Referral follow-up sequence

Purpose

1.1. Automate the referral follow-up sequence by engaging referred patients through scheduled communications, reminders, and check-ins, supporting psychoanalysts in patient acquisition and retention.
1.2. Automatedly increase conversion rates from referrals to booked appointments by nurturing contacts with highly relevant, timely follow-ups across channels (SMS, email, calls, messenger apps).
1.3. Automating the process ensures no referral is missed, tracks patient responses, automates rescheduling, and enhances psychoanalyst-client engagement via multi-platform messaging.

Trigger Conditions

2.1. New referral form submission (via website, intake tool, or EHR).
2.2. Manual input of patient referral by front office.
2.3. Incoming referral email flagged by keywords (e.g., "referral: psychoanalyst").
2.4. CRM record updated with “referred” tag.
2.5. Appointment scheduler marks referral source.

Platform Variants

3.1. Twilio SMS
• Feature/Setting: Automate sending SMS reminders and follow-ups; configure via Twilio Programmable SMS API using referral’s contact details—sample: POST to /Messages with body and schedule time.

3.2. SendGrid
• Feature/Setting: Automate email drip for referrals; configure via Send Email v3 API with templates for initial contact, second reminder, and feedback request.

3.3. Salesforce
• Feature/Setting: Automate lead nurture flows; use Process Builder or Flow Builder to trigger automated tasks, emails, or SMS via partner apps.

3.4. HubSpot
• Feature/Setting: Automate sequences for referral leads; automator via Workflows API and sequence enrollment on referral tagging.

3.5. Zapier
• Feature/Setting: Automator connects apps to launch sequences; template triggers: “New referral in Google Sheets → Multi-channel follow-up”.

3.6. Mailgun
• Feature/Setting: Automate personalized referral follow-up emails; use Messages API to scheduledly dispatch based on referral timestamp.

3.7. ActiveCampaign
• Feature/Setting: Automate referral nurture automations; set up Automated Emails and SMS via Automations builder, trigger on “New Referral”.

3.8. Intercom
• Feature/Setting: Use Workflows to automate multi-touch onboarding and nurturing for every new referral.

3.9. Pipedrive
• Feature/Setting: Automate workflow triggers when referral deal added; Actions: auto-send emails, assign tasks, and create reminders.

3.10. WhatsApp Business API
• Feature/Setting: Automate WhatsApp message sequence for referrals; trigger via POST /messages with HSM templates to new contacts.

3.11. Google Calendar
• Feature/Setting: Automated scheduling links/invites to referrals; use Calendar API to create events/invoke reminders on accept/reject.

3.12. Slack
• Feature/Setting: Automate notifications in “Referrals” channel when follow-up required; use Incoming Webhooks API to post messages/custom reminders.

3.13. Microsoft Teams
• Feature/Setting: Automator posts referral actions/notes to Teams; use Graph API to postAdaptiveCards for reminders.

3.14. Stripe
• Feature/Setting: Automate payment link follow-ups for referred appointments; use Stripe API to trigger payment requests post-referral confirmation.

3.15. Calendly
• Feature/Setting: Automatedly generate and send scheduling links via scheduled emails or SMS once a referral is captured.

3.16. Zoom
• Feature/Setting: Automate confirmation and reminder emails with Zoom meeting links post-referral intake via Meetings API.

3.17. Freshdesk
• Feature/Setting: Automate ticket creation and follow-up tasks for new referrals; set up scenario automations for escalations/reminders.

3.18. Google Sheets
• Feature/Setting: Automate appending new referrals and tracking sequence status via Sheets API with cell update triggers.

3.19. DocuSign
• Feature/Setting: Automated consent/request-for-information workflows triggered for new referrals via eSignature REST API.

3.20. Drip
• Feature/Setting: Automate multi-channel nurturing (email/SMS) of referred patients; workflows trigger on referral segment entry.

Benefits

4.1. Automate consistent, timely outreach for all referrals, reducing manual follow-up errors.
4.2. Automatedly escalates unresponsive contacts, minimizing drop-offs and maximizing appointment rates.
4.3. Automation accelerates referral-to-intake pipeline and enhances engagement through multi-channel, personalized touchpoints.
4.4. Frees psychoanalyst and staff time to focus on clinical work, using automator-initiated communication and task delegation.
4.5. Provides measurable analytics on automation effectiveness for continuous improvement of referral conversion strategies.