How patient recall works

Recall runs on rules you write once. Pick which appointments a rule watches, how long after the visit to reach out, and whether it goes by text, voice or email. The system then works through your schedule every day without anyone maintaining a list.

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The DoctorConnect recare rules screen showing automated retention rules with their message text, send intervals and SMS, voice and email toggles, layered with the rule editor where conditions and timing are configured.

Writing a recall rule

Four decisions, then it runs on its own.

  1. 1

    Choose what the rule watches

    Match on appointment type, provider, location, status, department, resource, visit type, referral source, confirmation status, or any of ten custom fields your practice already uses.

  2. 2

    Set the timing

    A number of days, weeks or months, before or after the appointment. An annual recall is 360 days after; a no-show follow-up is one day after.

  3. 3

    Write the message

    Merge fields fill in the patient's first name, their next appointment date and time, the provider, the location, the appointment type and your practice name. English and Spanish templates are both supported.

  4. 4

    Pick the channels

    Text, voice and email toggle independently per rule, so an annual recall can go by text while a no-show follow-up also places a call.

Rules that match real scheduling, not just one field

Most recall tools let you match one thing. This handles the combinations practices actually need.

  • Up to ten conditions on a single rule, all of which must match (AND logic)
  • A single condition can hold several values, any one of which matches (OR logic)
  • So: MRI or CT, with Dr. Alvarez, at the Denton location, 180 days after the visit
  • Eleven match fields including ten custom fields already mapped from your EHR
  • Each rule toggles text, voice and email independently
  • Rules can be switched on and off without deleting them
The multi-condition recare rules list, showing how AND logic applies between conditions and OR logic within a condition, above example rules for courtesy reminders, no-show follow-ups and annual recall.

The controls that stop the awkward messages

Most recall complaints come from a message that should not have been sent. These are the settings that prevent it.

  • Ignore interim appointments: if the patient has already been back since the triggering visit, the message is suppressed
  • Only send to patient once: each patient receives that message a single time, ever
  • Check contact preference: respects what the patient has told you about how to reach them
  • Age filter: target a minimum or maximum patient age in months
  • Appointment sequence filter: act on a first visit differently from a fifth
  • Include no-shows, or leave them out
  • Demo mode: send yourself the message before the rule goes live
The Add New Rule editor in DoctorConnect recare, showing rule conditions with a maximum of ten per rule, send timing, optional age and appointment sequence filters, and options to ignore interim appointments or send only once.

Questions we get about recall

What can a rule match on?

Appointment type, provider, location, status, department, resource, visit type, referral source and confirmation status, plus ten custom fields carried over from your practice management system.

Can one rule check several things at once?

Yes. Up to ten conditions on a rule, joined with AND so all must match. Within a single condition you can list several values joined with OR, so one rule can cover MRI or CT without duplicating it.

What stops a patient being recalled after they already came back?

The ignore interim appointments setting. By default, if the patient has visited since the triggering appointment, the message is suppressed. You can switch that off if you want it sent regardless.

Can a patient be messaged more than once by the same rule?

Only if you allow it. Only send to patient once means each patient receives that message a single time, ever, no matter how many appointments later qualify.

Which channels can a recall use?

Text, voice and email, each toggled independently per rule. A rule can use one, two or all three.

Can messages go out in Spanish?

Yes. Rules support English and Spanish templates, so the message follows the language already recorded for the patient.

How do we test a rule before it goes live?

Demo mode sends the message to you rather than to patients, so you can read exactly what a patient would receive before switching the rule on.

When should a recall message actually send?

At least a day ahead of any appointment it references. Delivery time varies, so same-day sending is not advised. For pure recall (bring the patient back) the interval is measured from their last visit, commonly 180 or 360 days.

Related

Patient recall and retention overviewAppointment remindersWaiting list managementPatient satisfaction surveys

See a recall rule built against your own appointment types

We will write one live, run it in demo mode, and show you exactly what the patient would get.

Talk to our team