7 Ways to Communicate with Patients Outside the Visit

How does your practice communicate with patients outside of their visit?

Not the simulated patient stuff from med school, we’re leaving that in the past (where it belongs). I mean the real, day-to-day question: outside of a scheduled visit, how does your office actually reach patients? And how do they reach you?

There’s a whole world of options out there, and if you’ve only ever known phone calls fielded by your admin, figuring out where to even start feels daunting. *looks in mirror*

(Numbered list incoming because that’s how we do things) here are 7 ways your practice can communicate with patients outside the visit.

Quick note: Every EHR/EMR uses different names. This list is based on function, not whatever your software vendor decided to call it.

Quick note 2.0: Keeping best practices in mind, here are some telehealth resources from the CMPA, AMA, HIPPA and NHS.

1. Notifications and Reminders

Your EMR/EHR can be set up to automatically send email or text reminders for upcoming appointments, new results, and more. Most systems let you customize what gets sent, when, and how often. You can even tailor the message body by appointment type. If you’re feeling fancy, include a link to a pre-visit questionnaire that feeds directly into your note templates. Starting the visit before you walk in the room – always a win.

2. Patient Messaging Through Your EMR/EHR

Think of this as a private, confidential messaging system built right into your records. Patients typically log in to an app or web portal to send and receive messages. Most systems let you choose between two-way messaging or one-way only (you message them, they can’t reply directly). Some also support patient-submitted photos: handy for wound checks, skin concerns, or anything where a quick look saves a visit.

3. Online Patient Booking

Fair warning: this one is controversial. There are a lot of strong feelings out there, and a full pros and cons post is coming with input from people who actually use it.

The basics: you set available blocks of time and define appointment types and durations. Patients book themselves in. Your office approves before anything is confirmed. Whether it’s right for your practice is a whole other conversation.

Personally I’m so, ahem, type A complete with daily schedule parameters for my admin I don’t think I could handle it.

4. Virtual Appointments

Post-pandemic, virtual visits aren’t going anywhere and EHR/EMR companies have definitely taken note. Many now offer built-in options for secure, private video visits directly through the system or a dedicated app. Some even record the interaction and incorporate AI to create a note based on your template.

5. Email

Good old email – not glamorous, but reliable. A separate, practice-dedicated email address (outside your EMR/EHR) can be a practical option, especially for patients who won’t download another app or navigate a patient portal.

Worth keeping in mind: it doesn’t auto-document in your chart, and two-way communication is harder to control. But for certain patient demographics (mine included), it can be the most accessible option.

6. Phone Calls

Older and reliable-er. Your office almost certainly has a phone number – but how calls are handled can look wildly different from one practice to the next.

Direct-to-voicemail, a phone directory, a dedicated admin who answers every call, there’s no single right answer. It really comes down to your setup, your team, and who your patients are. Figuring out the system that keeps patients and your admin happy is the key.

7. Hospital or Health Network Notifications

This one’s easy to overlook. Some hospitals or health networks send their own patient notifications about appointments – ones that don’t come from your office at all.

It’s worth knowing whether your patients are receiving those communications, and what’s actually in them. (Speaking from experience here…you could save yourself a lot of headaches.) Depending on what’s going out, it might change what you need to set up on your end.

One more thing: some of these functions may already be included in your EHR/EMR; others come at an extra cost. And you absolutely do not need to (probably shouldn’t?) use all of them or any of them if the right fit isn’t there yet.

What actually matters is figuring out which options work for your practice and your team. In my practice, patients who feel well-communicated with arrive to their visit happier and the visit is smoother. Patients who’ve felt confused or couldn’t get through? That comes up in the room. Every time.

That said, more communication channels aren’t necessarily better. Whatever you use needs to actually be effective and not a time suck for you or your admin.

I had a genuinely helpful conversation with my admin about which options would make her day better rather than harder. She is, after all, The Boss.

Before you go — two quick questions (another numbered list, you’re welcome):

1. Do you use a form of patient communication outside of in-person visits that isn’t on this list? Drop it in the comments.
2. Would a deeper breakdown — pros and cons for each option, from people who actually use them — be useful? Let me know and I’ll make it happen.