Understanding 'Sweep,' 'Drip with Sweep,' and 'Drip without Sweep' in Appointment Reminders
Appointment reminders in TrackStat provide flexible configuration options to ensure effective communication with patients. Two key modes, 'Sweep' and 'Drip without Sweep,' define how reminders are sent, especially for last-minute or newly scheduled appointments. This article elaborates on these terms, provides best practices for configuration, and addresses common challenges related to these options.
Definition of Terms
Sweep
Sweep allows reminders to be sent even if appointments were created within a designated time window prior to the scheduled time. For example, if the window is set to 24 or 48 hours, any appointments created or scheduled in that time frame will still receive reminders. This is particularly useful for accommodating catch-up reminders for last-minute bookings.
Drip with Sweep
This mode sends reminders not only to patients with appointments scheduled well in advance but also to those whose appointments were created in the prior 24-48 hours. By including these recent appointments, 'Drip with Sweep' ensures coverage for all patients, even those who booked on short notice.
Note: When appointments are booked same day and the clinic is also sending 1 or 2 hour prior appointment reminders, this mode can result in multiple reminders being sent close together.
Drip without Sweep
This mode excludes reminders for appointments created within the selected time window (e.g., the last 24 or 48 hours). In this configuration, only patients with appointments scheduled earlier than the set lead time will receive reminders. This reduces the likelihood of overlapping reminders but may miss last-minute bookings.
Best Practices for Appointment Reminder Settings
Plan Edits to Reminder Campaigns After Business Hours - To avoid disrupting active reminder generation, configure or make changes to reminder campaign settings after hours. Switching between 'Drip with Sweep' and 'Drip without Sweep' during active times (e.g., in the middle of the day) may result in some reminders not being generated for some appointments.
Evaluate Lead Times Based on Patient Behavior - Understand your patients’ booking habits and select the reminder mode appropriately. If last-minute bookings are common, 'Drip with Sweep' may be more suitable. For regular scheduling patterns, 'Drip without Sweep' provides a balance between precision and reminder frequency.
Common Issues and Resolutions
Issue: Patients with same-day appointments did not receive reminders. - Cause: Switching from 'Drip with Sweep' to 'Drip without Sweep' mid-day can interrupt the reminder schedule. - Solution: Make such adjustments outside of actively scheduled reminder windows to avoid impacting in-progress reminders.
FAQs
How should I configure settings during peak business hours?
As a best practice, avoid modifying reminder modes (e.g., switching between 'Sweep' options) during peak hours. Perform configurations post-business hours to prevent interruption of active reminders.
This guide helps ensure accurate and timely communication with patients through appointment reminders in TrackStat. For further assistance, feel free to contact our support team.