Automated follow-up emails for missed or completed appointments

Purpose

1.1. Automate the process of sending targeted follow-up emails when patients miss scheduled appointments or complete their visit, ensuring consistent engagement, reminders, feedback collection, and facilitating rescheduling, specific to alternative medicine practitioners managing varied modalities (acupuncture, naturopathy, chiropractic, etc.) and aiming to improve retention and client satisfaction.

Trigger Conditions

2.1. An appointment is marked as missed in the practice management system.
2.2. An appointment is marked as completed in the scheduling calendar.
2.3. Reception staff manually changes status to missed or complete.
2.4. External notification from integrated EMR or booking platforms indicating attendance outcome.

Platform Variants

3.1. Google Calendar
• Feature/Setting: Use "Event Updated" trigger via Google Calendar API; configure for status field changes (attended/missed).
• Sample: POST webhook upon status change.

3.2. Outlook/Office 365 Calendar
• Feature/Setting: Microsoft Graph API "CalendarView Delta" function detects changes to event statuses.
• Sample: Subscription to status delta notifications.

3.3. Acuity Scheduling
• Feature/Setting: Webhook triggers for status change ("appointment.status_update").
• Sample: Configure outgoing webhook to automation system.

3.4. Calendly
• Feature/Setting: Use "Invitee No-Show" and "Invitee Attended" webhook events.
• Sample: Register endpoint for both event types.

3.5. Mindbody
• Feature/Setting: Mindbody API "Get Visits" and "PUT Visit Status" endpoints for monitoring and updating appointment records.
• Sample: Poll for visits with status "Missed" or "Completed."

3.6. Jane App
• Feature/Setting: Appointment update webhooks for status changes (missed/completed).
• Sample: Register webhook to receive real-time notifications.

3.7. SimplePractice
• Feature/Setting: API "GET Appointments" with filter for status; or push webhooks for status updates.
• Sample: Periodic sync with relevant filters.

3.8. Healthie
• Feature/Setting: Use webhook triggers for appointment update; "appointment_status" parameter.
• Sample: Configure automated fetch and trigger.

3.9. Salesforce
• Feature/Setting: Workflow Rule or Process Builder; trigger email task on appointment field update (missed/completed).
• Sample: Set workflow on appointment object changes.

3.10. HubSpot
• Feature/Setting: Workflows using custom property (appointment status) for sending automated emails.
• Sample: Trigger workflow on property update.

3.11. Zoho CRM
• Feature/Setting: Workflow Rules set for Lead/Contact's "Appointment Status" field updates.
• Sample: Define automatic mailers post-status update.

3.12. ActiveCampaign
• Feature/Setting: Automation on contact's custom field change (appointment outcome) triggers email sequence.
• Sample: Update field; launch preset email.

3.13. Mailchimp
• Feature/Setting: Tag or segment contacts by appointment result, triggering relevant campaign using transactional API.
• Sample: Assign tag upon API call; trigger mail.

3.14. SendGrid
• Feature/Setting: Dynamic transactional templates called via Email API upon trigger.
• Sample: POST to /mail/send endpoint with template ID.

3.15. Twilio SendGrid
• Feature/Setting: Use the Event Webhook to monitor engagement, then send follow-up via transactional mail.
• Sample: Enable event notification; POST new messages based on events.

3.16. Drip
• Feature/Setting: Automation triggered by tag or custom field for appointment status.
• Sample: Assign tag, initiate email flow.

3.17. Klaviyo
• Feature/Setting: API integration, status-triggered flows using profile property (missed/completed).
• Sample: Update property, trigger flow.

3.18. Intercom
• Feature/Setting: Custom attribute update (appointment status) triggers outbound message.
• Sample: User attribute update; automated message fires.

3.19. Zapier
• Feature/Setting: Multi-step zaps using webhook or direct integrations for appointment update and mail sending.
• Sample: Trigger on webhook, filter, then Gmail/Outlook action.

3.20. Make (formerly Integromat)
• Feature/Setting: Scenario setup with webhook receive; router for status filter; Gmail/Mailgun module to send mail.
• Sample: Webhook > filter > Mailgun send.

Benefits

4.1. Eliminates manual follow-up, reducing administrative workload.
4.2. Enhances appointment compliance and reduces no-shows.
4.3. Enables timely rescheduling of missed appointments, improving revenue continuity.
4.4. Fosters better client engagement and satisfaction via consistent post-visit touchpoints.
4.5. Scales across multiple alternative medicine modalities and practitioner schedules.