TotalMD offers a communication package that allows you to communicate automatically with your patients via email, text (SMS) and telephone. This module has many different options that are completely customizable for your practice.
When signing up for Communicator, the practice is assigned a real local number where the patients can text back and forth similar to a cell phone. From this line, real appointments can be scheduled and they are written back into TotalMD. From within Communicator incoming pop-up messages are created in TotalMD. This program will help you fill last minute cancellations by bringing them to your attention.
Communicator Timeline
The first thing you will want to do once you have signed up to use Communicator is go to the Settings to determine your timeline, as multiple appointment reminders can be scheduled:
You will need to determine when you want to send the messages and what type of communication you want to use. You can use a combination of text, email and voice for a multi-channel communication strategy. Each of the communications shown above can be made to reflect any amount of time and any form of communication you choose. These messages can be sent out by procedure and/or provider. By clicking on one of the notifications, you will see a screen with the name of the notification
At the top of this screen you will see the types of communication – email, SMS or voice. Each type can be toggled off or on:
You can then edit the confirmation name and the number of days before the appointment that you want the reminder sent out to the patient:
You can then choose the time that you want the reminder sent:
You will then choose the providers from which you wish to send the reminders:
You will then choose the types of appointments for which messages will be sent:
By being on the Email tab and clicking Edit Template, changes can be made to the Email that you currently have open:
Each of the areas shown on the right (above) can be customized. In addition, you can add many other variable fields by choosing them from the drop-down menu:
By clicking on the SMS tab and then Edit Template:
You are able to edit your text message and, again, able to add other variable fields with the drop-down:
Once you have closed this window, you will see a color and icon key to the upper right of the screen:
This gives you the key to the Automated Messaging tree:
By clicking on the Automated Recall tab, you can set reminders for patients who need to reschedule in a set period of time.
These reminders can be edited in a similar fashion to the other reminders.
To send a specific email to certain patients, go to the Appointments tab and choose a range of dates and the program will show you patients with appointments during the range that you choose:
You will then choose to Send Message to All Patients Below:
On the next screen, you can modify your choices:
And then Continue to the next screen:
Where you can choose a template or send a custom message to the selected patients. You can then send the message to the chosen patients:
In the All Patients tab, you can choose parameters to delineate a subset of patients:
When clicking Continue, you will once again be able to choose a template:
In the same manner for the above screens, you can also customize a text message:
To the left of the screen are additional setup functions:
By clicking on the General Settings, you will see the following subcategories:
Looking at Office Settings you will see:
From here you will enter all of your practice information and add the images that you want to show on your emails and click Save.
Under the Email Widgets, Reviews and Surveys Email Widgets tab, you can add your Facebook, Twitter and url to find the practice:
Under the Refer a Friend, you have the options to send emails and SMS texts to the referred friend:
And Emails and SMS Texts to the person who made the referral:
In the Reviews and Surveys, you can put your links in to enable your clients to leave reviews about your practice:
Under Refresh PMS Data, you can refresh any updates that been made in TotalMD since you opened Communicator:
Change Password enables you to change your existing Communicator password:
Moving to the Online Scheduler Options:
Online Scheduler Settings allows you to set the parameters for your patients to be able to make appointments online:
You can set up the following options:
- Whether to only show the first available appointment or all appointments that meet the patient’s parameters
- Give the patient the number of appointments available
- Whether the patient must register with your portal prior to being able to set up an appointment
- Whether the option to wait list an appointment is available or not
- Allow the patient to book an appointment for today
- How many calendar months in advance they can see and set appointments
- The default appointment time – often the first appointment of the day
- The number of hours to look before and after the patient’s preferred appointment time
Once you have set these parameters, you will click Save.
The Booking Confirmation gives you template choices for confirmations, should you decide to send confirmations:
One sample booking email confirmation looks like this:
One sample SMS text response looks like this:
These messages are completely customizable. After making any changes to a template you will want to Save & Close. After you have all of your changes in the tab you will also want to Save.
In the Post Booking tab, you will choose the actions the system will take after a patient has booked an appointment in relation to TotalMD.
You will be able to choose whether or not:
- The appointment is automatically sent to the TotalMD Scheduler
- The new patient chart is set up for a new patient
If:
- The patients are to be redirected to another page after booking the appointment
- The patient is shown a message after setting the appointment
And which email address the booking notification will be sent to. You will want to click Save once you have made your changes.
The Link & Embed tab will allow you to place the Schedule Now button directly on your practice’s website:
The next section allows you to set Message Settings:
In most of the tabs, you will see screens similar to previous ones where you change your templates:
However, under Voice Templates, you will create any telephone messages you wish to have:
Voice Templates look like this:
You can also create custom templates using Template Keywords as you wish.
In the Stop Messages screen, you can prevent appointments from being booked and messages being sent for certain days, for the entire practice or for just certain providers:
In the Family Messages, you can set up for messages for one patient be sent to a family member:
Such to a parent for a child and for multiple members of the family on one day:
Similarly, the SMS text message can be customized:
Advanced Setting has several interesting settings:
In Popup Settings, you can test to see where your popup message alerting you to incoming messages shows on your screen:
You can choose where the popup happens on your screen:
You can choose the duration of the popup:
In the Voice Settings, you can choose the day that voice messages go out:
In the Patient Status screen, you will see if a patient has an invalid email or cell number:
The Advanced Settings has a variety of structural options:
In the Appointments tab, you can choose a date or date range to see your appointments and whether they are confirmed or unconfirmed:
By hovering over the unconfirmed status you can confirm the appointment from this screen:
This will change the status in the scheduler to confirmed as well:
If you have questions regarding this functionality of TotalMD, please contact our support or training departments at 800-613-7597 Option 2 for Support or Option 3 for Training. If you would like a printable copy of this article, please contact Training at Option 3.