Missed appointments and late cancellations significantly impact allied health practices, with industry reports indicating no-show rates ranging from 10% to 30%, causing substantial revenue losses and scheduling inefficiencies. Cliniko users can substantially reduce these occurrences—often by as much as 50%—by implementing Cliniq Apps' SMS appointment confirmations. This feature enables patients to proactively confirm or request cancellation of appointments. Patient responses are recorded in appointment notes within Cliniko, and notifications are emailed to the clinic, allowing staff to manage appointments effectively:
Confirm ("I Will Attend") – shows as "Accepted" in Cliniko.
Cancel ("Cancel My Appointment") – marked as "Rejected" in Cliniko.
Call Clinic – directly dials your clinic's number.
Step-by-Step Guide
Creating Your Message
Navigate to Message Templates in Cliniq Apps Automations.
Click "New Message", then select "Appt. Confirmation+".
Enter a clear name for your message template (avoid special characters).
Creating the SMS
Click "CREATE SMS".
Example SMS message:
"Hi {FIRSTNAME}, we look forward to seeing you at {NEXT_LOCATION} on {NEXT_START}. Please confirm your appointment by clicking the link below.
Clinic Name"
Select a dedicated sender number if available (this feature is only for clients who have purchased a dedicated SMS sender number for their clinic's entire SMS communication); otherwise, use the default sender.
Customizing the Confirmation Page
Upload your logo to match your branding.
Set your Header Main Line (e.g., your clinic’s name).
Optional: Add Header Text or additional messages.
Customize action buttons:
Confirm Button – rename if desired (e.g., "I Will Attend").
Refuse Button - renamed if desired (e.g., "Cancel My Appointment")
Call Clinic button (dials clinic number automatically).
Enter your email in "Send confirmation status to" to receive notifications.
Optional: Automatically send a patient form upon confirmation.
Setting Up Automation
Go to Automations
Click "New Automation" in Cliniq Apps.
Name your automation clearly, e.g., 4 Days Reminder (avoid special characters).
Select an Unsubscription Category (e.g., “A” for easy management).
Choose Appointment Reminder as the automation type.
Select Recurring Automation
Click Continue.
Select Patients with Appointments
Select either a specific clinic location or All Locations.
Click the green AND button, then select Their Appointment.
Keep the "More Than" condition.
Change the unit from minutes to days.
Set it to 3 days.
Change First Appointment to Next Appointment.
Click the white AND button and choose Appointment Date.
Set conditions for appointments between 3 and 4 days in the future.
Sending the Email Message
Click Then → Communicate with my patient or my team.
Select Communicate with patient.
Choose Send Appointment Confirmation+ the communication you created in Step 1.
Set a delay of 1 hour after the patient enters the automation.
Click Apply Changes.
Click Save Automation.
Activating the Automation
Click the Play (▶️) button to activate.
Implementing automated appointment confirmations through Cliniq Apps helps reduce cancellations and no-shows, optimizes scheduling, enhances patient engagement, and streamlines your administrative tasks, allowing more time to focus on patient care.
Need Assistance?
If you have any questions or require further support with Cliniq Apps, please chat with us via the Cliniq Apps messenger or email us at support@cliniqapps.com.
Enjoy growing your practice with Cliniq Apps! 🚀
