Arrivals is an automated messaging eService that directs patients on what to do upon arrival to the office. Custom Arrival messages are sent automatically to the patient before each appointment. The patient can reply to the text which will both update the appointment status in Open Dental and trigger another message with more instructions.

One common use case for Arrivals is to allow an office to more easily manage the number of patients physically in the office by automatically instructing patients to wait in their vehicle until notified or start the check-in process on their own device with the BYOD feature.

One-Time Setup

The following must be set prior to using Arrivals:

• Sign up for eConfirmations. See eServices Signup.
• Enable Arrival Messages. See Edit Rule.

Also see Automated Messaging.

Arrival Workflow

1. The Arrival message is sent to the patient automatically, using the rules set in the Edit Arrival Rule window.
   
2. The patient replies with the Arrival Code. (In this example, A.)
   
3. In Open Dental, the patient is marked as Arrived and placed in the Waiting Room.
   
4. The patient will be sent an automatic reply requesting they continue waiting in their vehicle.
   
   Optionally, eClipboard users can request the patient fill forms using BYOD. See BYOD: Workflow and BYOD: What Patient Sees. When enabled, a link will display to open eClipboard (as pictured above).


5. When the provider is ready for the patient, the office sends a Come In text message.
   • Right-click the appointment and select Send Come In Text.
   
   
6. The patient receives the message and can then enter the building for their appointment.