Why recalls matter beyond just the single visit
A recall type defines a routine follow-up your clinic wants to track proactively — a 6-month cleaning recall, a 3-month check-in after a procedure, an annual wellness review. The idea behind recalls is that some follow-up care shouldn't depend on a patient remembering to book it themselves; the clinic tracks the interval and can reach out when it's due, rather than waiting for the patient to think of it on their own.
This matters for both patient outcomes and clinic revenue. Patients who are due for routine follow-up but never come back represent both a care gap and a lapsed relationship — the Lapsed Patients report and recall tracking approach the same underlying problem from two angles, one general and one built around a specific expected interval.
- The two fields that define a recall type, and what each one drives
- How to add a recall type
- How recall types connect to the Recalls Due report and a patient's own record
- How to think about setting sensible intervals per treatment type
The two fields, and what each one drives
Go to Settings > Recall Types to manage them. Each recall type is deliberately minimal — just a name and an interval — because the recall system's job is to calculate a due date, not to model an entire care plan.
| Field | What it's for | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Name | A clear label describing what the recall is for, shown wherever a recall is applied or reviewed. | "6 Month Cleaning", "Post-op Check" |
| Recall In | A number plus a period (days, weeks, or months) defining the interval used to calculate when the recall next comes due. | 3 + Months = "3 Months" |
Adding a recall type
Click Add Recall Type
Opens the recall type drawer.
Enter a Name
For example, "6 Month Cleaning" or "Post-op Check."
Set Recall In
Enter a number and choose its period from the dropdown — for example, 3 and Months, giving "3 Months."
Save
Save the recall type.
Setting sensible intervals per treatment type
The right interval depends entirely on the clinical or business reason for the recall, and it's worth thinking through deliberately rather than defaulting every recall type to a round number like "6 Months." A recall interval that's too long means patients drift past the point where the follow-up is actually useful before the clinic ever reaches out. One that's too short generates recall reminders that patients start to ignore, which quietly undermines the credibility of every future recall message.
- <strong>Preventive or maintenance recalls</strong> (routine cleanings, wellness checks) usually suit a longer interval, often 3-12 months, matching how often the underlying condition or maintenance need actually recurs.
- <strong>Post-treatment or post-procedure recalls</strong> tend to need a much shorter interval — days to a few weeks — since the purpose is catching complications early rather than routine maintenance.
- <strong>Chronic condition monitoring</strong> often sits in between, commonly 1-3 months, balancing clinical need against not over-contacting the patient.
Where recall types are used
Once a recall type exists, it can be applied to individual patients from the Recalls tab on their patient record — that's where a specific patient gets tied to a specific recall type and a countdown toward their next due date begins.
The same configuration is what feeds the Recalls Due report, which lists every patient across the clinic whose recall interval has come up or is coming up soon. In practice, most clinics review Recalls Due on a regular cadence — weekly is common — and use it as the worklist for outbound recall calls or messages, rather than waiting for patients to notice they're due on their own.