The SMS replies feature enables your patients to respond to you about upcoming appointments with the ability to allow keywords for quick and easy responses.

Accessing keyword settings

To access your reminder keyword configuration:

1. Go to configure - automatic appointment messages.
2. Open your reminders tab.
   • Click the keyword settings option.
3. You can now configure your confirmation and cancellation keywords along with all keyword settings.

To access your short notice list keyword configuration:

1. Open your appointment book.
2. Select your short notice list tab in the activity area at the bottom of your diary.
3. Click the settings spanner in the lower right of this tab.
   
   • Click the keyword settings option.
4. You can now configure your keywords along with short notice list keyword settings.

Keywords

To adhere to contact preferences there are rules around keyword usage with particular words empowering patients to opt out of SMS communications with your practice. Due to this, we do not advise you to use any of the following as keywords as you will then be blocked from sending SMS to these patients.

If a patient replies with any of the following keywords you will be blocked from sending SMS to that patient.

• STOP, STOPALL, UNSUBSCRIBE, CANCEL, END or QUIT.

The use of any of these words in conjunction with any other word will not cause any SMS opt out to be enabled, for example, PLEASECANCEL will not block your SMS sending.  We would however, recommend setting the keyword to UNABLE or another single word.  If a patient replies with a space in between (e.g. PLEASE CANCEL) then this reply would not cancel the appointment. 

If a patient does block your SMS with any of the above, they must respond to your message with one of the following keywords to re-enable SMS sending.

• START, YES or UNSTOP.