No-shows are not a patient problem. They're a system problem. The fix is a reminder cadence that respects attention without nagging.
The pattern that holds up across hundreds of practices:
The cadence
| When | Channel | What it says | |---|---|---| | Immediately after booking | Email | Confirmation + what to bring + reschedule link | | 24h before | Email | Reminder + intake form (if not done) | | 1h before | SMS | Friendly reminder + clinic address | | 10 min before | SMS | "Starting in 10 — see you soon" | | 24h after no-show | SMS | One-tap reschedule link |
The 10-minute SMS is the one that does the heaviest lifting — it doubles attendance for borderline-attendees.
Building it
Workflows → Create Workflow → Trigger: Appointment Booked → Add the steps above with appropriate delays.
A full copy library lives in `docs/EMAIL_SMS_WORKFLOWS.md` and is available to admins for editing. Members get the same copy pre-populated when their first calendar is created.
Full guide in progress — last updated 2026-04-28. Hit the thumbs-down below if there's something specific you need covered first.