SimpleChime powers real-time, HIPAA-compliant two-way texting so patients can message your practice's existing number directly — confirming or rescheduling appointments, sending forms, insurance cards, and payments, all from their phone with a 98% open rate. It also includes an AI Voice Assistant that answers every call, online self-scheduling, and bi-directional EHR sync so nothing needs manual re-entry. Together, these tools cut phone tag, reduce no-shows by up to 40%, and free your front desk to focus on patient care instead of communication logistics.
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Key benefits
- One number for all communication — patients receive appointment reminders, billing texts, and messages all from your existing practice number.
- No manual data entry — patient and appointment data syncs automatically from BestNotes.
- Automated appointment reminders — reduce no-shows with customizable reminders and two-way confirmation.
- HIPAA-compliant secure messaging — share sensitive health information safely with identity-verified secure messages.
- Insurance card collection — request, receive, and upload insurance card photos directly to the patient's BestNotes record.
- Conversation history in BestNotes — all text conversations sync to the patient's chart as a note.
How to sign up
- Click Account Details.
- Under Account Integrations, locate SimpleChime.
- Click Subscribe.
- A DocuSign document will be created for you to sign. Signing the document notifies BestNotes that you would like to begin using SimpleChime.
- Once BestNotes receives the signed document, you will receive an email with the next steps. BestNotes will coordinate a call with the SimpleChime team to set up your SimpleChime account and complete training.
Permissions required and API connection
The user must have the Manage API permission.
This is an API integration which means, API keys will be shared with SimpleChime.
SimpleChime will setup the account.
Follow instructions under Managing API Credentials.
SimpleChime features
Patient Communication
- Two‑way texting
- Missed‑call‑to‑text
- Voicemail transcription
- Shared team inbox
Automated Messaging
- Appointment reminders & confirmations
- Pre‑visit instructions & consent collection
- Medication/follow-up reminders
- Review requests
Scheduling
- Online booking with real-time availability
- Text-based rescheduling
- No-show reduction automation
EHR Integration
- Sync appointments and patient data
- Log communication in patient charts
- Access messages directly from EHR
AI-Assisted Call Handling
- Answer routine questions
- Route calls automatically
- Trigger messages/tasks
Sending Messages to Patients
Two-Way Texting
All messages are sent from and received by your practice's text-enabled landline number. To start or continue a conversation:
- Go to the Messages section in SimpleChime.
- Search for the patient by name or phone number.
- Type your message (up to 480 characters) and send.
Note: Text messages are billed per message. A single text message is 160 characters. Messages longer than 160 characters count as 2 or more messages. See Pricing Page for billed rates.
The first time you text a new patient, SimpleChime automatically sends a compliance message informing them how to opt out. This is required and cannot be skipped.
Secure Messages
Use secure messaging when sending health information that should not be visible to anyone who might pick up a patient's phone.
When you send a secure message:
- The patient receives a text with a secure link (not the message content itself).
- The patient clicks the link and is prompted to verify their date of birth and the last four digits of their phone number.
- They receive a one-time verification code by text.
- After entering the code, they can read the message and reply securely.
Secure messages are indicated by a green lock icon in the conversation thread.
Tip: Use secure messages for clinical summaries, lab results, or any information your practice considers PHI. For standard scheduling or billing communication, regular text messages are appropriate.
Quick Messages (Templates)
Quick Messages let you create reusable message templates with dynamic variables (such as the patient's first name) that are filled in automatically before sending.
To create a Quick Message:
- Go to Master Files > Quick Messages.
- Click New and give the template a name (e.g., "Insurance Card Request").
- Write the message body using available variables (e.g., {patient_first_name}).
To use a Quick Message in a conversation, open the patient thread, click Quick Messages, and select the template. The variable is replaced with the patient's actual name before sending.
Mass Messages
Send a message to multiple patients at once from the Appointments view:
- Go to Appointments and filter by date, provider, or facility.
- Select the patients you want to reach.
- Click New Message, write your message, and send.
Common use cases: notifying patients of a provider cancellation, an office closure due to weather, or a location change. Each patient is charged at the standard per-message rate.
Messages can also be scheduled in advance. If you learn of a closure after hours, write the message and schedule it to send at 7:00 AM the next morning.
Collecting Insurance Cards via Text
To request an insurance card from a patient:
- Open the patient conversation and use the "Insurance Card Request" Quick Message (or write your own request).
- The patient replies with a photo.
- The photo appears in the Attachments section of the conversation.
- Click Upload. Before uploading, you can crop and rotate the image to show only the card.
- The image saves directly to the patient's record in BestNotes.
Appointment Reminders
SimpleChime can automatically send appointment reminders to patients based on rules you configure. Reminders can be sent by text or email and are fully customizable by facility, provider, and appointment type.
Configuring Reminders
- To set up appointment reminders, go to Automations > Appointment Reminders. From here you can:
- Set how many reminders to send (e.g., 5 days before, 2 days before, 1 day before, 2 hours before).
- Choose a specific send time (e.g., always send at 8:00 AM).
- Customize the message text for each reminder.
- Customize by facility, provider, or appointment type.
- Choose to send only if the patient has not yet confirmed their appointment.
Tip: The "send only if not confirmed" option prevents patients who have already confirmed from receiving multiple reminders. This reduces message volume and keeps patients from feeling spammed.
Appointment Confirmation
When your reminder includes a confirmation request, SimpleChime adds the phrase: "Please reply C to confirm your appointment." When a patient replies with C, the appointment is automatically marked as confirmed in BestNotes.
You can also include a reschedule option. When the patient replies with R, a staff member is notified to work with the patient on a new time.
When a patient confirms, an optional acknowledgement message can be sent automatically. This is a great place to include directions, parking information, or preparation instructions.
New Appointment Notification
SimpleChime can send an automatic text to the patient within 15 minutes of an appointment being created in BestNotes, confirming the appointment details.
Sending Messages to Patients
No-Show Messaging
When a patient is marked as a no-show in BestNotes, SimpleChime can automatically send them a text message within 30 minutes. You configure the message content — for example, inviting them to reschedule.
Post-Visit Feedback
When an appointment is marked as checked out in BestNotes, SimpleChime can automatically send a follow-up text. This is commonly used to request patient satisfaction feedback or share post-visit instructions.
Out-of-Office Replies
Set your practice hours in SimpleChime's Phone Settings. When a patient texts outside of those hours, they automatically receive an out-of-office message that you customize. Holidays can also be added so the out-of-office response is sent on those days as well.