10 Email Automations Every Telehealth Program Needs
Help boost patient engagement and conversions
Competition is high in the virtual care space, so practices hoping to thrive must prioritize patient engagement and retention strategies. Leaders should have a solid telehealth marketing plan that doesn’t just send emails, but also delivers the right information at the right time. A powerful way to achieve this is through email automation.
To ensure you’re on the right track, we’re sharing 10 email automations every direct-to-consumer (D2C) telehealth program needs.
Ensure compliance with applicable laws, including HIPAA, state privacy laws, and applicable state and federal laws regarding marketing communications.
Patient experience email automations
The time to engage a patient begins before they see a provider for a virtual visit and should continue throughout their treatment. As mentioned by AHRQ, “some telehealth models of care have…been shown to be associated with lapses in communication and patient engagement.”
Lapses in communication typically don’t equal a positive patient experience and can cause information gaps.
1. Appointment confirmation and reminder emails
Research associates missed appointments with poorer outcomes and higher utilization; reminder strategies (e.g., multiple reminders) have been shown to reduce no-shows in some settings. However, appointment reminders can improve adherence, especially when they’re kept short, are personalized, and include clinic information.
Tips for the appointment confirmation email automation:
When to send: Trigger immediately after the appointment is booked.
What to include:
Date
Time
Provider name
A link to join the meeting
Instructions on how to prepare for the visit
Tips for the appointment reminder email automation
When to send: 24 hours and 1 hour before the video visit
What to include:
Meeting link
A prompt to reschedule
Reiterate key details from the confirmation email
2. Post-visit follow-up email
Once the video visit ends, inform patients via email on how to access a summary of the discussion, any next steps, and a reminder to reach out with questions.
When to send: Within a few hours after the appointment
What to include:
Ask for their thoughts on how things went
Make it easy to book their next visit with a direct link
Point them to the patient portal, where they can access their visit summary, care plan, medication list, and other relevant information.
An example of post-visit follow-up email
Hello [Patient Name],
Thank you for meeting with us today.
To review your visit summary, care plan, and any instructions from your provider, please log in to your secure patient portal here: [Link to Secure Patient Portal]
We value your feedback. Please take a moment to complete our patient satisfaction survey to help us improve our service: [Link to Survey]
Ready to book your next appointment? You can schedule it directly through your portal at any time.
3. Treatment plan or prescription instructions
One of the biggest challenges in healthcare is medication adherence; however, a simple email automation could make a significant difference.
When to send: Immediately after the care plan or prescription has been finalized or ordered.
What to include: A clear link or button to the patients' portal that says something like “Refill or Reorder Prescription” or “View Care Plan”
4. Satisfaction survey & review request
It’s crucial to understand how patients experience your telehealth practice so you can make improvements. Additionally, positive reviews help attract new patients.
When to send: A few hours or a week after their virtual visit.
What to include:
A link to review sites like Google or G2, or to a Net Promoter Score (NPS) survey, if you have one.
Note that their feedback matters and helps your practice improve its service.
Keep it simple. The more complex it is, the less likely they are to do it.
Patient onboarding email automations
A well-designed virtual care email automation for onboarding can streamline the journey from initial sign-up to a fully engaged patient.
5. Welcome email sequence
This series of messages introduces new patients to your virtual care platform. It guides them through the scheduling process and addresses their most common questions.
This telehealth email marketing sequence might include:
Introduction/Welcome
How To Get Started
Emphasize Value Props
6. Eligibility & Intake Completion Reminders
Patients are often busy with other obligations, so they may forget to complete their intake forms. This automation sends a friendly reminder to those who haven’t finished it yet, ensuring your providers receive the information they need before their upcoming visit.
When to send: 24 to 48 hours after someone signs up but still hasn't tackled their intake forms.
What to include: Provide a direct link to their patient portal and note that completing it beforehand will save them time during their actual appointment.
7. Platform navigation tips
This type of virtual care email automation shows patients how to navigate your practice's patient platform. It can also help your company reduce support calls while streamlining the patient experience.
When to send: Send this off right after they finish setting up their profile.
What to include: Use simple language and visuals, such as a video walkthrough or a list of “insider tips” on how to get the most out of your platform. ‘
Tip: You can also add your platform walkthrough video to the patient portal homepage.
Marketing & re-engagement email automations
To keep your telehealth practice thriving, you need to stay connected with the patients you already have. The following telehealth email marketing automations can help you stay top of mind for patients.
Ensure no PHI is being used in marketing material in compliance with HIPAA privacy laws and be aware of any tracking pixels used to collect user data.
8. Abandoned checkout or incomplete signup emails
Not everyone finishes the sign-up or checkout process in one go, so this automation gives them a gentle nudge to take the next step.
When to send: Trigger after a day or two if someone starts signing up or checking out but never completes the process.
What to include: Provide a direct link that returns users to where they left off. Include a quick reminder of what they'll get from your service, or sweeten the deal with a limited-time offer* (where permitted by law and payer contracts) to help them complete the conversion.
*Any promotional offer should comply with federal/state beneficiary-inducement rules and payer contracts.
9. Seasonal or educational campaigns
In the healthcare industry, you must position your practice as more than just a service; patients need to view you as a trusted resource. Create automated drip sequences around health and wellness topics to keep people engaged and informed about your services.
When to send: Weekly or monthly, depending on your target audience/patient list
What to include: Blog posts, quick videos, and infographics on staying healthy, managing conditions they might deal with, and general wellness tips. Use contact segmentation to personalize content.
Avoid individualized medical advice via email; direct all clinical questions to your portal or care team.
10. Win-back or re-engagement campaigns
It can often be more cost-effective to re-engage a past patient than it is to acquire a new one. Use this virtual care email automation to bring back patients who haven’t used your services in a while.
When to send: Launch this after a period of inactivity (e.g., 30, 90, 120 days) since their last appointment or portal login.
What to include: Ensure the email is warm and friendly, such as “It’s been a while, and we wanted to check in to see how you’re doing”. Add a direct link to book again or view services. A discount incentive could also help.
Launch and scale your telehealth program with ease
These days, email automations aren’t just a nice-to-have; they’re a fundamental part of delivering a seamless and patient-centric virtual care experience. However, while the emails can help bring them through the door, you need a robust infrastructure to ensure they come back.
OpenLoops' white-labeled services and fully-integrated telehealth platform make it possible to start and maintain your practice with confidence. When paired with our nationwide network of providers, your program will be well-equipped to deliver exceptional care from day one.
Marketing emails described here are for general educational purposes. Avoid including PHI in standard emails; use your secure patient portal for clinical information. Ensure compliance with applicable laws, including HIPAA, state privacy laws, and applicable state and federal laws regarding marketing communications.
*This content is intended for general informational purposes only and should not be construed as legal advice. For guidance on your specific situation, please consult a licensed attorney.