Scheduling & appointments · 3 min read · Beginner
How reminders and confirmations work
Amy sends a confirmation the moment an appointment is booked, then reminders in the days before the visit — and when a patient replies to confirm, move, or cancel, she handles it and keeps your schedule up to date.
Updated Jul 9, 2026
Reminders are how you keep chairs full. Amy sends a confirmation as soon as an appointment is booked, then follows up with reminders as the visit gets closer. When a patient writes back — to confirm, reschedule, or cancel — Amy reads the reply and acts on it, so your schedule stays honest without anyone at the front desk lifting a finger.
Tip
This all runs on its own. Once an appointment is on the books, the confirmation and reminders go out automatically by text and email. You only get involved if a patient needs something a person has to handle.
What Amy sends, and when
Every message is tied to a real appointment on your schedule. A typical visit gets:
- A booking confirmation right after the appointment is made, with the date, time, provider, and your address.
- One or more reminders in the days leading up to the visit — commonly a couple of days ahead and again the day before.
- A reply option in each reminder, so the patient can confirm they're coming, ask to move it, or cancel — just by texting back.
The exact timing and wording are set up for your practice during onboarding, so the cadence matches how you like to run your book. Your onboarding contact can fine-tune it anytime.
What happens when a patient replies
This is where reminders earn their keep. Amy doesn't just send a text and hope — she reads what comes back:
- They confirm → the appointment is marked confirmed and everyone moves on.
- They ask to reschedule → Amy finds a new time, moves the appointment, and frees the old slot. See Rescheduling and cancellations.
- They want to cancel → Amy cancels it, opens the slot back up, and can offer it to the waitlist.
- They ask a question → anything that needs a person lands in What needs to get done for your team.
Note
When a reply is unclear — a quick "can't make it" without a clear yes or no — Amy asks a simple follow-up like "Reply 1 to keep your appointment, 2 to cancel," and she keeps the appointment on the books unless the patient clearly cancels. She never guesses a cancellation.
Where you can see it all
Open any patient and look at their timeline. Every confirmation and reminder Amy sent shows up there, along with the patient's replies, so you always have a clear record of who's been reminded and who's confirmed. Confirmed appointments are also reflected right on your Today view and schedule.
Why this cuts no-shows
No-shows usually happen because a patient forgot or their plans changed and they didn't tell anyone. Reminders fix the first problem, and easy text replies fix the second — a patient who can cancel in two taps will tell you instead of just not showing up. That freed slot then goes to your waitlist, so a cancellation often turns into a filled chair the same day.
Frequently asked questions
Do reminders go out by text, email, or both? Both, depending on what contact details you have for the patient. Most reminders go by text because that's what patients actually read, with email as a backup.
Can a patient confirm just by replying to the text? Yes. A simple reply is all it takes. Amy reads it, updates the appointment, and sends back a short acknowledgment.
What if a patient replies "cancel" to a reminder? Amy cancels the appointment in your PMS, frees the slot, and — if you use the waitlist — offers that time to someone who's waiting. The details are in Rescheduling and cancellations.
Can I change when reminders are sent? Yes. Reminder timing and wording are configured for your practice. Ask your onboarding contact, submit a ticket from the Help Center, or email help@valiansystems.com and we'll adjust it.
Will patients get reminded for an appointment I booked by hand in my PMS? Yes, as long as your PMS is connected, Amy sees appointments on your schedule and reminds for them the same way — no matter who booked them.
Still need a hand?
Reach the Valian team any time at help@valiansystems.com, or open a ticket from the Help Center inside your dashboard. During onboarding, your onboarding contact is at onboarding@valiansystems.com.