Create a TopsDPX Broadcast

Have an important announcement to send? A fun office event to broadcast? Here's how to reach the most patients possible!

1.) Go to Comm > Tops Reminders.

2.) In the Patient Communicator > Messages tab, click the Broadcast button on the upper right.

3.) A window will open asking you to select your audience. 

• Select from Schedule allows you to pick everyone on the schedule for a selected period.
• Upload a Contact List allows you to upload a list of names and numbers (you can create this in Tops Ortho or bring it in from another source; it must be a .csv file). For directions on how to create a .csv file, see the related article below, Create a Custom Contact List for TopsDPX.
• Use Existing Contacts allows you to enter specific contacts to create a custom group.

4.) Select your audience and click Next.

5.) You can use an existing Template, or simply type your message in the Content field. If desired, you can add variables to your message to make it more personal. Just click to add!

6.) When you are satisfied with the message, click Next.

7.) A window will pop up with a preview of your broadcast and a list of recipients. Review this information and click Send.

8.) You're done! You will soon see your broadcast in patient threads in the Patient Communicator.

UPDATE Is there a Maximum daily limit for broadcast texts?

Yes. The limit is 500 recipients daily when using the Broadcast text option.

To provide some insight on the recent change, here are some points behind our decision to set these limits:

• Reduce the impact of compromised accounts - In the rare case where an account was compromised, offenders would send bulk phishing or marketing texts/emails to all patients on the location. If a location were to be compromised in the future, this would help reduce the # of messages that could possibly be sent during that event. 
• Decrease chances of mass patient opt out -  Sending bulk messages in higher volumes than the limits set come with risks. One of those risks is patients believing that the message sent in bulk does not pertain to them, which then causes them to opt out of texting. When a patient opts out of texting, they are opted out of all texting. This includes appointment reminders, recalls, review requests, and individual messages from the practice users. In most cases where this has happened, we noticed that these were due to marketing texts being sent out. 
• Decrease chances of a 10DLC being flagged as spam by the carriers - Another risk is having the number sending bulk messages flagged by the carriers. If carriers notice texts (especially ones with links) being sent out to a large number of their phone numbers, they may flag the phone number as spam. This can also happen if the end users report the message they received as spam. If the carrier marks a number a spam, it can lead to a carrier-wide block where no messages will be delivered to phone numbers from that carrier. In most cases where this has happened, we noticed that these were due to marketing texts being sent out.

Questions? Please reach out to Tops Support at 770.627.2527; email us at [email protected]; or text us at +1 770.627.2527.406.0685.