Quick Summary
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Protocol: Determines what care is due and when
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Cadence: Determines how often clients are reminded to schedule care
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Appointment Reminders: Confirm appointments that are already booked
Reminder protocols define what services are due for a patient based on medical guidelines and determine due dates for preventative care and treatments. Protocols are most useful for clinical recommendations and scheduling. Examples:
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Rabies vaccine is due every 3 years after the initial booster is administered.
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Wellness exams are due annually for patients over 1 year old.
Reminder cadences set the communication timeline for client reminders once a service is due or overdue. The purpose of reminder cadences is to encourage clients to book appointments for needed care. Reminder cadences determine the frequency and pattern of reminder messages sent to clients. Example:
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Send reminder on the due date, then 30 days later, then 60 days later if still overdue.
Appointment reminders are system-generated messages sent to a client after an appointment has been scheduled to confirm their attendance. These messages are not triggered by due protocols. Example:
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Send confirmation 48 hours before the appointment and another on the day of the appointment.
Please see About Reminder Protocols & Cadences for more details.