Procedure Automations
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Table of Contents
Default Procedure AutomationsCreate a New Procedure AutomationConfigure Automation MessagingSet Automation TimingMerging MessagesConfigure Default Automation at Practice-levelIdentify Send ResourceAdd RestrictionsAttachments and FormsStart AutomationsProcedures are another Event Type that Artera (formerly WELL) can pull in from your EMR. Procedures are actions or treatments that a patient could receive (e.g. Flu Shot, MRI) that may not have a set date and time, but serve as a reminder for completion. Procedures are different from Appointment and Recall Event types as they may have a date by which they should be completed but are not assigned a specific time.
Procedure Automations
Procedure Automations allow you to build automatic calls to action for patients to re-engage with your Practice for specific care needs. These Procedures can be used to automatically send out messages to the patient to drive a specific action (e.g. schedule a Procedure).
As an Enterprise User, you can set up Automations that can be used across your Practices. This functionality allows you to set a standard for your organization controlling both message timing and brand voice. Additionally, creating Automations at the Enterprise and enabling at each Practice drives efficiency and consistency.
Default Procedure Automations
Automations created for the Enterprise are called Default Automations. Default Automations are then filtered within the Practice Automations section. This allows Procedure Automations to be sent based on Practice specifications like Events, Locations, and Phone Lines, while preserving an Enterprise-wide cadence and message content.
Create a New Procedure Automation
Navigate to Enterprise Settings and select Default Automations.
Select Create Automation.
Select Procedure selected from the Module drop-down, and add a short Description. This is how you will identify the Automation going forward, so be sure to use consistent naming conventions.
This section is uneditable because Restrictions (Filters) are established during the Practice configuration of the Automation.
Configure Automation Messaging
Next, you will enter the Automation’s message for each of the content types you will support. Available content includes Text, Call, and Email. Messages can be customized by delivery method. We recommend keeping text content short to optimize the patient experience; emails can be longer and require a subject line, and voice calls should be more conversational. Click here for detailed Message Formatting Guidelines.
You can choose to send Automations by a single delivery method, or you can configure reminders to be sent via all three delivery methods to increase deliverability. If you select multiple delivery methods for your reminder, the patient will never receive all three. How the patient receives the message is based on their Patient Communication Settings.
Set Automation Timing
Next, determine when the Automation should be sent (e.g. 15 minutes after Procedure created, 6 weeks before Procedure Time, etc.).
Procedure Triggers
Procedure Time: Send a message based on when the Procedure is due (e.g. send 4 weeks before the Procedure should occur)
Procedure Created: Send a message based on when the clinic created the Procedure in the EMR (e.g. send 15 minutes after Procedure was created).
System Status Change: Send a message based on the status of the Procedure changing (e.g. send when Procedure changes from Active to Cancelled).
Date or Time Change: Send a message if the Date or Time of the Procedure has been updated (e.g. Procedure was at 6 months, but now needs to be 3 months based on labs).
Location Change: Send a message if the Location associated with the Procedure changes (e.g. Procedure was for a specific clinic, but the clinic location closed).
Send Rules
Send Only on Business Days?
This rule is available for Procedure Time and Procedure Created. Note: This setting will be grayed out unless the message is sent at least 15 minutes after the trigger.
Business Days are determined by your Practice and Line Hours. Any day that your Practice or Line is open for any duration of time counts as a Business Day in Artera. Note: In Practices set up for One-Way messaging, all days are Business Days, so this toggle does not impact your Automations.
System Status Change Ignores Business Hours
If you set the Automation to occur upon System Status Change (e.g. Active to Complete), the Automation will go out regardless of Business Hours. Instead, the timing of the message depends on when your system of record sends status updates to Artera.
Some systems can send information in real-time, while others complete a batch update once per day (typically in the middle of the night). For systems that batch overnight, consider using a trigger that is focused on Procedure Time or Procedure Created.
Suppress Automation for same-day appointments?
When using the Procedure Created trigger, you can choose to not send the patient an instant booking message for their upcoming procedure.
TCPA (Telephone Consumer Protection Act) Guidelines
Artera enables you to send or suppress automated reminders based on TCPA guidelines. Choose between sending the message immediately, scheduling the message within the TCPA guidelines, or not sending the message at all. Click here for a full breakdown of TCPA Hours and how it impacts messaging.
