See Alerts for Mobile Phone Numbers that are Invalid or Cannot Send Text Messages

Overview

Some patient records may have invalid or unreachable mobile phone numbers, which reduces the effectiveness of automated messaging communications.

 

These mobile numbers are not usable in the following scenarios:

• Mobile phone numbers that are no longer effective with any mobile networks or unable to receive text messaging.

• Invalid format in the Mobile phone field that renders them unusable for automated messaging.

• Landline numbers in the Mobile phone field, which get sent (but do not receive) automated messaging.

 

To improve the accuracy and data hygiene of mobile phone numbers, we're introducing the following functionality:

1. Real-time automated messaging validation — athenaOne partners with phone validation vendors to determine in real-time if a mobile number can receive automated text messages. This applies to:

   • Existing mobile numbers

   • New mobile numbers (for example, after staff enters a new number on the add or edit contact window)

   Important
   We do not message the patient to ask them to verify the status of their mobile phone numbers. All notifications shown are based on data provided by our phone validation vendors.

2. Format validation — All mobile numbers, except international, need to have a 10 digit format. No alphanumeric characters are allowed.

3. Consistency of mobile phone management across various pages and workflows:

   • Capture of mobile phone will be required on Patient Registration, Quickview, and Check-in.

   • International phone numbers can be recorded on the Quickview and Check-in pages, in addition to the Patient Registration page (which already supported these numbers).

With this feature, you'll see the following changes:

1. Practice staff will see alerts about the validity and text delivery status of mobile phone numbers. 

2. Using this information, practice staff can then have conversations with patients and the primary contacts to verify and update the mobile phone number. You can now better ensure that mobile phone numbers on file are valid and usable for patient outreach.

Testing this feature

If your practice tests features and trains your staff in support environments, you can test this feature with these numbers:

• Valid "test" mobile numbers: 201-201-5544, 201-201-5053, 201-201-4041

• Invalid format "test" mobile number: 201-201-6182

• Unable to receive SMS "test" mobile number: 983-758-3455, 984-502-7828, 345-435-3452

Benefits

By improving the availability and accuracy of mobile phone numbers on file in athenaOne, we're:

• Improving your practice's patient and primary contact outreach and communications.

• Increasing patient digital engagement and overall patient care.

User access and permissions

To access the

• Quickview page — You must have the Quickview (or Quickview no financials) role or permission.

• Patient Registration page — You must have the EDITDEMOGRAPHICS role or permission.

Mobile phone requirement

Mobile phone is now a required field on the following pages:

• Patient Registration (sometimes referred to as Full Registration)

• Quickview

• Check-in

We are making this requirement to prompt more collection of mobile phone numbers (if available). This will help you notify patients in a timely manner about various actions that are important for patient care and have revenue impact to your practice.

Text delivery status

For patient records with a mobile phone number that recently failed automated text, athenaOne shows you that a text message sent to the mobile number bounced (meaning it wasn't successfully delivered). When you're shown that a text message bounced, ask the patient to provide a different mobile phone number.

 

The following images are examples of a bounced text message alert in the:

• Main view of the Contact List.
  

• Edit window of a contact.
  

When the patient's mobile number has missing consents or when you enter a completely new mobile number on the patient record, athenaOne searches in its database to determine if it has:

• Any existing information on this number

• Its text delivery status

• Its validity (e.g., whether it is a US-based mobile number)

 

You will see different variations of the notifications depending on validation results. Here is an image example of:

• The number already being used by another patient in athenaOne and a text failing to send.
  

• athenaOne recognizing that a mobile number cannot receive text messages.
  

Invalid format

You will see notifications on invalid format when the mobile number has the following issues:

• Alphanumeric characters
  

• Over 10 digits
  

• Repetition indicating an invalid number or typo
  

Important
You are prevented from completing patient registration or checking in a patient until they have a valid mobile number format.

International phone numbers

You can record an international phone number for the patient and their primary contact on Patient Registration, Quickview and Check-in pages.

 

Consents to call and consents to text will not be collected for international phone numbers as we do not have the capability to contact them.