FAQ: Broadcast

Frequently Asked Questions for Updox Broadcast Messaging

Broadcast is a great way to communicate with your patients.  You can send Broadcast messages to all of your patients or only to a segmented group you have created.  

This article will go over some of the frequently asked questions related to Broadcast. For more information see our other articles on Broadcast here. 

It is important to note that each time you send a Broadcast message by email, text, or phone call, you will need to confirm that your Broadcast message complies with the statement below. 

Broadcast Text Warning Notification:

I confirm this message complies with HIPAA and the Federal Communication Commission (FCC) Telephone Consumer Protection Act (TCPA) regulations regarding telemarketing via robocalls and/or text messages.

I understand that I cannot use Updox Broadcast to send targeted marketing or promotional messages. Failure to observe this policy is in violation of my Master Service Agreement and may result in Updox suspending or disabling access to Broadcast.

** This was added to comply with new restrictions put in place by carriers that process and receive these messages.

Other FAQs and How-To’s

1. When will my Broadcast be sent?

Broadcast messages are queued and then sent. 

• Recurring messages start sending at 9 am. 
• If a Broadcast is scheduled for the same day it will queue and send as quickly as possible.

2. I cannot schedule or send my broadcasts

You may be navigating to Menu - Admin - Broadcast Configuration. This is a great place to go if you need to edit lists or templates for broadcasts. If you want to create a broadcast with a recurring interval, go to Menu - Home - Broadcast. 

3. Recurring Broadcast

• You must send the initial broadcast message to start a scheduled broadcast. Select Yes from the Set to Repeat drop-down before sending.
  * Setting Broadcasts to repeat will cause the same Broadcasts List and Message to be retained and sent at the assigned interval. Repeating Broadcasts will be sent out at 9:00 AM. Weekly Broadcasts will be sent on the same day of the week as the initial Broadcast. Monthly Broadcasts will be sent on the same day of the month.
• How to view or stop existing scheduled Broadcast
• Navigate to Menu - Admin - Broadcast Configuration. You can see the name of the broadcast and the date created, but do not have the ability to edit. If you need to stop a scheduled broadcast, you may click the X to permanently delete it.

4. My patient does not want broadcast messages anymore. How can they opt out of them?

A Patient can reply STOP to a broadcast they received. Once the STOP is received, they will no longer see these messages.

5.My Patient opted out of the broadcast and didn’t mean to or wants to opt back in.

To opt back in they just need to reply with START 

6. What if I want to send a Broadcast to only specific people?

Create custom patient lists for broadcasting (Menu - Admin - Broadcast Configuration).

7. Can Broadcast list be removed from (Menu - Admin - Broadcast Configuration - Lists)? 

No they can be deactivated or renamed but not removed

8. What if my patients do not want to receive a certain type of message (Text, phone, email) ?

• Marking the patient’s preferred reminder method as “No Reminders” (or something that isn’t text messaging). 
• When scheduling broadcasts, make sure to respect the patient’s preferred communication method. Updox would only send broadcast messages to patients that have a matching preferred communication method. For example, if their preferred communication method is home phone, they wouldn’t receive a text broadcast *This would affect other patients and Updox Reminders.

9. What information do Broadcast SMS messages contain?

• Broadcast text messages are sent to the recipient via a link.  The message is "Hello [First Name], you have a new message from [HIPAA-compliant Practice Name] at weblink". 
• Patients can interact with the link to access the Broadcast message.  
• The link will expire after 5 days.  

If your practice has its HIPAA-compliant Practice Name set in the Practice Settings of the Admin tab in the Updox Inbox, that will be the practice name the recipient sees in the messages they receive from your practice. If not, they will see your standard practice name. To set your HIPAA-safe name, in the Updox Inbox click on the Menu > Admin > Practice Settings scroll down to the checkbox next to Enable HIPAA-compliant Practice Name and click the checkbox. You can then enter your HIPAA-compliant practice name.