When considering Procedure Automations, we typically recommend choosing to Adjust the Delivery when available, which will respect TCPA hours. Generally, most appointments fall within standard business hours, so that adjustment is typically minimal. For example, if the patient is receiving an Automation to remind them to schedule a Procedure, these Procedures are typically created during business hours. So if the Procedure was created at 7:30 am, the 26-week Procedure Automation will send around 8:00 am.
Merging Messages
When a patient has several follow-ups on the same day within the same Practice, you can use Merge Messages to prevent the patient from receiving duplicate messages. For example, if a patient has an annual procedure and also will get bloodwork done on the same day, the 52-week Procedures can be merged to ensure the patient only receives one message to schedule their visit. Click here to learn more about Merged Messages.
Merge Messages Considerations
You cannot merge multiple distinct Automations. For instance, if one Automation is set up to send a reminder for Dr. Jacobson and a second Automation sends reminders for a separate Provider (Dr. Smith) at a separate Location, the patient would still receive two messages—one for Dr. Jacobson and one for Dr. Smith.
You cannot attach a Form to a Merged Message.
Merged Messages respect patients not phone numbers. So, even if two patients that share a phone number have the same type of appointment on the same day, their messages will not be merged.
Configure Default Automation at Practice-level
This section focuses on configuring Default Automations for the Practice:
Navigate to Practice Settings > Automations.
Open the Paused tab.
Click the (...) menu for the Automation you want to enable. You will notice that the Automation has a status of Incomplete. Until the Automation has been configured, you will not be able to start it.
Click Edit Automation.
Identify Send Resource
Select from which Resource the Automation should be sent. Resource types are Provider, Location, Device, and General. Many customers send by Location Resource.
Make sure the Resource(s) are associated with a Phone Line. If you choose a Resource that has not been associated to a Line, the Automation will not be sent. Tip: Not sure how your Lines are configured? Navigate to Practice Settings > Lines and review the Resources added to the Line.
Add Restrictions
Use Restrictions to specify which patients should receive this Automation. Use the following Restriction filters to ensure the message is sent to the intended audience.
Event: These are mapped directly to Procedure Events within the Practice. Appointment and Recall Events will not be displayed here.
Resource: These are the Locations, Providers, Devices, and General resources within the Practice.
System Status: These statuses are mapped to the corresponding statuses in your system of record.
Portal Status: These statuses indicate whether or not the patient is enrolled in a Patient Portal. Portal information must be set up during implementation and not all EMRs support sending this data.
Restriction Logic
The Restriction filters apply default logic. The logic between Restriction sections (i.e. Events and Resources) apply “and” logic. Meaning that the Procedure must qualify for both the Event and the Resource restriction in order to receive the message. The logic within Restriction sections (i.e. all Event types selected) apply “or” logic. Meaning that the Procedure must be one of the Event types listed in order to receive the message.
Restriction Statement
The Restriction Statement at the top of the page helps you conceptualize who the Automation will be sent to. The following example shows a Procedure configuration for all Procedures scheduled with Provider John Stevens.
Exclusions
In some instances, it may be easier to exclude the Events or Resources that you do not want to send an Automation to rather than include all the ones you do. Text within the blue boxes can be clicked on and change from an inclusive (of type/with) to an exclusive (not of type/not with).
For the following example, we want the Automation to send to for all Procedures scheduled with a Provider other than John Stevens.
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Select the Event or Resource that you would like to exclude:
Click the blue of type and it will become NOT of type (Event)
Click the blue with and it will become NOT with (Resource)
Complete other Restrictions as needed. The exclusions set above will not apply to any other Restriction.
Attachments and Forms
The Automation’s message language is established in the Default build. However, you can add Attachments and Forms specific to your Practice, as needed.
Note: Merged Messages cannot support Attachments or Forms. If the message indicates it can be merged (check out the Would you like to merge similar messages section), do not include Forms or Attachments.
Media Attachments
You can include rich media along with automated messages to your patients. Attach campus maps, PDF files with instructions, and more. We recommend all attached media is under 500KB in size to preserve performance. Click here to learn more.
Attach a Form
If you would like to send an Artera Form along with the Automation, you can select which Form should be sent at the Practice level. To better understand forms, read about Satisfaction Forms.
Start Automations
When the Automation setup is complete, the Automation is automatically Paused, meaning the Automation is not sending any messages. To enable the Automation, navigate to the Paused tab on the Automations, click on the (...) menu and select Start Automation. The Automation will then move to the Running tab and begin sending messages.