Let's review the Inbound Message Triggers that Artera customers use most often and how to build them.

What are Inbound Message Triggers?

Inbound Message Triggers are fired automatically based on patients messaging in specific keywords or phrases, through text message or email.  

Inbound Message Triggers can be configured to send text or email responses back to patients and or to complete certain actions. For example, If the patient texts in "wrong number", you can automatically send a text message back with instructions on unsubscribing. You can also create another Trigger with the same parameters to automatically mention a user asking them to review the patient's contact details. Some other examples include:

1. Confirm Appointment: Automatically confirm an appointment if a patient replies to an appointment reminder with "I'll be there" instead of the standard "Y" or "Yes."
2. Instant FAQ: Save time by configuring Inbound Message Triggers for common queries; if a patient asks, "What is the address?", the system can instantly reply with their appointment location.
3. Internal Mentions: Direct specific inquiries to the right team. For example, any message containing "billing" can automatically tag your finance department for review.

Inbound Message Language and Timing

The following Trigger configurations are guidelines. Depending on how your organization is structured and how you have chosen to manage patient messages, these Triggers may need to be adjusted. Over time, you may also find your patient population uses specific keywords that you would like to add to these Inbound Message Triggers or use to create new ones. 

Sample Configuration

Appointment Confirmation - Alternate Language

Trigger Configuration

• Trigger Name: Appointment Confirmation - Alternate Language
• Trigger Module: Respond to Confirmation Message
• What Phone Lines Should use this Trigger: Choose the lines that will use this Trigger.
• What Keywords or Phrases Should Trigger this Conversation?
  • Parameters: Contains and text length is Less than or equal to 30
  • English
    • I'll be there, got it, sounds good, Yep, Okay, OK, see you then, perfect, well, thanks, thank you, alright, sure, see you there, of course, I can make it
• What Action Would you like to Trigger? 
  Confirm Appointment

Appointment Confirmation - Close Channel

Trigger Configuration

• Trigger Name: Appointment Confirmation - Close Channel
• Trigger Module: Respond to Confirmation Message
• What Phone Lines Should use this Trigger: Choose the lines that will use this Trigger.
• What Keywords or Phrases Should Trigger this Conversation?
  • Parameters: Contains and text length is Less than or equal to 30
  • English
    • I'll be there, got it, sounds good, Yep, Okay, OK, see you then, perfect, well, thanks, thank you, alright, sure, see you there, of course, I can make it
• What Action Would you like to Trigger? 
  Close Channel

Any Inbound Message from Patient - Close Channel 
(One-Way Messaging only)

Trigger Configuration

• Trigger Name: Any Inbound Message - Close Channel

• Trigger Module: Respond to any Message
• What Phone Lines Should use this Trigger: Choose the lines that will use this Trigger
• What Keywords or Phrases Should Trigger this Conversation?
  • Select Continue. Do not add any criteria. This ensures that the Trigger will take action based on any message sent by a patient, including media such as images, emojis, mp4, or m4a messages.

• What Action Would you like to Trigger? 

Close Channel

Appointment FAQs - Patient Response

Trigger Configuration

• Trigger Name: Appointment FAQs - Patient Response
• Trigger Module: Respond to any Message
• What Phone Lines Should use this Trigger: Choose the lines that will use this Trigger
• What Keywords or Phrases Should Trigger this Conversation?
  • Parameters: Contains and text length is Less than or equal to 30
  • What time is my appointment? Where is my appointment? When is my appointment? When, where, Who is my doctor? What time again? Remind me where? Remind me when?
• What Action Would you like to Trigger?
  Send Response to Patient
• Hours to Send
  Always
• Response to Patient:
  !!{clientFirstNameProperCase}, {eventProviderName} is looking forward to seeing you at {eventDateAtTimeShort} at {eventLocationAddress}.

Appointment FAQs - Close Channel

Trigger Configuration

• Trigger Name: Appointment FAQs - Close Channel
• Trigger Module: Respond to any Message
• What Phone Lines Should use this Trigger: Respond to any Message
• What Keywords or Phrases Should Trigger this Conversation?
  • Parameters: Contains and text length is Less than or equal to 30
  • What time is my appointment? Where is my appointment? When is my appointment? When, where, Who is my doctor? What time again? Remind me where? Remind me when?
• What Action Would you like to Trigger?
  Close Channel
  
  

Billing Inquiry - Patient Response

Trigger Configuration

• Trigger Name: Billing Inquiry - Patient Response
• Trigger Module: Respond to any Message
• What Phone Lines Should use this Trigger: Choose the lines that will use this Trigger
• What Keywords or Phrases Should Trigger this Conversation?
  • Parameters: Contains and text length is Less than or equal to 30
  • co-pay, co-payment, bill, billing, statement, payment
• What Action Would you like to Trigger?
  Close Channel Send Response
• Hours to Send
  Business Hours Only
• Response to Patient:
  • English
    !!Hi {clientFirstNameProperCase}, Thanks for reaching out. A member of our Billing Team will get back to you shortly.

Billing Inquiry - Internal Mention

Trigger Configuration

• Trigger Name: Billing Inquiry - Internal Mention
• Trigger Module: Respond to any Message
• What Phone Lines Should use this Trigger: Choose the lines that will use this Trigger
• What Keywords or Phrases Should Trigger this Conversation?
  • Parameters: Contains and text length is Less than or equal to 30
  • co-pay, co-payment, bill, billing, statement, payment
• What Action Would you like to Trigger?
  Create Mention
• Internal Mention:
  [@ Group or User] Please respond to this patient's billing question.

