Recall Strategies
Strategy Set Up
Most targets will have a default strategy (usually one SMS round and then one phone call round) defined by Appt Health when your target is set up but you can request this to be changed. This can be done by the target set up form on recall or by contacting the customer success team.
Types of rounds
A strategy is comprised of several rounds, each of which comprise a recall. This includes an invitation to an appointment, any reminders, responses and clinical coding of the interaction (whether the patient booked or declined). There are three types of rounds
- SMS
- Call
- Wait: this is a period between recall rounds. This can be useful as some targets require multiple recall attempts if a patient does not book immediately, however it often makes sense to have a break between contacting the patient regarding the appointment as to not overwhelm with multiple requests within a short period.
Booking window
When an administrator sets up a target there are options to change the booking window where Appt Health searches for slots. The default is 3-17 days in the future but this can be expanded or reduced (minimum one day in advance)
Adjusting settings for target variation
Sometimes recall targets have different requirements, such as a faster throughput in flu season or increased accessibility
There are several features that can be adjusted to affect outcomes
- Adjusting the number of appointments offered
This will increase the throughput of patients if reduced, but provide more appointment options to patients if increased - Adjusting the number of patients each slot is offered to
This can also improve throughput but would also increase the likelihood of double bookings and therefore requiring some patients to choose another slot in the automated SMS process - Adjusting the length of time patients can book the appointments offered to them