Important: Broadcast messages are not HIPAA compliant. Don't include any patient health information (PHI). To send a HIPAA-secure message, use Secure Text instead.
What is Broadcast?
Broadcast lets your practice send one-way messages to patients by:
Text message
Email
Telephone
Secure portal message
You can send a message to all your patients or to a specific group, such as patients with appointments on a certain date.
Examples of how practices use Broadcast:
Let patients with appointments today know your office is closed due to bad weather.
Remind a group of patients about a specific point of care, such as a yearly checkup.
Share news about your practice, such as new services or updated hours.
Can patients reply to a Broadcast message?
No. Broadcast is one-way, so patients can't reply to Broadcast messages.
How do I send a Broadcast message?
In the left-hand menu, click Broadcast. The Create tab opens.
2. Choose how to send the message: Text Message, Email, Telephone, or Portal.
3. Fill in the settings from the dropdowns. The options change depending on the method you chose. See "What does each Broadcast setting do?" below.
4.Type your message. You can:
Add variables, such as your practice name or phone number, to personalize it, or
Choose a template to fill in the message for you.
Click Send.
Confirm the pop-up.
Note: Portal messages don't show a confirmation pop-up. They're sent as soon as you click Send.
What does each Broadcast setting do?
Setting | What it does | Available for |
Respect patients' communication method | Yes uses each patient's preferred communication method set in Updox, which usually comes from your EMR sync. | Text, Email, Telephone |
Send from | Choose Practice, which shows your practice name as the sender, or Myself, which shows your first and last name. The default is Practice. | Portal only |
Send to | Choose who gets the message. Updox has built-in lists, such as Appointments in the last 7 days and Today's Birthdays. To make your own list, use the Lists tab. | Text, Email, Telephone, Portal |
Set to repeat | Send the message on a schedule: Daily, Weekly, or Monthly. Choose No to send it once. | Text, Email, Telephone |
Filter by Appointment | Narrow your Send To list by appointment date range, appointment type, or appointment calendar. | See the notes below |
Filter by Age | Narrow your Send To list by age range, in months or years. | See the notes below |
Notes about filters:
Filters don't apply to repeating Broadcast messages.
Some filters may not be available on every account.
If Updox doesn't receive your appointment data, you can't filter by appointment.
What do patients see when I send a Broadcast as a text message?
Broadcast text messages use a standard format to meet FCC regulations and carrier requirements. This format helps keep messages from being filtered or blocked by carriers.
Patients receive this text:
Hello [First Name], you have a new message from [HIPAA-Safe Practice Name] at [weblink]
The patient taps the link to read your Broadcast message.
How long does the link in a Broadcast text work?
The link expires after 5 days.
Which practice name appears in Broadcast texts?
If your practice has a HIPAA-compliant practice name set up, patients see that name. It's set in Inbox > Admin > Practice Settings.
If not, patients see your standard practice name.
Is Broadcast HIPAA compliant?
No. Don't include patient health information (PHI) in Broadcast messages. Use Secure Text to send HIPAA-secure messages.