No-shows are a pain. They waste time, cost money, and frustrate staff. If you’re running a medical practice and using Eclinicalworks, you’ve probably wondered if there’s a reliable way to get patients to actually show up for their appointments. The good news: automating appointment reminders works, and Eclinicalworks has tools to help you do it. The bad news: it’s not always “set and forget.” This guide breaks down what actually works, what doesn’t, and how to get reminders humming along with less hassle.
Whether you’re an office manager, IT admin, or the doc who drew the short straw for “tech,” this is for you.
Why automate reminders in Eclinicalworks?
Let’s get the obvious out of the way: people forget doctor’s appointments. Phone calls help, but they eat up staff time. Automated reminders—texts, emails, phone calls, whatever—are proven to cut no-show rates. But “automation” only helps if it actually works for your patients and doesn’t create more headaches for your team.
Eclinicalworks (or “eCW” for short) offers several reminder features, but their options and integrations can be confusing. Here’s how to cut through the noise and make it work for you.
Step 1: Decide what kind of reminders you want to send
Before you click anything, figure out what your patients respond to.
- Text messages (SMS): Fast, most people read them. But you'll need valid cell phone numbers.
- Email: Great for longer info, but a lot gets ignored or lost in spam.
- Automated phone calls: Good for older patients or those without cell phones, but can feel impersonal or get ignored as “spam likely.”
- Multi-channel: The best bet for most clinics is to offer a mix (text + call, etc.) and let patients pick.
Tip: Ask your front desk to start collecting (or verifying) patient cell numbers and emails at every visit. Bad contact info is the #1 reason reminders fail.
Step 2: Understand your Eclinicalworks options
Eclinicalworks gives you a few ways to send out reminders, but it’s not always plug-and-play. Here’s what’s built-in and what might cost extra:
Built-in options
- Messenger: This is eCW’s basic automated reminder tool. It can send texts, calls, and emails. It’s included in most eCW setups, but you need to configure it.
- Patient Portal & Healow App: If your patients use the portal or the Healow app, they can get notifications there. Realistically, adoption is low unless you really push it.
Add-ons and third-party options
- Healow Open Access / Healow Reminder: More advanced reminder features, like customized texts, better reporting, and two-way texting (patients can reply to confirm or cancel).
- Third-party integrations: There are companies (like Solutionreach, Relatient, etc.) that can bolt on to eCW and offer more robust reminder features. These cost extra and require a bit more setup.
What to skip: Don’t bother with patient reminders via snail mail—slow, expensive, and almost always ignored.
Step 3: Set up Messenger (the built-in eCW reminder tool)
Messenger is where most clinics should start. It’s included, and it works well enough for most needs.
How to set up Messenger
- Get admin access. You’ll need permissions to tweak Messenger settings.
- Open Messenger:
- In eCW, go to the “Messenger” module. If you don’t see it, ask your eCW admin to enable it.
- Configure your reminder types:
- Choose which reminders to send (text, call, email).
- Set how many days before the appointment you want to send them. Most practices use 1–2 days out.
- Edit the message templates. Keep it simple and clear—patients don’t need a wall of text.
- Map your appointment types:
- Make sure Messenger is sending reminders for the right visit types. Some clinics skip reminders for certain appointments (like labs or nurse visits).
- Test the workflow:
- Add a test patient with your own contact info. Schedule a fake appointment and make sure the reminders actually show up.
- Go live:
- Once you’re happy with the test, activate reminders for all patients.
Pro tip: Don’t just “set and forget.” Check reports in Messenger after a week—make sure reminders are going out, and look for errors (like “invalid number”).
Step 4: Clean up your patient contact data
Here’s where most clinics drop the ball. If your patient contact info is outdated, reminders won’t land. This is the boring part, but it matters.
- Audit your contact fields: Make sure cell numbers are in the right field (not just “home phone”).
- Train your front desk: Every patient, every visit—confirm their cell and email.
- Run reports: In eCW, you can pull up lists of patients missing phone or email. Fix those gaps.
Don’t ignore: Patients who don’t want electronic reminders (they exist, and that’s fine). Just document their preference.
Step 5: Communicate with patients
If you start blasting out automated reminders without warning, some patients will get annoyed or confused. Take a minute to tell them what to expect.
- Let them know: Post a sign, add a note to your voicemail, or mention it during check-in.
- Privacy: Remind patients that texts may not be totally private. (HIPAA rules are a thing, even for reminders.)
- Opt-outs: Give patients a way to decline reminders if they want.
Step 6: Monitor, tweak, and improve
No system runs itself perfectly. After you launch reminders, check in regularly.
- Monitor no-show rates: Did they drop? By how much?
- Check delivery reports: In Messenger or your third-party tool, see which reminders failed and why.
- Ask your staff: Are patients calling with questions, confused by messages, or annoyed by too many reminders?
- Adjust timing: Sometimes reminders sent too early or too late don’t help. Most clinics find that a reminder 24–48 hours before the appointment is the sweet spot.
What doesn’t work: Nagging patients with multiple reminders for the same appointment. More isn’t always better—one or two is plenty.
Step 7 (optional): Consider advanced tools if you need more
Some clinics want bells and whistles—like two-way texting (“Reply 1 to confirm, 2 to cancel”), appointment rescheduling, or deep reporting. Messenger can’t do all of that.
- Healow add-ons: These expand what eCW can do, but cost extra and take more setup.
- Third-party platforms: Tools like Solutionreach or Relatient can plug into eCW and offer more features—at a price. They’re worth it if your no-show problem is severe and you need reports, custom messages, or marketing tools.
- Integration headaches: Be warned—these integrations can break, and you’ll be stuck calling support. Start simple before you spend big.
What actually works (and what doesn’t)
What works:
- Automated reminders, especially text messages, reliably cut no-shows if your contact data is good.
- Letting patients pick their reminder type helps.
- Keeping messages short and clear (“You have an appointment with Dr. Smith on Tuesday at 2 p.m.”).
What doesn’t:
- Relying on outdated phone and email info.
- Sending reminders too far in advance (people forget anyway).
- Overwhelming patients with too many messages.
What to ignore:
- Overpromised “AI” or “smart” reminder features—most patients just need a simple nudge.
- Marketing hype about “engagement.” Focus on reminders that actually get people in the door.
Keep it simple and keep checking
Automated reminders in Eclinicalworks can absolutely help cut down no-shows, but you don’t need to overthink it. Start with Messenger, make sure your patient data is clean, and don’t be shy about tweaking things as you go. Watch the numbers, listen to your staff, and don’t be afraid to change course if something’s not working.
You don’t need to chase every new feature. Get the basics right, keep your process simple, and remind yourself: the best automation is the one your patients and team barely notice—because it just works.