Mail in GemsTracker is sent 'per token'. To mail a patient select the patient and select a token (by clicking on the '+' button). If the patient has an e-mail address and the token has not been answered you can click on the 'E-Mail now!' button.
In the next screen you can select a mail template or - if you have the access rights - you can write a message there and then.
You can manually send e-mail to one or more respondents from the Overview menu item. When you search By period, By token or By patient you can (roughly) select the patients you want to mail and then you click on the 'Bulk mail' button - assuming you have the right to do so.
In the next screen you can select and deselect individual patient and tokens to mail and you can decide what to mail by selecting a mail template or - again if you have the access rights - you can write a message there an then.
Based on these settings, GemsTracker wil create e-mails every time a survey becomes active for someone with a e-mail adres. These messages aren't sent until you tell GemsTracker to do so. You'll have to do this regularly.
* See making a mail template on how to create one
The fully automatic e-mail works the same as the semi-automatic e-mail. The only difference is that the site-admin tells GemsTracker to automaticlly send the e-mail without you having to press the button. This can only be done by the server admin by using the so-called cronjob.