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Automated Text Message Appointment Reminders for Research Participants [Video Guide]

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Missed appointments are one of the most common — and costly — problems in clinical research. Mosio's automated text message appointment reminders help research teams reduce no-shows by sending participants timely SMS reminders with built-in confirmation and rescheduling options. In this 2-minute video, learn how to batch upload appointment reminders via CSV, customize confirmation messages, and use Form Field technology to personalize each reminder with participant-specific details like visit date, time, and location.

VIDEO – How to Batch Upload Text Message Appointment Reminders via CSV File (Video = 2 Minutes)

 

  • Ensure participants show up for their visits through text message appointment reminders.
  • The system asks for a confirmation that the participant plans on attending (via Y/Yes or N/No response).
  • When a participant responds Y/Yes, they are sent a customizable message with information about the Site/Clinic.
  • When a participant responds N/No, they are sent a different customizable message (a call to action to reschedule).
    • The Mosio system also sends an email notification to study staff to let them know so they can reschedule the appointment quickly and ensure they make their visit window.
  • Mosio’s Form Field technology enables you to inject custom information into the appointment message such as names, study details, etc.




Appointment Reminders

 

Selecting Appointments from the top navigation menu takes you to an overview of your scheduled appointment reminders. 

Reminders can be scheduled either individually or as a batch via CSV upload.

CSV Upload

Select Schedule Reminders from the overview page. 

App1.png

Fig 1: Appointment reminder overview

 

CSV File should contain the following columns, with a header row (specified in bold):

 

Firstname

Date - Date of Appointment. Ex: 8/22/2013

Time - Time of Appointment. Ex: 10:15, 15:30

Phone - Phone number

Participant Id - Participant Id

appt2.png

Fig 2: Sample csv

Choose when you want the reminders to be sent and specify a time.

app3.png

Fig 3: Schedule Appointments; csv upload


The default Reminder Message was confirmed during onboarding, but can be edited for each batch upload if required. If you would like to make a global change to the default message, please contact Mosio support.

The Confirmation Text is the message sent when participants respond Y to the reminder message, confirming the appointment. Select either the default Y response or enter a new custom Y response to be sent to the batch.

Choose File to upload CSV and Schedule Appointments.



Individual Appointment Reminders 


Select Single Appointment Scheduler from the overview page

app4.png

Fig 4: Schedule Appointments; individual

 

Enter participant details in the allocated fields to schedule the individual reminder

If the participant is already in the contact list, enter the participant ID and select the search icon, and the phone number will auto populate.

Select the appointment date and the appointment time. 

The Reminder Message is the default message which was confirmed during onboarding and can be edited for each scheduled reminder if necessary. The name, date and time will be added automatically.

Select Schedule and the details will appear in the overview list.

 

Send Time is the date and time that the reminder is scheduled to go out. The default is 1 day before the appointment at 8am local time.

 

Status shows as:

  • Upcoming when the reminder has been scheduled. 
  • Reminder Sent when the reminder has gone out. 
  • Follow up Reminder Sent when no response has been received from the participant and the 6 hour follow up message has been sent.
  • Confirmed when participant responds Y.
  • Canceled when participant responds N and notification sent to the admin email.

Status Date is the date of the latest status of this participant’s appointment reminder.

 

Edit Appointment Reminders

 

The Send Time, Message and Y Response can be amended before the reminder is sent, simply click on the field to make the change and save.

app5.png

Fig 5: Edit appointment reminder





Frequently Asked Questions

Q: How do automated appointment reminders work for research studies?

A: Mosio sends text message reminders to participants before their scheduled appointments. Participants can confirm attendance by replying Y/Yes or indicate they cannot attend by replying N/No. The system then sends a customizable follow-up message based on their response and notifies study staff via email.

Q: Can I upload appointment reminders in bulk?

A: Yes. Mosio supports batch uploading appointment reminders using a CSV file, making it easy to schedule reminders for large numbers of participants at once.

Q: Can I customize the content of appointment reminder messages?

A: Yes. Mosio's Form Field technology lets you inject custom information into each appointment message — such as participant name, appointment date, time, and site or clinic location — so every reminder is personalized.

Q: What happens when a participant says they can't make their appointment?

A: When a participant replies N/No, they receive a customizable message encouraging them to reschedule. Study staff also receive an email notification so they can follow up quickly and ensure the participant stays within their visit window.

Ready to reduce no-shows and improve participant retention with automated text reminders? Visit our plans page to learn more or join our virtual office hours to see a live demo.

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