Set up follow-up types and templates

Clinic admins decide which appointments need a follow-up and what the message says. Everything is in Clinic Settings → Follow Ups. houndkit adds a starter set of types and templates the first time the tool is opened, so you can adjust those rather than start from scratch.

Write message templates

1. Go to the Templates tab and click Add template.
2. Give it a Name, such as "Dental follow-up."
3. Write the Message. Click a placeholder under the box to drop it in where your cursor is. A preview shows how it will read.
4. Optionally open Several pets version to write the wording used when one text covers two or more pets in a household.
5. Click Add template.

To change one, click it, edit, and click Save template. Delete removes it.

The placeholders are {client first name}, {client last name}, {patient name}, {patient names}, {staff name}, {appointment date}, {appointment time}, {visit type}, {review link}, {records link}, {booking link}, {user} (the person copying the message), {clinic name}, {clinic phone} and {clinic email}. Staff can still edit each message before they copy it.

The same tab has Quick replies: short phrases, one per line, that the team can drop into any message with one tap. They save when you click away.

Set up follow-up types

A follow-up type says which appointments need a message. Each row of an uploaded report is checked against every active type.

1. Go to the Follow-up types tab and click Add follow-up type, or click an existing one to edit it.
2. Give it a Name, such as "Surgery callbacks."
3. Choose its Message template. Pick the No text team reminder option for a to-do with no client text. You can also pick a Repeat message for households that already have two or more of these on file.
4. Under Which visits get it, set which appointments it matches (see the options below). A line under the options shows how many recent visits on the board would get it.
5. Open When it’s due and how often to set when it's Due and How often it goes out: Every time it matches, Once per patient or Once per client.
6. Open Records and tick Offers a records request if staff should be able to ask the client for records from this follow-up.
7. Click Add follow-up type, or Save type when editing.

Other options on a type:

• Patient: limit it by species, age, spayed/neutered or microchip. Spayed/neutered and microchip need the Visits report in the same upload.
• Close reasons: quick buttons that close the follow-up and say why. They replace the plain Not needed button.
• Look: an Icon and Color.
• Duplicate copies a type, and Delete removes it.

Matching options

• Appointment status, Visit type and Staff: choose Any, except or Only these, then pick values. + Other (for example, + Other status) adds a value typed the way the report writes it.
• Appointment timing: Any time, Past visits (before today) or Upcoming (today or later). Rows without a date only match Any time.

Use the switch on a type's row to turn it off. Uploads then ignore it without deleting it.

To add houndkit's common follow-ups you don't have yet, open Add common follow-ups from houndkit below the list and click Add next to one.

Combo texts

On the Combo texts tab, click Add combo to join follow-ups that often land together, like a callback and a review request. Give it a Name, pick a Message template, choose two or more types under Applies when all of these are open, and click Add combo. When a patient has all of them open, staff get one combined message.

Related

• Follow Ups report setup and data