Introduction
Rapid messages in the SKED web app enable you to send personalized SMS/MMS and email messages and push notifications before each appointment. You can create different Rapid Messages for various appointment types to improve show-up rates and enhance the patient experience. This article walks you through every setting and feature to get the most out of the Rapid Messages function.
Access the Rapid Messages Page by clicking the “Automated Messages > Rapid Messages” tab on the blue sidebar.
Customize Rapid Message
Edit the Rapid Messages of a setting by navigating to Rapid Messages → Single Rapid Message → Click the Edit button.
Edit Rapid Message Name
Edit the Rapid Message title if you want to rename your Rapid Message.
This is to identify the Rapid Message on the Rapid Message Messages Page later.
This title is not visible to patients and is a reference for offices to keep track of their Rapid Messages.
Edit Recipients (Appt Types)
Choose appointment type(s) from the drop-down menu labeled 'Unselected appt types' and select the doctor(s) whose patients should receive the Rapid Message.
On the “unselected appointment types” side, Click on the Providers/ Appointment types to Highlight them in blue.
Use the right arrow tab to move the desired appointment types into the selected box.
Remove appt types from the Rapid Message with the left arrow after highlighting in the “Selected appointment types.”
Warning: If your office has multiple doctors, make sure the correct appointment type is selected under the right doctor.
Edit When Rapid Message Sends
There are three conditions that must be configured for Rapid Messages to deploy.
1. Delay
You can set a delay between when all criteria are met and when the message is sent.
If you don’t want a delay, set this to 0 minutes.
Some offices prefer a 3–5 minute delay when booking appointments over the phone so staff can verbally inform the patient first.
Using a delay also allows you to disable and re-enable the Rapid Message if an appointment was created in error and you do not want the rapid message to send with the incorrect appointment data
2. Source of the Appointment Change
The source determines where the appointment change occurs. You can select one, multiple, or all sources depending on when you want the message to deploy:
EHR: Appointment changes made in your EHR (ChiroTouch, ChiroHD, Genesis, or Platinum)
Admin: Changes made by the logged-in SKED Admin user
App: Changes made through the SKED App
New Patient Portals: Appointments made through any active New Patient Portals
Go High Level: Appointments synced from Go High Level (if your office has this integration)
3. Change Type
This is the “action” that triggers the message. Rapid Messages can deploy when an appointment is:
Added
Canceled (not deleted)
Rescheduled
Marked Arrived
Example Use Case
To send a new patient confirmation text, you could configure a Rapid Message to deploy after a set delay when an appointment is Added via the EHR, Admin, New Patient Portals, or Go High Level. You would not need to include the App as a source, since new patients do not have access to the app and cannot book new patient appointments through it.
Another Example Case
Following up on a canceled appointment from the app:
Compose Message (SMS/MMS, Email, Push)
Utilize SKED’s message composer to write messages through SMS, Email, and Push/App notifications. You can insert custom data (using Placeholders) to personalize your messages. Learn more here: Composing Messages (SMS/MMS, Email, Push) Zendesk Article
Insert Placeholders Into the Message
Placeholders are a SKED feature that allows offices to insert important information quickly into any message body. Simply place your cursor in the message body next to whichever placeholder you want to include, click an “Insert” button to add a placeholder, and it will appear wherever your text cursor is located.
This saves time from typing tedious/ repetitive information and takes the stress out of communicating accurate information.
We have created various placeholder categories to simplify office life: Client, Business, Locations, Appointment Data, and Forms.
Enable New Rapid Message Notification
After composing your Rapid Message, check the empty box if you want your automated Rapid Message to be immediately enabled when creating it. Some offices choose to create a Rapid Message automation for future use, so they may leave the checkbox blank until necessary.
Save Options
After you’ve created your automated Rapid Message masterpiece, you can save it outright as a unique automation or save it to the “My Templates” tab for future use by selecting the blue dropdown tab on the save button. SKED does not autosave drafts.
Delete Rapid Message
From the “Rapid Message Messages” page, there are two ways you can delete a Rapid Message.
In the actions column of the data table, there is a trash icon to delete individual Rapid Messages.
Locate the Rapid Message you wish to delete.
Click the trash can Icon under the “Actions” Column to delete the Rapid Message.
Delete multiple Rapid Messages by multi-selecting records on the table.
Hover over a Rapid Message's name to reveal a hidden checkbox to the left of the title.
Highlight the checkbox for the Rapid Message(s) you want to delete
Click the trash can Icon
to delete the highlighted Rapid Message(s)
Organize with Folders
Once you make a few Rapid Messages, consider Creating and Managing Folders to keep them organized. Folders are used throughout the admin and function similarly for different kinds of data. Move multiple Rapid Messages to different folders by multi-selecting records on the table with the checkboxes to the left of each row.
Manage Templates
Templates enable you to reuse various settings to create common messages faster. This is optional and primarily useful when you are working with 20+ Rapid Messages. View templates in the automated messages age by clicking the “My Templates” or “SKED Templates” tabs.
Create Template
To create a new Rapid Message template, navigate to Rapid Messages → Single Rapid Message message → Click the Edit button. This will allow you to dial in some custom settings for our Rapid Message. After customizing the Rapid Message, select the down arrow next to the save button and choose “Save as template” to save as a new template.
Update Template
On the Rapid Message Messages page, set the page toggle “My Templates” and select a Rapid Message template. This will take you to the “New Rapid Message” page with all previous Rapid Message settings intact.
FAQS
Why didn’t my rapid message go out?
The common reason the rapid messages do not deploy is the appointments are not created with the correct appointment type. The second most common reason is the appointment was “rescheduled” instead of “added” as the message is set up. You can set up another rapid message for rescheduled appointments, so the patient has another confirmation with the updated time.
How can I customize Rapid Messages to deploy?
Rapid messages (text, email or push notification) are deployed based off an ACTION (added, rescheduled, canceled or arrived), in a specific platform (EHR, New Patient Portal, SKED Admin or SKED App) for a specific appointment type or types. You can create any combination to help communicate with your patients!
Why didn’t my message deploy when I rescheduled an appointment?
If the rapid message is set to “Added,” a new appointment must be created to trigger the message. However, you can set up another rapid message for rescheduled appointments so a confirmation message gets sent.
How do I test my rapid message or reminder?
Add a test appointment to your schedule that is connected to your account’s phone number. Make sure the appointment meets the same criteria as the message (appointment type, change type, source, etc.).
For example, if the message is triggered through the New Patient Portal, you must create the appointment there — not in the EHR — for it to send correctly.
Can I stop a rapid message from going out?
The only way to stop a rapid message from deploying is to disable the reminder and enable it again.
What does it mean by Admin under “Source of the Appointment Change”?
That means any appointments created by the office in the SKED Admin on a web browser.
Can I set up different messages to go out for different New Patient Appointment types?
Absolutely! You can set up a rapid message for each appointment type and add any customization like intake forms or videos!
Can I customize the wording of messages sent through the New Patient Portal (NPP) compared to those created in the EHR?
Yes! By creating different rapid messages with different “Source of the Appointment Change”, you can easily customize them. For example, confirmations for new patients created in the EHR can confirm their time, whereas new patient appointments made through the NPP will tell them someone will call to confirm their appointment.