What is the context?
Meddbase is a complex, multi-layered EMR system, capable of accommodating a wide variety of workflows and business models ranging from small practices, straightforward setup and only a couple of people using the application, through to global enterprises with thousands of users and nuanced workflows and business requirements.
Meddbase provides a high number of configuration options allowing the application to adapt to complex business scenarios, as well as a host of default settings that it can fall back on when complexity is minimal.
Meddbase can be and is used in Primary Care, Secondary Care as well as in Occupational Health.
What is the purpose of the article?
This article is the 4th in a series of articles providing overview and details of setup and configuration steps required for Practice Management, which focuses on the application of the Meddbase system in Primary and Secondary Care.
Click here for Part 1.
Click here for Part 2.
Click here for Part 3.1.
Click here for Part 3.2.
This article will explain the following configuration aspects:
Task Checker - Automated messages and introduction to Template Code
The Task Checker is a section of Meddbase that allows configuring and defining automated email and SMS messages that will be sent from the system automatically*.
*Every patient record in Meddbase contains a Personal Details section where Consent options can be set for that patient. Consent options dictate what type of contact the patients agrees to receive and the system respects these settings throughout. Messages of a given type will not be sent to a patient who hasn't agreed to receive them. More on this can be found here.
To access the Task Checker:
- From the Start Page click the Admin tile
- Click the Configuration tile
- On the left-hand side menu scroll down and click Task Checker.
You will be presented with a series of configuration options* for various types of automated messages and tasks.
*Remember to click Save to apply your settings.
Appointment Confirmation
Appointment confirmation messages can be sent to the email address stored against a patient's record when an appointment is booked, either in Meddbase or via the Patient Portal.
Reminder messages can also be sent to a designated email inbox and a task assigned to the attending doctor.
A confirmation message can include the date, time and location of the appointment, as well as any supported template code.
For example:
Dear {Patient.FirstName},
Your appointment has been booked for {Appointment.Date} at {Appointment.StartTime} with {Appointment.Doctor.Title} {Appointment.Doctor.Surname} at {Appointment.SiteAddressOneLine}. We will require a minimum of 24 hours cancellation notice for you to avoid a 50% charge.
Could appear as:
Dear Joe Bloggs,
Your appointment has been booked for 01 August 2019 at 10:00 with Dr Foster at 2-3 Eldon Street, London, EC2M 7LS. We will require a minimum of 24 hours cancellation notice for you to avoid a 50% charge.
Within the Appointment Confirmation section are the following settings:
| Checkbox/Setting/Field | Description |
| iCalendar > Attach ICal to emails (checkbox) | This checkbox when ticked attaches an .ics calendar invite to confirmation emails. |
| Patient > Email (checkbox) | This checkbox when ticked turns appointment confirmation emails on. |
| Patient > Email Message (field) |
This field allows defining the body of the appointment confirmation email. |
| Patient > SMS (checkbox) | This checkbox when ticked turns appointment confirmation SMS messages on. |
| Patient > SMS Message (field) | This field allows defining the body of the appointment confirmation SMS. |
| Admin > Email (checkbox) |
This checkbox when ticked turns admin appointment confirmation emails* on. *The appointment confirmation emails sill be sent to the 'Client' address set under Admin > Configuration > Email |
| Admin > Task (checkbox) | This checkbox when ticked creates a task for the attending doctor when an appointment is booked. |
| Admin > Message (field) | This field allows defining the body of the admin email. |
Appointment Reminder
Prior to the appointment start time, appointment reminder messages can be sent to the email address stored against a patient's record when an appointment is booked, either in Meddbase or via the Patient Portal.
Reminder messages can also be sent to a designated email inbox and tasks assigned to users in the Appointment Reminder Admin role group.
Within the Appointment Reminder section are the following settings:
| Checkbox/Setting/Field | Description |
| Schedule > Reminder days (field) | This field allows defining the no. of days (integer) before the appointment date the reminder will be sent. |
| Schedule > Time (field) | This field allows defining the time (as HH:MM) the appointment reminder will be sent. |
| Patient > Email (checkbox) |
This checkbox when ticked turns appointment reminder patient emails* on. |
| Patient > Email Message (field) | This field allows defining the body of the appointment reminder patient email. |
| Patient > SMS (checkbox) | This checkbox when ticked turns appointment reminder SMS messages on. |
| Patient > SMS Message (field) | This field allows defining the body of the appointment reminder SMS. |
| Admin > Email (checkbox) |
This checkbox when ticked turns appointment reminder admin emails* on. *The appointment reminder admin emails will be sent to the 'Client' address set under Admin > Configuration > Email |
| Admin > Task (checkbox) | This checkbox when ticked creates a task for the Appointment Reminder Admin role group. |
| Admin > Message (field) | This field allows defining the body of the appointment reminder admin email. |
Recall Reminder
When a Recall is created in Meddbase automated reminder messages and/or tasks can be sent/generated to patients and/or users at a specific moment in time before the recall due date.
