Standardized Messaging Opt-Outs FAQs

What are standardized messaging opt-outs?

All PatientPop messages sent over SMS will no longer support custom opt-out keywords such as UNSUB, RECARE, PAYMENT, SURVEY, etc. Instead, there is full support for all standard keywords, such as STOP. Additionally, we can inform the patient on how they can opt-in into messaging again. For instance, when a patient opts out, we’ll send them a confirmation with the keyword they can use (START) for resubscribing.

How do opt-outs work? What new features are included?

PatientPop Inbox messaging will support the ability for patients to resubscribe to messages on their own, by using any one of the following keywords: START/YES/UNSTOP PatientPop Inbox messaging will support the ability for patients to unsubscribe to messages by multiple standard keywords, such as: STOP/STOPALL/UNSUBSCRIBE/CANCEL/END or QUIT. The system will automatically send a confirmation message informing patients that they’ve unsubscribed/subscribed, with details on how they can toggle subscription using simple keywords. All automated PatientPop SMS messages sent from our following products: SMS Recall, Two-Way Text, Web-to-Text, Call-to-Text, Appointment Reminders, Patient Survey, etc. will no longer be using custom keywords such as UNSUB, RECARE, etc. Instead they will all inform the patient to use STOP for unsubscribing.

Who can use these features?

Practices that have onboarded to PatientPop Connect or have a dedicated number assigned to their locations. Practices that have asked for the ability for patients to resubscribe to SMS messages.

Why are opt-outs important?

As part of A2P Messaging compliance, PatientPop is required to support standard opt-out keywords such as STOP/UNSUBSCRIBE/etc. Unapproved opt-out keywords, such as UNSUB, carry a high filtering risk. Carriers such as Verizon, T-Mobile, etc. can flag our messages as an opt-out evasion technique, after which messages going from our systems will be blocked. We’ve also received multiple requests from practices where they’ve asked us to resubscribe patients that had accidentally unsubscribed before.

Do I need to enable opt-outs myself?

The release will immediately impact all customers using our SMS texting capabilities. No manual effort will be required.

Can we ask patients to resubscribe from our Practice Portal?

No. Practices will not be able to ask the patients to resubscribe from the Practice Portal. They would need to communicate this to patients via other means available.

Can this feature be disabled?

No. As part of A2P Compliance we are required to support industry standard opt-out/opt-in keywords.

How does the feature work, technically?

All automated SMS messages will inform the patients to use the STOP keyword for unsubscribing to messages. Patients must send STOP (or optionally send STOPALL/UNSUBSCRIBE/CANCEL/END /QUIT) that are exact matches (messages such as “stop messages” or any variations will not be accepted). A Confirmation message will be sent to the patient that they’ve successfully unsubscribed. They’ll also be given instructions to opt-in to messaging again by using START. Patients must send START (or optionally send YES/UNSTOP) that are exact matches. A confirmation message is also sent for patients that have successfully re-subscribed, with instructions on how to unsubscribe by using STOP.

Frequently Asked Questions

Does this feature come with any additional costs?

No. It is included at no cost for all practices with PatientPop Foundation licenses.

What happens to earlier versions of opt-out keywords such as UNSUB, etc.?

Old opt-out keywords such as UNSUB, RECARE, etc. will no longer be supported. All automated SMS messages sent to patients must have a STOP keyword.

What about patients that previously opted out using UNSUB?

Past patient unsubscriptions will still be respected and reflected in our UI.

Where can I track patients that have opted out of messaging using new keywords?

We will continue to use our existing behavior, that we previously used for UNSUB, for highlighting patients that have opted out.

All patient conversations should be available in Portal: Inbox > Text. You can find patients that have opted out for all messaging for a location by finding conversations that are highlighted in red. If you’re unable to find one, you can also search for a patient. If you’ve previously communicated with this patient you can find the conversation history which would contain the message “The patient has opted out of receiving further text messages from this practice”.

Can I send messages to patients that have opted out from Portal?

No. The patient would need to send a re-subscription keyword (START/YES/UNSTOP/etc.) to re-enable communication from the practice’s side.

What can I do if a patient doesn’t send the re-subscription keyword START?

You’ll need to communicate with the patient via other means for changing their subscription status. Unfortunately, due to A2P compliance rules, once a patient has opted out, there’s no way for us to resubscribe the patient from our side.

Can patients still choose to opt-out for certain messages only? Such as appointment reminders?

No. We’ve removed all support for customized opt-outs that were previously supported for appointment reminders, SMS recall, etc. These were previously causing confusion among patients on what and how they could opt-in/opt-out of various forms of messaging, and is also not in line with A2P compliance around having a clear way to manage opt-in/opt-outs.

Why don’t I see opt-out/opt-in confirmation messages being sent to patients in Portal?

Opt-out/opt-in confirmations are now handled outside of our system, therefore we no longer have control over the final message being sent out to the patient. We will, however, be able to show opt-out/opt-in keywords that they’re sending to us in the portal.

Can I manually opt-out patients from text communication via Portal?

We don’t currently support the ability to disable text communications with patients before the message is sent out. Patients can choose to opt-out on their own if they feel they’re receiving too many messages.