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Engagement: How to Send and Schedule Messages
Engagement: How to Send and Schedule Messages

Learn how to send and schedule direct messages, voicemail drops, and emails

Emily Allred avatar
Written by Emily Allred
Updated over a week ago

With Engagement, you can conveniently schedule direct text messages, voicemail drops, and emails to reach patients at a time that works best for you and your practice. This means you're no longer limited to sending messages during office hours only. You can schedule them to be delivered in the morning before you open, in the evening for follow-ups, or even on weekends.

In this article, you'll learn about:


Direct Messages

Direct messages, also known as text messages, are a great way to communicate with patients quickly. With Engagement, you can send individual or bulk direct messages.

Watch this short video to learn more about using Direct Messages.

How to Create, Send, & Schedule Direct Messages

Send a Direct Message to an Individual Patient

  1. To send a message to a single patient, click on the three-dot menu next to their name

  2. Hover over Communication in the dropdown list, then click Send a direct message

  3. Manually type the message or click Load a quick message to choose a pre-written Direct Messaging Template

  4. Choose the appropriate Delivery Channel

  5. Select Schedule for Future, then click Send

Send a Bulk Direct Message to a Group of Patients

Do you need to send a direct message to multiple patients at once? You can create a list of patients and use the Bulk Action feature to send messages in a list or group of patients at once. Click here to learn more.

For bulk messages, check the box to acknowledge that the Bulk Direct Message feature is limited to 250 messages per hour and is intended to contact patients who are expecting communication in relation to their treatment. For marketing communication, please use Email Campaigns.


Voicemail Drops

Voicemail drops are a fast and simple way to send personalized messages to your patients via voicemail. They're great for follow-up checks, welcoming new patients, announcing office closures, sending appointment reminders, and much more. With Voicemail Drops in Engagement, you can forget about spending hours on the phone and ultimately save time.

Need an example of a Voicemail Drop? Click here to reference our sample Voicemail Drop Scripts.

Watch this short video to learn more about using Voicemail Drops.

How to Upload, Send, & Schedule Voicemail Drops to Individual or Multiple Patients

  1. Before you get started, record your voicemail message. You can record these using the Voice Memo app (Apple) or Voice Recorder app (Android) on your mobile device or computer

  2. After your voicemail message is recorded, login to Engagement. Go to Settings by clicking the gear icon in the upper right hand corner

  3. Select Practice Setup tab and then click Voicemail Drops from the left side menu

  4. Import your pre-recorded message into the Voicemail Drop section by clicking Choose file

  5. Name your recording in the Sound name field

  6. Click Add New Sound button to save audio to your Voicemail Drop library

  7. To listen, download or even delete an existing Voicemail Drop recording, click on the name of the audio. Click on the trash can icon to delete it. Click on the three-dot menu to download the file or adjust the playback speed

  8. Now that the audio has been added, you can send your message in bulk or to individual patients. Go to the Patients tab in your left side menu

  9. Filter your Patients List by choosing a filter from your Filters Library or use the search bar to select individual patients. Click on the checkbox next to each patient to select the patients you would like to send a voicemail drop to

  10. Click on the checkbox next to Bulk Action to select all patients at once and then select Send a Voicemail from the dropdown list

  11. Choose your previously imported message from the list of Existing File options shown, or upload a new file by clicking on the Choose file button

  12. Choose when the Voicemail will be sent by selecting Send Now or Send at Specific Time. If sending at a specific time, enter the Date and Time, then click Send


Email Campaigns

Engagement offers formatted Emails Templates that make it easy to keep your patients informed via email. You can quickly send polished emails to individuals or groups of patients, helping you stay connected and provide updates with ease.

Note: Only users with Admin permissions have access to this feature.

Watch this short video to learn more about creating and sending emails.

Ready to get started sending Email Campaigns? Click here to follow along with our step-by-step guide!


Track and Cancel Scheduled Messages

  1. Click on the Communication tab from the left side menu of Engagement

  2. Click on the Scheduled tab from the dropdown list

  3. Click on the Type column to filter messages by type or method of delivery

  4. Click on the number in the Target section to see a list of all patients included in the message

  5. Click Cancel to prevent the message from going out at the scheduled time

Click here to learn more about tracking communication in Engagement.

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