Getting started with Hippo Recaller can feel like a lot — especially when there are so many areas you could work on.
The good news is that you don’t need to get everything perfect on day one. Practices that get the most out of Hippo tend to start confidently, let automation do the heavy lifting, and then focus their time where it matters most.
This guide walks through a sensible, low-stress way to get going, based on what we’ve seen work well across practices.
💡 The big idea
Turn Hippo on broadly, then focus your effort intelligently.
Hippo is designed to handle multiple areas at once through automation. Your team doesn’t need to manually manage everything — just decide where to pay attention first.
🚦 Step 1: Pick a good place to start
When choosing your first campaigns, it usually helps to start with indicators that are:
QOF-linked, so progress feels meaningful early on
High-volume, so you can see activity quickly
Familiar to patients, with reviews they already expect
Easy to fit into existing appointment types
Common starting points
Many practices begin with things like:
Hypertension Reviews (HYP008 / HYP009)
Asthma Reviews (AST007)
These tend to work well because patients expect them, they involve straightforward bookings, and they help teams get used to appointment-based workflows in Hippo.
A lighter option
Some practices prefer to start with something more lightweight, such as Smoking Status (SMOK002). This doesn’t require an appointment and is completed via an online form, making it a gentle way to get comfortable with automated messages and writebacks.
🤖 Step 2: Let Hippo do its thing
Once a campaign is live, Hippo will automatically start inviting eligible patients.
At this stage, it’s usually enough to:
Keep an eye on Practice Analytics
Watch for bookings (if the campaign involves appointments)
Make small tweaks to message volume or preferences if needed
⏳ A quick heads-up about the Recall List
It’s very normal for the Recall List to look empty at first.
Patients only appear there if:
They’ve received all automated messages and still haven’t responded, or
They don’t have mobile or email contact details
If your campaign sends multiple messages over a few weeks, you might not see anyone in the Recall List until later on. That doesn’t mean nothing’s happening — it usually means Hippo is still handling outreach in the background.
🗂 Step 3: Have a simple plan for manual follow-up
When patients do start appearing in the Recall List, it helps to have a light-touch plan in place.
We usually suggest:
Assigning one or two people to check the list regularly
Aiming for around 10–20 manual recalls per person per day, depending on capacity
Using the “Team Recalls Today” stat to keep track
Recording outcomes with the Action Patient button
Nothing fancy — just something consistent and manageable.
📈 Step 4: Enable broadly, focus intentionally
One of the biggest advantages of Hippo is that it can support multiple areas at the same time.
In most cases, it’s better to:
Enable a wide range of relevant campaigns, especially across core QOF and high-volume areas
Let Hippo handle automated invites across all of them
Decide as a team where to focus attention right now
Many practices choose to actively prioritise areas like diabetes, asthma, and hypertension, as these tend to have large patient cohorts and often unlock follow-on care.
🎯 Step 5: Decide where to spend your team’s time
Even if lots of campaigns are enabled, your team doesn’t need to give equal attention to all of them.
A good rule of thumb is to focus on:
Areas closest to target, where a bit of effort can make a real difference
Campaigns showing lower engagement, where small tweaks might help
High-impact cohorts that matter most to your practice right now
This way, you get the benefit of broad coverage without overwhelming staff.
🧠 A note on “harder” recalls
Some recalls are naturally more challenging for patients, for example:
ABPM, which requires multiple visits
Longer diabetes or COPD reviews
Appointments that require time off work
These are still important, but many practices find it easier to layer them in once simpler campaigns are running smoothly and teams feel confident using Hippo.
✅ Final thought
Every practice is different. Team capacity, appointment availability, and patient demographics all matter.
This guide isn’t about strict rules — it’s about helping you see value early, avoid unnecessary stress, and build momentum in a way that feels sustainable.
If you’re ever unsure where to begin or want to sense-check your setup, our team is always happy to help.