The message composer at the bottom of every conversation is where your team communicates with patients and with each other. From one place, you can send texts, use templates, get an AI-suggested reply, translate messages, leave internal notes for your team, and send forms, payment requests, and review requests.
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Start a new conversation
Use New Message for proactive outreach, such as following up after a visit or reminding patients about an upcoming appointment.
Open the Communication Center by selecting the SMS icon in the floating navigation bar.
Select New Message at the top of the panel.
Choose the patient you want to message.
Type your message, or use a template.
Select Send.
Reply to a conversation
Select the conversation from the list on the left.
Review the message history to get full context.
Make sure SMS is selected above the composer (you'll see "SMS Mode is active" when you hover over it).
Type your reply in the box that says "Type message or use a template."
Select Send.
Keep replies clear and friendly, and include any next steps the patient needs to take.
Each message in the thread shows the date and time it was sent, so you can easily track when a patient wrote in and how quickly your team responded. The thread also shows each message's delivery status, for example, if a message was Undelivered.
Use a template
Templates save time on messages you send often and keep your practice's communication consistent.
In the composer, select Use a template.
Choose the template you want.
The template text is added to the composer, with details such as the patient's name filled in automatically.
Review the message, make any edits, and select Send.
Tip: If a detail can't be filled in automatically, it's highlighted in the message (for example, First Name Unavailable). Replace the placeholder in the template before you send so the patient receives a complete, personalized message.
Get a suggested reply
Suggest a Reply uses AI to draft a response based on the conversation, so you can respond quickly while staying in control of what you send.
Open the conversation you want to reply to.
Select Suggest a Reply above the composer.
Review the suggestion. Select Keep to use it, Retry to generate a different one, or Cancel to discard it.
Edit the reply if needed, then select Send.
Always read a suggested reply carefully before sending it. Nothing is sent to the patient until you select Send.
Translate a message
You can translate a message into another language before sending it, which helps you communicate clearly with patients who prefer a language other than English.
Type your message, or add a template or suggested reply.
Select Translate, which appears below the message text.
In the Translate To window, search for or select the language you need.
The composer replaces the message with the translated text. Review it, then select Send.
Add emojis and files
At the bottom right of the composer:
Select the smiley face icon to add an emoji.
Select the paperclip icon to upload and attach a file, such as a document or form.
Use Quick Actions
Quick Actions let you take common next steps directly from the conversation, without leaving the Communication Center. Select Quick Actions at the bottom left of the composer, then choose an action:
Quick Action | What it does |
Send Treatment Plan | Send the patient a treatment plan. |
Send General/Consent Form | Send the patient a form to complete, such as a consent form. |
Request Payment | Send the patient a payment request. |
Request Review | Ask the patient to leave a review of your practice. |
Hover over each icon to see its name before you select it.
Leave an internal note
Internal notes let your team share information inside a conversation without sending anything to the patient. Use them for handoffs, context, and follow-up reminders. For example: "Check insurance card at appointment."
Open the conversation.
Above the composer, switch from SMS to Internal Note. The composer turns purple and shows "Internal note — not visible to the patient."
Type your note in the box that says "Start typing a note."
Select Post. You'll see a confirmation that the note was sent successfully.
The note appears in the conversation in purple, along with the team member's name and the time. In the conversation list, the preview shows Note followed by the start of your note, so teammates can spot it at a glance.
When you're ready to text the patient again, switch back to SMS before typing.
Internal notes aren't visible to patients, aren't synced to your practice management system, and don't appear in the Patient Overview.
Link the right patient
It's important that each conversation is linked to the correct patient record. Linking lets you open the patient's overview from the conversation and use patient details in templates.
If the conversation isn't linked to a patient, select the person icon at the top of the conversation (Attach a patient to the conversation), or use Quick Actions > Attach Patient.
Search for and select the correct patient record.
Wrap up the conversation
When you're finished, a prompt above the composer asks "Have you finished with this patient?"
Select Replied to mark the conversation as replied.
Select Close to close the conversation if no further action is needed.
Recommended workflow
Open the conversation.
Confirm the correct patient is linked.
Review the message history.
Reply manually, with a template, or with a suggested reply. Translate if needed.
Use Quick Actions if the patient needs a form, payment request, or review request.
Leave an internal note if a teammate needs to follow up.
Mark the conversation as Replied, or Close it when nothing else is needed.