Each patient now has a single contact email in Hero. Every email Hero sends to a patient goes to this one address, and it's the same address you see on their record, so you always know where a confirmation or message has gone.
One address for all patient emails. Messages, booking confirmations, video appointment invitations, verification codes and campaign emails are now sent to the patient's contact email only. Hero no longer falls back to other addresses held on the patient's account.
The same address everywhere you look. Patient cards, patient and organisation tables, invoices, payment screens and exports now all show the contact email.
Add a contact email in Hero. For patients whose record is held in Hero, you can set a contact email on the patient create and edit forms, or with Add email on patient and billpayer cards, in the patients and organisations tables, and when choosing a billpayer for a new invoice. The invoice "missing information" prompt also saves the billpayer's email as their contact email.
New patients' emails are used straight away. When a new patient enters their email while booking, it's used as their contact email, so their confirmations go to the address they've just given. Once their record is matched to the practice's main data source, the contact email comes from that record instead (see below).
Email searches are more precise. Searching for a patient by email now matches their contact email only, so you won't see people whose older address happens to match.
Filling in missing addresses. Where a patient didn't have a contact email, we've filled it in from the details already held for them.
Hero keeps each patient's details in step with your practice's highest-ranked data source, and the contact email follows that source too.
NHS practices: the patient's national NHS record (PDS) usually comes first, followed by your clinical system (EMIS or SystmOne). The contact email is the one held on that record.
Private practices using EMIS: the contact email comes from the patient's EMIS record.
Practices without a connected clinical system: Hero is the source, so the contact email is the one the patient or your team enters in Hero.
When a patient's record is synced with a higher-ranked source, such as the first time a new patient is matched to their NHS or EMIS record, their contact email is taken from that record and replaces the one they entered in Hero.
Records synced from the NHS record or your clinical system: the contact email can't be edited in Hero, because the next EHR sync would overwrite it. Patients who try to change it while booking are asked to contact the practice. To change it, update it at the source.
Records held in Hero, such as patients at private practices without a connected clinical system: staff can add or edit the contact email in Hero, and patients can update it while booking.
No more emails going to old addresses. Confirmations and messages reach the patient's contact email, rather than an older login or alternative address.
Appointment and campaign emails reach the same place. Patients get everything from you in one inbox.
One source of truth. The email you see in Hero matches the record Hero syncs from, and what partner apps receive.
Nothing for most practices. If a patient tells you they aren't receiving emails from Hero, check their contact email first.
For patients whose record is synced from the NHS record or your clinical system, the email needs updating at that source, and it will flow through to Hero at the next sync. A patient with no contact email won't receive emails from Hero.
