How to Write an Effective Appointment Reminder Message

Appointment reminders are essential tools for healthcare providers seeking to reduce no-shows and missed appointments significantly. In fact, according to a study on SMS reminders, effective text messages can reduce no-shows by as much as 38%!

In this article, we will outline what you can include in these reminders, give you a bunch of text message templates you can steal, and share our internal best practices.  

What should an appointment reminder message include?

To be effective, your appointment reminders must clearly communicate the essential details about the incoming visit. This is also a great opprtunity to remind them what documentation to bring or how to prepare for the appointment.

Core components of a good medical appointment reminder:

• Patient’s name: Using the patient’s first name immediately personalizes the interaction, making the message more engaging and less likely to be ignored.
• Provider’s or clinic’s name: Clearly stating the provider or clinic’s name helps patients immediately recognize the source.
• Appointment date and time: Precise details on when the patient should arrive prevent confusion and scheduling mishaps.
• Location: Providing the exact address (or even a link to Google Maps) helps patients arrive at the right place.
• Type of appointment: Specifying the purpose (e.g., check-up, procedure, consultation) helps patients prepare adequately and manage their expectations effectively.
• Preparation instructions: Communicate any specific instructions (e.g., fasting, required paperwork) to ensure patients are ready and reduce potential delays.
• Rescheduling/cancellation information: Make it easy for patients to alter their appointments if needed, which reduces no-shows.
• Contact information: Always provide contact details — including phone, email, or a link — to address patient queries promptly.
• Opt-out language: For SMS reminders, provide a simple way for patients to unsubscribe, ensuring compliance with communication regulations.

Optional elements to include:

• Confirmation request: Include a call-to-action (e.g., “Reply YES to confirm”) to reinforce the appointment commitment.
• COVID-19/safety protocols: Inform patients of any required protocols to ensure safety and compliance.
• Portal links: Direct patients to online forms or pre-check-ins to streamline their visit experience.

Medical appointment reminder text message samples

Effective communication requires clear, concise, and adaptable templates. Below are some ready-to-use samples tailored for different healthcare settings.

*Be mindful of character limitations. The samples below are for ideal scenarios, but SMS messages always have certain character limits, depending on the providers. WhatsApp messages usually allow for more text and even some additional elements in the messages, but require the patients to have the app installed.

Dentist appointment message examples

Regular check-up:

Hi [Patient Name]! You have a quick check-up with Dr [Name] on [Date] at [Time]. Please brush but skip food/drink for 30 minutes beforehand. Reply C to confirm or call [Number] to reschedule.

Teeth cleaning appointment reminder: 

Hello [Patient Name] — your cleaning & whitening session is booked for [Date] [Time] at [Clinic Name]. Text YES to keep this slot or text MOVE to reschedule. 

Orthodontic appointment:

Reminder: braces adjustment with Dr [Name] on [Date] [Time]. Reply OK to confirm or call us at [This Number] if you need to potpone the visit. 

Doctor appointment reminder templates

Annual physical: 

Hi [Patient Name] — annual physical with Dr [Name] on [Date] [Time]. Fast 8 hours beforehand if labs are ordered, and bring a list of current medications + insurance card. Reply YES to confirm or call [Number] to reschedule.

Follow-up visit: 

Hello [Patient Name], your follow-up for bronchitis is scheduled for [Date] at [Time] at [Clinic Name]. Reply “C” to confirm or “R” to rebook.

Eye clinic appointment reminder templates

Annual eye exam: 

Hi [Patient Name]! Your annual eye exam with Dr [Name] is [Date] [Time]. Bring your glasses / current Rx. Dilating drops may blur vision — consider getting a driver. Map: [Link]. Reply YES to confirm. 

Contact lens follow-up: 

Reminder: contact-lens fitting check on [Date] [Time]. Text OK to keep or call [Number] to reschedule.

Pediatric practice appointment message templates

Vaccination reminder: 

Hi [Parent Name] — [Child Name] is due for an MMR booster on [Date] [Time] at [Clinic]. Bring their immunization card. Reply C to confirm or call to adjust.

