Reminders and notifications
Set up confirmation, reminder, cancellation and follow-up messages to patients and staff via email, SMS and WhatsApp templates.
3 min read
Well-planned reminders noticeably reduce no-shows. Especially for patients in other time zones, a message a day and a few hours before the appointment makes sure it actually happens. Notifications are set up per calendar.
Notification types
| Notification | When is it sent? |
|---|---|
| Booking confirmation | When the appointment is booked or confirmed. |
| Reminder | A set time before the appointment (you can add several). |
| Reschedule | When the date/time changes. |
| Cancellation | When the appointment is cancelled. |
| Follow-up | A set time after the appointment. |
For each notification you can choose the recipient (patient, assigned user, guest, or additional emails/phone numbers) and the channel (email, SMS, WhatsApp, in-app notification).
Set up notifications
- In Settings → Calendars, open the calendar and go to the Notifications & Additional Options step.
- Switch on the confirmation message and edit its content. Use merge fields to insert details such as the appointment date, time and meeting link.
- Switch on reminders and choose their timing, e.g. 24 hours and 2 hours before.
- Switch on the staff notification, so the assigned coordinator gets an email or in-app alert for each new booking.
- Add another reminder if you need an extra timing.
- Click Save in the top right.
Reminders on WhatsApp
Most international patients read email late but WhatsApp straight away. For WhatsApp reminders:
- Your WhatsApp Business account must be connected to MedicalGrow. See WhatsApp Business API.
- Reminders are usually sent outside the 24-hour window, so you must use a Meta-approved template. The right category for appointment reminders is Utility.
- Use variables in the template (patient name, appointment type, time).
Heads up
Adding a discount or promotion to an appointment reminder can push the template into the Marketing category or get it rejected. Keep reminder templates strictly to appointment details. See WhatsApp templates.
SMS and email
- Email: ideal for longer information — a preparation checklist, clinic address, transfer details. It is sent through the MedicalGrow email service; to send from your own domain, see Email services.
- SMS: a fallback for patients who don't use WhatsApp. The phone number must be saved with its country code. SMS costs vary by country and message length.
Recommended setup
| Calendar | To the patient | To the team |
|---|---|---|
| Video Consultation | Confirmation (WhatsApp + email), WhatsApp 24 h and 2 h before | New booking email |
| Implant Surgery | Confirmation (email), preparation email 3 days before, WhatsApp 24 h before | New booking alert to the doctor |
| Check-up | Confirmation, reminder 24 h before, review request 1 day after | — |
Tip
Always show the time in the patient's time zone in messages, ideally with the city name, e.g. "London time".
Troubleshooting
The WhatsApp reminder wasn't sent. Check that the template is approved, the patient's number is saved with its country code, and your WhatsApp account's quality rating is healthy. See WhatsApp rules and quality.
The patient got the same message twice. The same notification may be set up both on the calendar and in an automated flow configured by the MedicalGrow team. Message our support team on WhatsApp.
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