Direct messages, also known as text messages or SMS messages, are a great way to communicate with patients quickly. With Engagement, you can send individual or bulk direct messages.
In this article, you'll learn:
Watch this short video to learn more about using Direct Messages.
Ways to Create Direct Messages
There are multiple ways to create direct messages using the 3-dot menu available on any of the following Engagement tabs:
Next to each patient's name on any of the tabs named above, you'll see a 3-dot menu option. Clicking on the 3-dot menu opens up a dropdown list of options.
From the 3-dot menu, click Communication and then choose Send a direct message to start your new message.
The Inbox tab
The Patients tab
The Patient Chat tab
How to Send & Schedule Direct Messages
Click on the Inbox, Patients, or Patient Chat tab in the left side menu
To send a message to a single patient, select the 3-dot menu next to the patient's name
Alternatively, you can create a list of patients and use Bulk Action to send messages in bulk
Click Send a direct message
Manually type the message or select Load a Quick Message to choose a pre-fabricated Direct Messaging Template
Choose the appropriate Delivery Channel
Select Schedule for Future, then click Send
Note about Bulk Messages: For bulk messages, you must 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.
Why are texts limited to 250 messages/hour? Bulk direct messages should only be used to send important office updates to impacted patients. Sending mass text messages runs the risk of the number being flagged as marketing/spam by carriers and not being able to communicate with patients via text.
If your filtered list exceeds 250 patients, all additional patients remaining on the list will be sent out in 250-count segments every hour until completion (Note: queued message segments will not be sent during default quiet hours).
How to Track Sent and Scheduled Direct Messages
The Manual tab in the Communication dashboard of Engagement includes all actions sent to patients manually: direct messages, bulk messages, manual reminders, Modento App invites, review requests, invitations to schedule, etc.
If your patients receive a direct message automatically (ie, an appointment reminder), you can track it in the Automatic tab of your Communication dashboard. Click here to learn more.
To track sent and scheduled direct messages:
Click on Communication in the left side of Engagement, then click on the Manual tab
Click on the Sent column to select a date range
Click on the Type column and then choose Direct Message to show only direct messages
Check the Content section to see what was included the message
Click on the number in the Target section to see a list of patients that were included in a bulk message