Annual physical: 

Friendly reminder: [Child Name]’s annual well-child visit is [Date] [Time]. Reply YES to confirm or RESCH to rebook.

Dermatology clinic appointment reminder examples

Cosmetic dermatology: 

Hi [Patient Name]! Your Botox touch-up with Dr [Name] is [Date] [Time]. Please avoid caffeine & makeup 4 h before and strenuous exercise 24 h after. Reply CONFIRM or call [Number] to reschedule.

Skin check/mole screening: 

Reminder: full-body skin screening on [Date] [Time] at [Clinic Name]. Please skip lotions, makeup, and remove nail polish for a thorough exam. Reply YES to confirm or MOVE to change time. 

Best practices for writing appointment reminders

Below are proven, dare-we-say “field-tested” practices we’ve based on our internal data, which significantly boost reminder effectiveness, engagement, and patient satisfaction. Here’s a selection of the ones that are easily implemented.

1) Be clear and concise

Clarity and brevity are vital, especially for SMS. Messages overloaded with unnecessary details are less likely to engage patients. Avoid jargon and use simple, understandable language; focus on key appointment details.

Before: “You have an appointment scheduled on Thursday, October 12 at 10:00 am with Dr. Jones at Green Valley Clinic for a general check-up and blood tests.”

After: “Reminder: Appointment with Dr. Jones at Green Valley Clinic on Oct 12 at 10:00 am. Reply YES to confirm.”

2) Use the right tone

Maintain a professional yet friendly tone to foster trust and increase response rates. Keep tone consistent across SMS, email, and calls; avoid overly casual or excessively formal language.

3) Choose the right channel

Selecting an appropriate communication channel significantly impacts engagement:

• SMS: Immediate and highly effective for quick reminders
• Email: Best suited for very comprehensive details or instructions
• Phone calls: Personal interaction, valuable for sensitive or complex appointments
• Automated voice messages: Useful for reaching elderly or non-tech-savvy patients.

4) Timing matters

Strategically timing your reminders is crucial. From our experience, if you’re doing multiple reminders, the best time for the initial reminder is 5–7 days before the appointment, and the final reminder should get sent some time in the 24-hour window prior to the appointment.

Always consider appropriate sending times, avoiding late nights or early mornings. Our testing has shown that the best time to send during the day is after 5 PM.

5) Personalization increases engagement

Including personal details like the patient’s name, type of appointment, and provider’s name significantly increases patient interaction rates and attendance. But, to be honest, this is a standard that is rarely not met these days, so this is more a reminder than an instruction.

6) Include an easy rescheduling option

Make rescheduling simple and intuitive. Clearly state how patients can change or cancel appointments. Ideally, you will offer direct response options such as reply codes or clickable links, depending on the channel you choose.

7) Automate whenever possible

Automation enhances consistency, reduces errors, and boosts productivity. It can help you maintain personalized touches within automated messages and across channels, and it can help synchronize automated reminders directly with your scheduling software.

For example, Affidea (one of the largest healthcare providers in Europe) used InsiderCX platform’s automated reminders to save 1500 appointments and counting.

Automate appointment reminders with InsiderCX

Managing appointment reminders manually is time-consuming, resource-intensive, and prone to errors — problems that quickly escalate as your healthcare practice grows. 

InsiderCX is a patient experience platform that includes a sophisticated appointment management module that comes with:

• Robust automation features tailored specifically to healthcare needs
• Built-in personalization capabilities 
• The flexibility to schedule and send reminders automatically based on customizable time frames and patient preferences. 
• Automated sequencing, combined with intelligent rescheduling prompts
• Compliance with data privacy regulations for safeguarding sensitive patient information.

However, InsiderCX doesn’t just automate appointment reminders — it transforms them into an intelligent, strategic patient engagement tool.

By analyzing response patterns, cancellation rates, and confirmation statistics, clinics get a much better understanding of patient behavior. These insights help them continuously optimize scheduling processes, improve patient satisfaction, and reduce operational burdens.

Want to do this at your own clinic? Discover the full potential of InsiderCX by scheduling a quick product demo!