DiaryPage
Why this matters
DiaryPage gives a client their appointment letter, the details they need on the day and any documents that go with the appointment, all from one link on their phone. That replaces paper and postage, and the client doesn’t have to create an account or remember a password.
What DiaryPage is
A DiaryPage is a web page for one client, reached from a link in a text message. Each link has a single purpose, such as showing an appointment or asking about a place on a waiting list.
The client doesn’t register, sign in or set a password. They are identified because the link was sent to a mobile number already held on their client record. DiaryPage is not a patient portal: there is nothing to enrol in and no login to forget or reset.
Messages and pages go out under your service’s own name. A registered alphanumeric sender ID is paired with a matching web domain:
- HSE services use HSEBOOK.
- Other services get a custom website hosted by Diarybook and reached through a domain that you own. Clients see your name in the text message and in the address of the page they open.
Before you start
- A DiaryPage subscription on your account.
- An approved alphanumeric sender ID. See Sender IDs.
- The DiaryPage merge field for your account. It produces the link in the text message, it is specific to your account, and your account manager supplies it.
The appointment details page
The appointment details page shows the client their appointment and everything that goes with it. The client can also confirm or cancel the appointment from the page. Most of what the client sees is text you have already written for clients elsewhere in Diarybook, so it is worth reviewing those fields before you start sending links.
| What the client sees | Where it comes from |
|---|---|
| The name of the appointment | Public Name on the appointment type |
| Where to go on arrival, for example Room 301 on third floor | Public Field on the resource booked with the appointment |
| Where to wait | Public Field on the waiting room |
| Leaflets, preparation instructions and other general documents | Documents on the appointment type |
| The appointment letter | Generated by Letter By SMS and saved to the appointment |
Sending the appointment letter with Letter By SMS
Letter By SMS is part of a reminder setting’s Additional Messaging. It generates the appointment letter from your Word template and saves it to the appointment. The client then gets a text message whose wording includes the DiaryPage merge field. That merge field becomes the link to their page.
- Open Settings → Reminder Settings and select the reminder setting the appointments use.
- Select Additional Messaging and set up the Letter By SMS schedule item.
- Write the SMS notification text and include your account’s DiaryPage merge field in it.
Letter reminders covers the letter template, and Additional Messaging covers the schedule item.
Confirming and cancelling
A client who confirms or cancels on the page changes the appointment’s confirmation status, just as a reply to an SMS reminder does:
| The client selects | Confirmation status set |
|---|---|
| Confirm | Confirmed |
| Cancel | Unable To Attend |
The change is recorded in the appointment’s Log. A cancellation made days ahead gives you time to offer the slot to someone else.
A cancellation from DiaryPage appears as Unable To Attend, not Cancelled By Client, so it counts in the UTA column of the attendance reports.
The waiting list page
The waiting list page asks a client on a waiting list whether they still need their place. The client can confirm they still need the appointment, tell you their circumstances have changed, or ask to be removed. Their answer is recorded against their waiting list entry.
Send the link from the waiting list. Select the entries, then choose Waiting List Menu → Send SMS. Sending this way also updates the entry’s Last Contacted date. See Client Validation for how to plan a validation cycle and act on the responses.
A response never changes the entry’s status on its own. Someone on your team reviews it and makes any change, such as moving the entry to Removed with the reason Patient Request.
Custom feedback forms
The questions on the waiting list page can be tailored to your service. If you need more than the standard responses, your account manager can arrange a custom feedback form, for example to ask about the client’s availability or preferred contact method. Responses to a custom form are recorded against the waiting list entry in the same way.
What to watch for
The client didn’t receive a link DiaryPage links go by text message, so the client needs a mobile number on their record, and the number must not be on your Stop List (see Consent and Opt-Outs). For Letter By SMS, also check that the sender ID is approved and that the notification text includes the DiaryPage merge field.
Part of the appointment details page is blank The page only shows what has been filled in. Add a Public Name to the appointment type and a Public Field to the resource and waiting room.
Appointment type documents are seen by every client with that type Documents on an appointment type are general, not client-specific. Everyone booked with that type can see them. Never upload a document there that belongs to one client.