Appointment journeys allow you to build appointment-specific messages that, depending on your health record system, can be customized by Appointment or Visit Type, Service or procedure code(s), operatory, and/or provider.

There are 3 steps to build an Appointment Journey:

Create the Appointment Type for the specific Procedure Code(s), Provider(s) or Visit Type you want to receive the custom messaging.

1. Click on the gear icon and navigate to Settings --> Appointment Types. You can either choose an existing Appointment Type by clicking on the Edit icon (pencil and paper) or create a new one by clicking on Add Appointment Type

2. Complete the Appointment Type details:

Name Use a name that matches what this communication will be about. (i.e. Wisdom Teeth Extraction).

Show in online booking: Leave toggled off unless this is also an appointment type available to be booked online.

Allow patient to cancel appointment: Leave toggled off, unless this is also an appointment type that is available to be booked online and you want patients to be able to cancel and rebook their appointments from their Reminder Message.

Duration: Set how long you would like the appointment to block your calendar (if available to be booked online).

Insertion Rule: If this is an appointment that will be booked online, click Add Rule and select the procedure code(s) you would like to be added to this appointment when it appears in your health record system.

1. Switch to EHR Appt Type Mapping on the left side menu. Here we will add the procedure codes, visit type or provider NexHealth will look for on appointments in your health record system to tag appointments as this type. Click on Add rules.

2. Then choose ADD RULE.

3. Click on the If dropdown. Depending on your practice management system, you will see several options. You can choose to set up your messaging by Vist Type, Service Type, Procedure code(s), operatory, or provider.

Enter the procedure code(s) for the type of appointment you want to send specific messages to the Select descriptor field or select the Visit or Service type, operatory, or provider.

4. Select from the Then dropdown to the right to assign the Appointment type you created in the first step. This automatically assigns all appointments scheduled in your health record system with matching procedure code(s) (or Visit Type, Service Type, operatory, or provider) to this appointment type.

Next, build the customized communication to send Reminders, Post appointment follow-up, or Recall messages to patients scheduled for this appointment type.

1. Navigate to Templates and ensure Customize templates by appointment type is toggled on.

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2. Select the template you would like to edit. This example uses Reminders, but it is the same process for the Post Appointment Follow up or Recall templates. Choose +Add Reminder Sequence.

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3. Toggle on the Appointment Type you created in the first step above and click Save.

5. That opens your template sequence.

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To edit the send times: Click the edit icon on the gray trigger tiles.

To edit the messaging: Click the edit icon on the purple message tiles. You can include prep instructions or consent forms.

If needed, add additional steps in the sequence (like extra messages). Use the plus sign between items to add steps in the sequence.

6. When you're finished editing, turn the template toggle ON in the upper-left. This will start sending the template to the appointment type as soon as a patient reaches one of your triggers (ex: if you have a 1-day reminder and patients scheduled for extractions tomorrow, they will receive the extraction reminder instead of the general one.)

Now that patients are receiving reminders for their extraction, you can build a post-appointment sequence. This is a great way to start a direct conversation with patients to give them instructions as they heal and ask how they're doing.

1. Navigate to Templates and ensure Customize templates by appointment type is toggled on.

2. Select Post Appointment Follow-up.

3. This opens a list of all the Post appointment follow-ups in your system. By default, you will have at least one for All Appointment Types. We are going to create another sequence that's just for the Appointment Type you created in the first step.

4. Click +Add Post-Op Sequence.

5. Toggle on the target appointment type you created in the first step above and click Save.

6. That opens your Post-Appointment sequence.

Edit the trigger and message as desired.

Edit the send times: Use the edit icon on the gray trigger tiles.

Edit the messaging: Use the edit icon on the purple message tiles. This is the best place for care instructions and to add verbiage checking in. If you want to provide a document with instructions, upload the document to your Google drive, Dropbox or other sharable site, and include a link to the doc in the message.

Add additional steps in the sequence (like extra messages): Use the plus sign between items in the sequence.

7. When you're finished editing, be sure to turn the template toggle on in the upper-left. This will start sending Post-Op messages to the target patients as soon as they reach the trigger.

If you have patients schedule follow-up appointments after a specific appointment, you can send an automated recall to patients after they have completed the appointment to book those.

1. Navigate to Templates and ensure Customize templates by appointment type is toggled on.

2. Select Recalls.

3. This opens a list of all the Recalls in your system. By default, you will have at least one for All Appointment Types. We are going to create another Recall sequence that's just for the appointment type you created in the first step above.

4. Click +Add Recalls Sequence.
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5. Toggle on the Appointment type you created in Part 1 and click Save.

6. That opens your Recall sequence.

Edit the trigger and messages as desired.

Edit the send times: Click the edit icon on the gray trigger tiles.

Edit the messaging: Click the edit icon on the purple message tiles. When editing your message tiles, be sure to add the 1-Click booking for your follow-up appointment type from the Appointment Slots smart commands.

Add additional steps in the sequence (like extra messages): Use the plus sign between items in the sequence.

7. When you're finished editing, be sure to toggle on in template in the upper-left. This will start sending Post-Op messages to your patients as soon as they reach one of the triggers.