Appointments cancelled by SMS

If you are using automated SMS appointment reminders with Telstra Health's SMS gateway (TH Messaging), patients can automatically cancel their appointment by replying to an appointment reminder by SMS and rejecting the appointment.

If you aren't using automated SMS appointment reminders at your health service, but would like to, contact Communicare Support to find out how to activate it.

Patients who receive an SMS appointment reminder sent from Communicare because their appointment fits the criteria specified in an SMS appointment reminder template with Patient can cancel appointments set, can reply to the SMS and cancel an appointment up until the time that the appointment starts.

By default, patient's who reply N or No to the appointment reminder SMS message cancel their appointment. If patient's add other text, the appointment is not cancelled.
Tip: Add a line to your appointment reminder templates explaining to patients that they must only reply with Yes or No so that their responses can be recognised by Communicare. If you find that many of your patients reply with other responses, ask Communicare Support to also configure alternative confirmation or rejection responses.

If a patient receives multiple appointment reminders before replying, the latest appointment in the day for which the reminder is sent is cancelled.

Note: Only the first response is received by Communicare. For example, if a patient replies N to an SMS reminder and then changes their mind and responds Y, the second response is ignored.
When a negative SMS reply is received from a patient:
  • A reason of Cancelled by patient is recorded and a cancellation comment of Cancelled by SMS Reply is added to the Service List
  • The appointment is removed from the appointment book and service recording
  • Linked incoming referrals are updated
  • Transport management linked with that appointment is updated and the comment Cancelled by patient is added

To display a list of appointments cancelled by SMS, run Report > SMS > Appointments Cancelled by SMS.