Medical Texting – A Complete Guide 

Introduction 

Text messaging has become an integral part of the healthcare industry, owing to its convenience, accessibility, and non-intrusive nature. Not only has text messaging tapped healthcare providers and patients, but has also largely benefitted medical device companies. These companies are thrilled that they can now communicate important information at the click of a button, without having to make tons of phone calls every day. This is the magic of medical texting; it has made the lives of both patients and medical device companies much easier. 

However, to be able to extract maximum benefit out of text messaging while also maintaining HIPAA and TCPA compliance, you need to invest in a medical texting app. This article will walk you through what medical texting is, why it is important for a business like yours, and what you can do with a medical texting app. Let’s get started!

What Is Medical Texting?

Medical texting is a way for medical device companies to communicate and engage with their customers. Whether it’s the patients or the healthcare practices; they can utilize medical messaging to centralize communication and engagement. Medical texting helps reduce missed calls and high call volume. Medical messaging helps you maintain HIPAA compliance, text securely with your contacts, send marketing messages, and build valuable relationships that last. 

Why is medical texting becoming mainstream for medical device companies?

Medical device companies use medical texting to communicate with medical offices and patients. Since they have a large customer base, it becomes difficult to call patients for different things. When such companies resort to calling as the primary mode of communication, they end up spending hours’ worth of daily time. Email is another popular channel of communication, but it also falls short because irrespective of how creative your emails are, the response rate will be very low and hence will not serve your purpose. 

On the other hand, text messaging is a great way to reach out to patients because text messages have high open rates and response rates! 

Did you know that more than 97 percent of Americans own a cell phone? Imagine how easy it will be for you to reach out to patients. 

Medical texting makes communication more seamless, provided that you invest in a medical texting app that fulfills all your texting needs. Need more proof? Have a look at how texting differs from emails and phone calls: 

Texting vs Email 

Texting vs Phone Calls 

Why Should You Consider Text Messaging For Your Medical Device Company? 

If you’re a medical device company, we bet you’d find yourself all day around the phone, calling patients. Medical messaging is a must-have tool in your arsenal if you want to build lasting relationships with both healthcare practices and patients. Here are some benefits of medical texting that will propel you to sign up for the same: 

Make updates more streamlined 

If you have been sharing updates regarding order confirmation, delivery, payment, insurance, and documentation over the phone; then you need to stop right now! This is because medical text messaging can help streamline this very process and make it less cumbersome and overwhelming. 

With a HIPAA-compliant medical texting app, you can send updates with the click of a button! All you need to do is select a contact and type your message. You can even use SMS templates to create your message and schedule the messages for a later date. Imagine how convenient it would be to communicate all information via text message, a mode of communication that even patients prefer! 

Reduce phone calls 

When you start sending updates via text messages, you will save all that time you spent making phone calls all day long. While an average phone call will last 3-4 minutes for a single update, a text message doesn’t take more than a couple of seconds! Sending updates via text messages will help reduce outbound phone calls significantly. 

Offer customer support 

With medical texting, you can open doors for people to contact you via text. Whether they need to follow up on an order, ask questions, or require any other kind of assistance; they can simply reach out to via text! Medical messaging will help you align conversations, facilitate deliveries, and offer end to end customer support. 

Boost ROI 

As a medical device company, you might also be investing your time and money on marketing to attract new customers and retain existing customers. Well, with medical messaging, you can kickstart SMS marketing; which is less time consuming and more cheaper than any other forms of marketing for your business. When you run ads and send marketing messages to your customers via text, you will see a surge in traffic, conversions, and ROI. 

Use Cases Of Medical Messaging For Medical Device Companies 

Send order updates

With medical messaging, you can easily share order updates with your patients, such as prescription received, call to refill, insurance claim ready, order shipped, estimated delivery date, and tracking link, etc. This will keep your patients informed about the status of their order. 

Send delivery verification notifications

You can schedule text messages to further send delivery confirmation notification. You can ask them to confirm whether they’ve received their order and even encourage them to ask you any questions they might have regarding the order.  

Share review request SMS

Once the delivery is done, you can set up automated review requests and send those to your patients, asking them about their experience. SMS review requests work really well and generate more reviews in contrast to email review requests. 

Send a wellness text message

If you want to keep your relationship with your customers, make sure to extend your assistance even after the order has been delivered. A simple wellness text asking your patient how they’re doing will make you remember them for the rest of their lives, while also generating a positive word-of-mouth for your business.   

Send marketing messages 

If you’ve been spending thousands of dollars on your outreach efforts, then you need to stop and reconsider whether it’s worth it. Medical texting apps allow you to engage with your customers through text messages. From promotional offers to webinar reminders, you can scale your outreach campaigns easily. Just make sure to get the expressed written consent of your customers before sending them marketing messages. 

