What is SOFIA? Understanding Your SMS Follow-Up Tool
SOFIA is an SMS-based follow-up tool that activates automatically when a patient call cannot be completed by voice. When a call drops, audio quality is too poor, or a patient goes silent, SOFIA sends them a text message with a link to continue their request in writing. This article explains what SOFIA does, when she activates, and what your practice needs to know.
Purpose of This Article
SOFIA operates silently in the background and requires no action from your practice team. This article explains what she is, what triggers her, and what the patient experience looks like, so your team understands what is happening and can answer patient questions confidently.
Main Content
What Is SOFIA?
SOFIA is an SMS-based follow-up tool that ensures no patient request is lost when a phone call cannot be completed by voice.
When a call drops unexpectedly, audio quality is too poor to continue, or a patient goes silent and cannot respond, SOFIA automatically sends the patient a text message with a secure link. The patient clicks the link and continues their request in writing on their phone. The practice receives the same structured outcome as any other EMMA request.
SOFIA requires no setup and no action from your practice team. She is active automatically as part of the EMMA platform.
SOFIA is included at no additional cost for all EMMA practices.
When SOFIA Activates
SOFIA activates in the following scenarios:
- A call drops unexpectedly mid-conversation
- Audio quality is too poor for EMMA to understand the patient
- A patient goes silent and does not respond during the call (mobile callers only)
- A patient is redirected to SOFIA as part of a specific call flow configured for the surgery
SOFIA does not activate for patients calling from a landline, as SMS cannot be delivered to a landline number. Landline callers who cannot complete their request are signposted to the surgery's online form or advised to call back.
What the Patient Receives
When SOFIA is triggered, the patient receives a single, clear SMS message with a secure link to continue their request.
SOFIA sends one of two scenario-specific messages:
- If the call dropped unexpectedly: the message references the disconnection and invites the patient to continue in writing
- For all other scenarios (poor audio quality, caller choice, or practice-directed flows): the patient receives a neutral continuation message
This distinction ensures the message patients receive is accurate and appropriate to their situation.
The SMS invite message can be customised per surgery and is managed through the CMS Settings page. Contact your account manager if you would like to review or update your surgery's message.
What Happens With the Patient's Request
When the patient follows the link in their SMS and completes their request, it is submitted into your surgery's consultation inbox in the same structured format as any other EMMA submission. Your team reviews and actions it as normal.
Nothing is lost and no repeat call is needed.
SOFIA and Lifeline
SOFIA is the backbone of EMMA's Lifeline feature, introduced in V12. At the start of every call, EMMA now tells patients that if the line drops or reception is poor, they will receive a secure link to continue their request. This sets the patient's expectation before anything happens, reducing confusion and anxiety if SOFIA does activate.
For patients with strong accents, hearing impairments, or unreliable phone reception, SOFIA has become a preferred channel. The patient completes their request in writing at their own pace, and the practice receives the same structured outcome.
What Your Practice Team Needs to Know
SOFIA operates entirely in the background. Your team does not need to do anything for SOFIA to work.
The key things to be aware of:
- If a patient mentions they received a text message from the surgery, this is likely a SOFIA invite
- Patients should be encouraged to follow the link in the SMS if they have not already done so
- If a patient calls back after receiving a SOFIA SMS, they can be reassured that the link is safe and is from your surgery
- SOFIA submissions appear in your consultation inbox alongside other EMMA requests
Step-by-Step Instructions
SOFIA requires no configuration or daily management from your practice. No steps are required.
If you want to customise the SOFIA invite message for your surgery, contact your account manager or email support@quantumloopai.com. The message can be updated through the CMS Settings page.
Troubleshooting
A patient says they did not receive the SOFIA text message. The most common reasons are that the patient is calling from a landline (SOFIA only sends to mobile numbers), the patient's number is not registered on their account, or the message went to a spam filter on their device. Ask the patient to check their messages and confirm they are calling from a mobile number. See also: A Patient Did Not Receive Their SOFIA Text Message (article 3.5).
A patient received a SOFIA text but is confused about what it is. Reassure the patient that the message is from their GP surgery and is safe to follow. The link takes them to a secure page where they can continue their request in writing. It is part of how the surgery handles calls that could not be completed by voice.
A SOFIA submission has arrived in our inbox but we are not sure which patient it is from. SOFIA submissions are submitted in the same format as other EMMA requests and include the patient's details. Review the submission in your consultation inbox as you would any other request.
We want to change the wording of the SOFIA SMS message. The SOFIA invite message can now be customised per surgery and updated through the CMS Settings page. Contact your account manager or support@quantumloopai.com to request a change.
FAQs
Does SOFIA send an SMS to every patient who calls? No. SOFIA only activates when a call cannot be completed by voice. Patients who complete their request with EMMA over the phone do not receive an SMS.
Can patients on landlines use SOFIA? No. SOFIA sends a text message, which cannot be delivered to a landline. Landline callers who cannot complete their request are signposted to the surgery's online form or advised to call back.
Will patients know that the SOFIA link is from their GP surgery? Yes. The SMS message is sent from a number associated with your surgery and references the surgery by name. Patients are also informed at the start of calls (via the Lifeline feature) that they may receive a link if the call drops.
Does SOFIA require any setup or configuration by our practice? No. SOFIA is active automatically as part of the EMMA platform. No setup is required from your practice team.
Can we see SOFIA activity in our dashboard? Yes. SOFIA submissions appear in your consultation inbox alongside other EMMA requests. Your dashboard also shows SOFIA activity as part of your overall call and submission reporting.
Is SOFIA included in our EMMA subscription? Yes. SOFIA is included at no additional cost for all EMMA practices.
What happens if a patient does not follow the SOFIA link? If the patient does not complete their request via the SOFIA link, no submission is received by the practice. The patient will need to call back or contact the surgery another way to submit their request.