Hidden Gems: Luma Features You Should Be Using But Probably Aren’t

Kelsy Black

If you’re using Luma for appointment reminders, chat, or broadcast messaging, you’re already ahead of the game. But there are a handful of powerful, underutilized features that can take your workflows from functional to fully optimized.

We spoke with power user Emily Smythe, EMR & Technology Systems Manager at DENT Neurologic Institute. She has pushed Luma to its limits and uncovered ways to unlock even more value. Here are four features she swears by — and why you should give them a closer look.

1. Schedule View Filters: The Daily Command Center You Didn’t Know You Had

Luma’s Schedule View isn’t just a calendar. It’s an actionable dashboard that can help your team:

Spot patients who haven’t completed their forms
Resend checklists with a click
Identify patients who haven’t paid their copay
Filter by visit status, checklist progress, and more

“You can lock in filters for no-shows, pending forms, unpaid copays – then just work from there. It makes daily follow-up so much faster.”

Whether it’s your front desk or your care coordination team, this view keeps everyone focused on the right tasks.

2. Patient-Managed Waitlists: Let Patients Do the Work

Still having your team manually add patients to waitlists? There’s a better way. With Luma, you can allow patients to add themselves to a waitlist during scheduling — and you can control it by:

Visit type
Provider
Location

Emily’s practice enabled self-serve waitlisting for one high-demand provider. Now, instead of receiving dozens of calls asking, “Is there anything sooner?”, the patients are automatically notified when a spot opens.

“This took a ton of pressure off our scheduling team and gave patients more control.”

3. Custom Actions Based on ICD/CPT Codes: Get Ultra-Specific

Custom Actions are often used to trigger messages before an appointment. But Emily is using them in a brilliant post-visit workflow:

After a visit, Luma reads ICD or CPT codes tied to a diagnosis or procedure
A tailored message is sent automatically to the patient with educational resources or follow-up info

For example, if a patient is newly diagnosed with multiple sclerosis, they receive a resource pack for MS support. If they received a specific infusion, they get drug-specific care instructions.

“You can create an entirely new layer of education and support – all automated. It’s a game-changer.”

4. SMS Masking & Branded Sender Lines: Boost Trust, Get Better Response Rates

Luma offers the ability to mask SMS messages with a local, recognizable phone number. That means patients see a text from your real area code, not a generic 1-800 number.

Pair that with logo branding and patients are far more likely to engage. According to Emily:

“Once we switched to a recognizable local number, our response rates jumped significantly. Patients trust what looks familiar.”

If you haven’t enabled SMS masking, talk to your CSM – it’s one of the simplest ways to increase engagement.

These Features Aren’t Flashy. They’re Effective.

Sometimes the best features aren’t the loudest. These hidden gems help teams work faster, reduce manual tasks, and improve patient experience without needing to overhaul your entire system.

If you’re ready to dig deeper, talk to your Customer Success Manager about turning these on – or better yet, steal a page from Emily’s playbook and start experimenting.

You might just uncover your next big win hiding in plain sight.