Within the Recall Reminder section are the following settings:
| Checkbox/Setting/Field | Description |
| Schedule > Time (field) | This field allows defining the time (as HH:MM) the recall reminder will be sent. |
| Schedule > Default reminder time (field) | This field allows defining the no. of days (integer) before the recall due date, the reminder will be sent. |
| Admin > Email (checkbox) |
This checkbox when ticked turns admin recall reminder emails* on. *The recall reminder emails sill be sent to the 'Client' address set under Admin > Configuration > Email |
| Admin > Message (field) | This field allows defining the body of the recall reminder admin email. |
| Patient > Email (checkbox) |
This checkbox when ticked turns patient recall reminder emails on. |
| Patient > Message (field) | This field allows defining the body of the patient recall reminder email. |
| Patient > SMS (checkbox) | This checkbox when ticked turns patient recall reminder SMS messages on. |
| Patient > SMS Message (field) | This field allows defining the body of the patient recall reminder SMS. |
Service Reminder
When a Test, e.g. Blood Lipids, has an 'Expected turn-around time from starting the test to receiving the results (in days)', set under Admin > Service Management > Test, Meddbase can trigger automatic reminder tasks and/or messages to a designated inbox and users, if the Lab does not return the Pathology Result within that time.
Within the Service Reminder section are the following settings:
| Checkbox/Setting/Field | Description |
| Schedule > Time (field) | This field allows defining the time (as HH:MM) the service reminder will be sent. |
| Admin > Email (checkbox) | This checkbox when ticked turns admin service reminder emails* on. The email will be sent when a result from the lab doesn't arrive past its 'Expected turn-around time from starting the test to receiving the results (in days)'
*The service reminder emails sill be sent to the 'Client' address set under Admin > Configuration > Email. |
| Admin > Task (checkbox) |
This checkbox when ticked creates a task for the Recall Reminder Admin role group when a result from the lab doesn't arrive past its 'Expected turn-around time from starting the test to receiving the results (in days)'. |
| Admin > Message (field) |
This field allows defining the body of the service reminder admin email. |
Birthday Reminder
Meddbase can send birthday messages to patients automatically according to the date saved on their Patient Records.
Within the Birthday Reminder section are the following settings:
| Checkbox/Setting/Field | Description |
| Schedule > Time (field) | This field allows defining the time (as HH:MM) the service reminder will be sent. |
| Patient > Email (checkbox) | This checkbox when ticked turns birthday reminder patient emails on. |
| Patient > Message (field) | This field allows defining the body of the patient birthday reminder email. |
| Patient > SMS (checkbox) | This checkbox when ticked turns birthday reminder patient SMS messages on. |
| Patient > SMS Message (field) | This field allows defining the body of the birthday reminder patient SMS. |
Questionnaire Reminder
This section is a part of a larger setup process for the Patient Portal feature.
When an appointment type with an associated questionnaire, that questionnaire is sent to the Patient Portal for the attending patient to complete.
Questionnaire reminder email and/or SMS messages can be sent to the patient prior to the appointment start time
Within the Questionnaire Reminder section are the following settings:
| Checkbox/Setting/Field | Description |
| Email (checkbox) | This checkbox when ticked turns birthday reminder patient emails on. |
| Email Time (field) | This field allows defining the time (as HH:MM) the questionnaire reminder email will be sent 1 day before the appointment date. |
| Email Subject (field) | This field allows defining the email subject for the questionnaire reminder email message. |
| Email Message (field) | This field allows defining the body of the patient questionnaire reminder email. |
| SMS (checkbox) | This checkbox when ticked turns questionnaire SMS messages on. |
| SMS Time (field) | This field allows defining the time (as HH:MM) the questionnaire reminder SMS message will be sent 1 day before the appointment date. |
| SMS Message (field) | This field allows defining the body of the questionnaire reminder SMS message. |
Common Catalogues
Common Catalogues is a feature/configuration session available to Administrators/supers of Meddbase that enables the configuration of different types of lists and codes. Commonly used data configured in Common Catalogues can typically be selected (usually from a dropdown menu) elsewhere in the system.
Examples of these are Sites, Locations, Payment types, Employee Divisions, Stock Record Types and Titles.
- From the Start Page click the Admin tile.
- Click the Common Catalogues tile.
Review date
This article was last updated on the 3rd of Feb 2023 in the context of Meddbase version 1.265.1.15850