Whether you need to turn off birthday texts or fix a reminder that isn't sending, this guide shows you how to manage patient alerts and reminders in ALOHA.
✨ When You Need This Guide
A patient wants to stop getting specific messages (like Birthdays or Feedback).
A patient isn't receiving their appointment reminders.
You see red phone numbers in your system.
You need to see a full list of everyone who has opted out of communications.
You need to opt-in or opt-out a large list of patients at once using a CSV file.
What This Covers (And What It Doesn't)
✅ Adjusting individual toggles, viewing opt-out lists, and bulk-updating preferences via CSV.
❌ Modifying the actual content or templates of the messages themselves.
Prerequisites/You'll Need:
Access to the Contacts tab in ALOHA.
Patient contact details or a prepared CSV file for bulk changes.
✅ How to Adjust Individual Patient Preferences
If a patient asks to change how they hear from you, follow these steps:
Go to Contacts: Click the CONTACTS tab and select Show Contacts.
Find the Patient: Use the search bar to find and click on the patient's name.
Open Settings: This opens their Contact Settings page.
Toggle Preferences: You will see a list of toggles for different types of communication (such as SMS, Email, Appointment Reminders, and Feedback Requests).
Save Your Changes: Turn a switch ON (checkmark) to send that message type, or OFF to stop it.
🛠️ What if they want to Opt Back In?
In ALOHA, a red phone number means the system cannot send texts to that contact. This usually happens if the number is a landline, disconnected, or the patient opted out.
Verify the Number: Confirm the number includes an area code and is a mobile phone. If you update it in your EHR, wait 24 hours for it to sync.
Manual Edit: If after 24 hours, the phone number has not updated in ALOHA, go to the patient profile in ALOHA andvclick Edit button above their to change the number manually. Refresh after 5 minutes to confirm it stays.
Check Delivery Status: Look at the message history. If the last message bubble is blue, it was successfully delivered on our side. The issue is likely on the patient's device.
The "START" Text: Ask the patient to text the word START to your office number and confirm your number isn't on their phone's "Blocked" list.
Refresh the Device: Ask the patient to restart their phone and ensure their messaging app is updated. This often clears up network connection gaps.
🚨 Is EVERY message red? If you notice that all outgoing messages are appearing in red, this likely indicates an office-wide connection disruption. This most often happens if you have recently changed phone providers. If this is happening, please contact ALOHA Support for assistance.
✅ View the Full Opt-Out List
To see everyone who has opted out so you can review your records:
Navigate to Contacts: Go to Contacts > Show Contacts.
Open Filters: Click the Filter icon on the top right of the screen.
Filter by Opt-Outs: Use the Opt-outs drop-down menu.
Select Your View: Choose Email Opted-out, Phone Opted-out, or both to see your filtered list.
✅ Manage Opt-Ins or Opt-Outs in Bulk (CSV Upload)
If you have a list from another system, you can update many patients at once. Just be sure the data matches your EHR exactly!
Prepare Your File: Create a spreadsheet with First Name, Last Name, Phone, and Email. Save it as a CSV (Comma Delimited) file.
Go to Import: Navigate to the CONTACTS tab and click on Import CSV.
Choose Data Type: Select Contact Data Only.
Apply Action: From the dropdown, select Opt-in Email/Phone or Opt-out Email/Phone.
Upload and Map: Click Pick CSV File to upload your document. Match your spreadsheet columns to the ALOHA fields.
Start Import: Click Import CSV to process the changes.
Check out this article for more details on CSV uploads.
💡 Common Questions
What You Might Notice | Why It's Happening | What to Do |
Manual texts work, but reminders don't. | The patient may be opted out of "Auto" messages, but not "Manual" ones. | Follow the "Re-Enable" steps above to turn auto-reminders back on. |
Contact info is highlighted in red. | The system flagged the info as opted-out or an invalid landline. | Verify the number is mobile and follow the Opt Back In steps above. |
Info in ALOHA doesn't match the EHR. | The daily sync hasn't happened yet. | Wait 24 hours for the sync. |
Toggles are ON, patient texted START, and messages are Blue, but still not arriving. | The message left ALOHA and was delivered successfully, but the patient's device or carrier is filtering it. | Have the patient check their blocked contacts and restart their phone. |
🎉 You'll Know It's Working When:
The toggles stay in the correct position after you refresh the page.
Patients confirm they are only receiving the messages they asked for.
Your filtered Opt-out list gets shorter as you re-enable patients.
💬 Need Help? We're Here!
Still having trouble with patient reminders or need additional help?
Call us at (800) 563-0469 or email us at support@getaloha.com.