Directions Inquiry - Patient Response

Trigger Configuration

• Trigger Name: Directions Inquiry - Patient Response
• Trigger Module: Respond to any Message
• What Phone Lines Should use this Trigger: Choose the lines that will use this Trigger
• What Keywords or Phrases Should Trigger this Conversation?
  • Parameters: Contains and text length is Less than or equal to 30
  • Address, Located, Location, Directions, Map
• What Action Would you like to Trigger?
  Send Response to Patient
• Hours to Send
  Always
• Response to Patient:
  • English
    !!Hi {clientFirstNameProperCase}, we're located at {eventLocationAddress}. Click here for directions: {eventMapLink} please text with questions.

Directions Inquiry - Close Channel

Trigger Configuration

• Trigger Name: Directions Inquiry - Close Channel
• Trigger Module: Respond to any Message
• What Phone Lines Should use this Trigger: Choose the lines that will use this Trigger
• What Keywords or Phrases Should Trigger this Conversation?
  • Parameters: Contains and text length is Less than or equal to 30
  • Address, Located, Location, Directions, Map
• What Action Would you like to Trigger?
  Close Channel

Spam - Close Channel

Trigger Configuration

• Trigger Name: Spam - Close Channel
• Trigger Module: Respond to any Message
• What Phone Lines Should use this Trigger: Choose the lines that will use this Trigger
• What Keywords or Phrases Should Trigger this Conversation?
  • Parameters: Contains and text length is Less than or equal to 30
  • Taxi, Deal, Promotion, Special, One-Time Offer, Offer, Sale
• Action 
  Close Channel

Virtual Waiting Room - Internal Mention

Trigger Configuration

• Trigger Name: Virtual Waiting Room - Internal Mention
• Trigger Module: Respond to any Message
• What Phone Lines Should use this Trigger: Choose the lines that will use this Trigger
• When do you want this Automation to trigger an action?
  Based on Keywords in Any Message Received from a Patient
• What Keywords or Phrases Should Trigger this Conversation?
  • Parameters: Contains and text length is Less than or equal to 30
  • arrived, arrive, arrives, llegado
• Action 
  Create Mention
• Internal Mention:
  [@ Group or User] Patient has arrived.

Virtual Waiting Room - Patient Response

Trigger Configuration

• Trigger Name: Virtual Waiting Room - Patient Response
• Trigger Module: Respond to any Message
• What Phone Lines Should use this Trigger: Choose the lines that will use this Trigger
• What Keywords or Phrases Should Trigger this Conversation?
  • Parameters: Contains and text length is Less than or equal to 30
  • arrived, arrive, arrives, llegado
• Action 
  Send Response to Patient
• Hours to Send
  Business Hours Only
• Response to Patient:
  • English
    !!Hi {clientFirstNameProperCase}, thanks for letting us know you've arrived. We will be with you shortly.

Who is This - Patient Response

Trigger Configuration

• Trigger Name: Who is This - Patient Response
• Trigger Module: Respond to any Message
• What Phone Lines Should use this Trigger: Choose the lines that will use this Trigger
• What Keywords or Phrases Should Trigger this Conversation?
  • Parameters: Contains and text length is Less than or equal to 30
  • Who is this? Who? Who are you?
• Action 
  Send Response to Patient
• Hours to Send
  Always
• What should the message say?
  • !!This is {eventLocationName} reaching out to you regarding an upcoming appointment. {eventConfirmText}

Who is This - Close Channel

Trigger Configuration

• Trigger Name: Who is This - Close Channel
• Trigger Module: Respond to any Message
• What Phone Lines Should use this Trigger: Choose the lines that will use this Trigger
• What Keywords or Phrases Should Trigger this Conversation?
  • Parameters: Contains and text length is Less than or equal to 30
  • Who is this? Who? Who are you?
• Action 
  Close Channel

Wrong Number - Patient Response

Trigger Configuration

• Trigger Name: Wrong Number - Patient Response
• Trigger Module: Respond to any Message
• What Phone Lines Should use this Trigger: Choose the lines that will use this Trigger
• What Keywords or Phrases Should Trigger this Conversation?
  • Parameters: Contains and text length is Less than or equal to 30
  • Wrong number, I'm not, wrong person, incorrect number, wrong phone, you have the wrong person, nope, not me, change my number
• Action 
  Send Response to Patient
• Hours to Send
  Always
• Response to Patient:
  • !!Thank you for letting us know. We will update our records. If you want to unsubscribe, reply STOP or UNSUBSCRIBE to this message.
    
    

Wrong Number - Internal Mention

Trigger Configuration

• Trigger Name: Wrong Number - Internal Mention
• Trigger Module: Respond to any Message
• What Phone Lines Should use this Trigger: Choose the lines that will use this Trigger
• What Keywords or Phrases Should Trigger this Conversation?
  • Parameters: Contains and text length is Less than or equal to 30
  • Wrong number, I'm not, wrong person, incorrect number, wrong phone, you have the wrong person, nope, not me, change my number
• Action 
  Create Mention
• Internal Mention:
  [@ Group or User] Patient has arrived.
  
  

Wrong Number - Close Channel

Trigger Configuration

• Trigger Name: Wrong Number - Close Channel
• Trigger Module: Respond to any Message
• What Phone Lines Should use this Trigger: Choose the lines that will use this Trigger
• What Keywords or Phrases Should Trigger this Conversation?
  • Parameters: Contains and text length is Less than or equal to 30
  • Wrong number, I'm not, wrong person, incorrect number, wrong phone, you have the wrong person, nope, not me, change my number, you wrong
• Action 
  Close Channel