voice when the Trigger is configured for calls.
Triggers Impact
If Artera receives appointment-level preferences via our integration with your EMR, Triggers will attempt to send to the patient using their appointment-level preference, not their patient-level preference.
However, Triggers must also respect the status of the patient's cell phone number and the patient's SMS Consent Status. These options can prevent text messages from being sent to the patient, even if their preference is set to SMS.
Appointment vs. Patient-level Preferences
If your integration is configured to send appointment-level preferences to Artera, Triggers will be sent to the patient based on the appointment-level preference first and will use the patient-level preference as a fallback in the event that the appointment-level preference is not defined.
"Strictly use Appointment Preference" Setting
When the "Strictly use Appointment Preference" setting is enabled, Artera will only send a Trigger message via the appointment-level preference if it is set for an individual appointment. There will be no attempt to fall back to the patient-level preference if a message is unable to be sent via the appointment-level preference.
If an appointment does not have an appointment-level preference set, then a message will attempt to send via the patient-level preference.
If you would like to enable this logic, please connect with your Customer Success Representative as this can only be enabled by the Artera team.
Triggers: Appointment-level Preferences Truth Tables
The following tables indicate how a Trigger will be delivered to a patient based on a Trigger's configuration (i.e. the Trigger includes messages for text, call, and/or email outreach), the appointment-level preference, and the patient's contact details.
REMINDER: For organizations syncing appointment-level preferences, Artera Triggers will only deliver to patients through their appointment-level preference, synced from the EMR. The only exception to this is if the appointment-level preference is SMS and the patient's primary phone number is a landline.
Appointment Preference is SMS and Patient has a Text-Enabled Phone
Appointment-level Preference is SMS but Patient has a Landline
Appointment-level Preference is Voice
Appointment-level Preference is Email
Patient-level Preference is DNC and "Strictly use Appointment Preference" is enabled
Patient-level Preference is DNC and "Strictly use Appointment Preference" is not enabled
Bulk Messages and Campaigns
Bulk Messages and Campaigns do not respect appointment-level preferences, including Do Not Contact. They do respect the SMS Consent Status.
Just like Triggers, a patient will never receive more than one message per Bulk Message or Campaign (unless the Campaign's Audience Source is "Patients with Appointments" and there are patients selected with multiple scheduled appointments. Click here to learn more). If you select all delivery methods for your Bulk Message or Campaign, Artera will follow the below hierarchy to deliver your message:
- Text
- Call
Patients only receive a call if Artera determines that their phone number cannot receive text messages for some reason (i.e. if the number is a landline or they have opted out of SMS.) Additionally, patients will only receive an email if their phone number is invalid.
Manual Messaging
Manual messages do not respect appointment preferences, including a "Do Not Contact" status that is sent from your EMR. Manual messages will respect the patient's SMS Consent Status.