Table of Contents
How to Manage Outbound Calls
Outbound calls are calls the Agent places to a patient. Patient Concierge works by uploading a list of patients into the MedMe system and the calls are scheduled according to your pharmacy's needs. When the agent reaches a patient, it guides the patient through the configured workflow. Call details can then be reviewed in the MedMe dashboard.
How to Trigger Outbound Calls
To trigger outbound calls, a patient list must be imported into the MedMe dashboard.
Open the Patient Concierge tab.
Import a CSV or Excel file containing the patients to be called. The format and list of fields required for the import are custom to your workflow. Please contact your account manager for details.
Confirm that the file matches the workflow-specific import requirements.
Complete the import.
Refresh to review the created call queue, which will show calls with the status Scheduled
Required Import Details
Import requirements are customized by workflow. At minimum, the following fields are required to create a patient:
First name
Last name
Phone number
Date of birth
Please note: The required import fields and file structure are custom to each workflow. The pharmacy should contact its account manager for the exact format before importing.
How Duplicate Patients Are Handled
Patients are only created in the system if they do not already exist. Duplicate detection is based on:
First name
Last name
Email
Phone number
Date of birth
Reminder: If a patient already exists in the system, the import will not create a duplicate patient record.
How Call Scheduling Works
Calls are scheduled according to the rules configured for the pharmacy's workflow.
In Canada, calls scheduled for a statutory holiday are automatically rescheduled to the next permitted calling day, in line with Canadian calling regulations.
Sequential Calls
Patient Concierge calls run sequentially. This means the next call only starts after the previous call has been completed.
Please note: Scheduling rules, retry timing, and other workflow-specific behaviours are configured separately for each pharmacy. The pharmacy should contact its account manager for configuration details.
Calling Patients
Caller ID
Caller ID is configured with support from the account manager to help improve answer rates.
Call Attempts, Voicemails, and Retry Policy
If the patient does not answer or the line is busy, the System retries the call up to 3 times based on the Workflow configuration. If the patient still does not answer after all attempts are exhausted, the call is marked as Attention required.
Voicemails are left after the third attempt, and voicemail scripts can be customized for the Workflow.
Please note: Retry timing is configured by Workflow. The pharmacy should contact its account manager for exact retry settings.
Invalid Phone Numbers
If the Agent reaches an invalid phone number or an IVR system, the call is marked as Failed.
Patient Callbacks
If a patient calls the Agent phone number back, the call is redirected to the pharmacy phone number.
Patient Opt-Out
A patient can opt out of future outbound calls by saying phrases such as "Stop calling me" or "I don't want to receive any more calls."
Once a patient opts out, the system will prevent you from uploading the call record by flagging it as an invalid phone number.
Troubleshooting
The Import Did Not Work as Expected
Check that the file is in CSV or Excel format and includes all required patient fields for the Workflow.
A Call Is Marked Failed
Review whether the phone number is invalid or whether the call reached an IVR system.
A Call Is Still Scheduled Even Though the Time Has Passed
Check whether earlier calls in the queue are still running, since calls are placed sequentially.
FAQ
Why Is the Call Date in the Past but the Status Is Still Scheduled?
The call date reflects when the call was scheduled, not when the call actually began. If the call status is Scheduled, the call date reflects when the call is scheduled. Because outbound calls run one at a time per Agent and use a queue, a call may remain in Scheduled status even after its scheduled time has passed.
For example:
A call may be scheduled for 9:00 AM
Earlier calls may still be running
The call remains Scheduled until the Agent starts dialling
Once dialing begins, the status changes to In progress
Tip: A past call date with a Scheduled status usually means the call is still waiting in the queue.
What's the Difference Between Importing Patients in Patient Concierge vs Importing Patients in the Patient Page?
Although both workflows involve uploading patient information into MedMe, they are used for different purposes.
Importing Contacts or Patients in Patient Concierge
Use this import when the goal is to build a call list for outbound outreach.
When contacts or patients are imported into Patient Concierge:
A call queue is created for the configured workflow.
Calls are scheduled based on the workflow rules set for the pharmacy.
This workflow is designed for outreach execution, not general patient list management.
Please note: Importing into Patient Concierge is intended to trigger outbound calling activity. It is not primarily used to maintain the pharmacy's full patient directory.
Importing Patients in the Patients Tab
Use this import when the goal is to add or maintain patient records in the system.
When patients are imported into the Patients tab:
Patient records are added to the MedMe system.
The imported records become available for ongoing operational use.
The import supports patient record management rather than call queue creation.
This workflow is designed for maintaining patient data in MedMe, not for creating outbound call activity.
Reminder: Importing a patient into the Patients tab does not create a call list in Patient Concierge.
Key Difference
The main difference is the outcome of the import:
Patient Concierge import = builds a call list for outreach
Patients tab import = adds or maintains patient records in the system
Warning: Using the wrong import workflow may result in patients being added to the system without creating calls, or call activity being expected from a record import that does not trigger outreach.