Collect insurance information 

Let’s say one of your patient’s insurance information is incomplete or incorrect and you need to update the same. What would be better: giving them a call about the same or dropping a text message? The latter, right? With a medical texting app like Emitrr, you can start a secure chat with your patient and gather their insurance details with ease. The mesages exchanged in this secure portal cannot be intercepted and also lie within HIPAA compliance rules. Imagine how easier data collection would become for you! 

Send reminders and confirmations 

Let’s say you have supplies ready for your patients to stop by and collect. You can send them reminders asking them to come and collect their orders. On the other hand, if you’re delivering the prescriptions to their doorstep, you can use medical messaging to send delivery confimation texts.  

Address customer queries 

As a medical device company, it is important for you to be available to your customers. With medical messaging, you will be a text message away. Being accessible to your customers shows that you care about them. This in turn will improve your retention rates and will boost customer satisfaction and experience. 

Medical Texting Templates For Medical Device Companies 

Wondering where to start? Well, here are some SMS templates that you can copy with a single click and use to communicate with your customers.

Welcome message template

Hello {{firstName}}. This is <<Business Name>>. We have received a prescription from your provider. Please call us at <contact number> to fill the prescription. We look forward to helping you!

Hello {{firstName}}! This is <<Business Name>>. We have received a prescription from your provider.  Please visit www.ABC.com/ship to complete your order online. Make sure to have your insurance or claim information ready. You may also call <Contact number> to fill the prescription. We look forward to helping you!

Outstanding balance SMS template

Hello {{firstName}}, You are receiving this message as our records indicate that you have an outstanding balance of {{Balance Amount}} with <<Business Name>>. Please contact us within 30 days to settle your account with our Patient Support team. We are open 6 AM to 6 PM MST, M-F via <Contact number> or pay online at: <link>

Return device template

Hello {{firstName}}, You are receiving this message as our records indicate that correspondence has been received from your insurance carrier. A pre-paid return label has been sent for you to return the prescribed device from <<Business Name>>. If you would like to discuss this further, please reach out to our Patient Support team from 6 AM to 6 PM MST, M-F via <Contact number>.

Order shipped SMS template

Hello, This is <<Business Name>>. We have shipped your prescription. Your order will be delivered in about 3-5 business days via USPS. We’ll send you a Welcome Letter with a detailed explanation of the billing process and a list of frequently asked questions. You’ll also receive a call from our Patient Experience team to review the device. If you have any questions, please call us at 1-<Contact number>.

Wellness text template

Hello {{firstName}}, this is <<Business Name>> checking in again to see how your treatment is going. Contact us for any reason by following this link https://www.ABC.com/contact/ Thank you.

Follow-up template

Hello {{firstName}}, this is <<Business Name>> checking in again to see how your treatment is going. Contact us for any reason by following this link https://www.ABC.com/contact/ Thank you.

Documentation required SMS template

Hello {{firstName}}, Your insurance carrier has requested medical records to process your claims for services rendered by <<Business Name>>. We have made several attempts to obtain these documents without success. We are requesting your assistance with obtaining this documentation to submit to your insurance. Please contact us weekdays from 6 AM to 6 PM mountain time at <Contact number> for further information. Thank you

Hello {{firstName}}. This is <<Business Name>>. We still have your prescription from your provider. We are waiting for your returned documentation to get this prescription filled. If you need assistance, please call <Contact number>. We look forward to helping you!

Survey text template

Hello {{firstName}}, We are reaching out regarding your treatment with the <<Business Name>> device that was prescribed to you. Prescribers like to know how treatment is progressing if you’d like to complete a brief treatment feedback survey: https://www.ABC.com/patientsurvey/ If there is anything you need, please feel free to call us at <Contact number> M-F from 7 am-5 pm MT. Regards.

Insurance information required SMS template

Hello {{firstName}}, You are receiving this message as our records indicate that we are missing insurance information on your file with <<Business Name>>. Please update your information here: https://tinyurl.com/ABCInfo If you would like to discuss this further, contact our Patient Support team from 6 AM to 6 PM MST, M-F via <Contact number>.

Address update required SMS template

Hello {{firstName}}, You are receiving this message as our records indicate that we are missing insurance information on your file with <<Business Name>>. Please update your information here: https://tinyurl.com/ABCInfo If you would like to discuss this further, contact our Patient Support team from 6 AM to 6 PM MST, M-F via <Contact number>.

Delivery verification template

Hello {{firstName}}, We are reaching out regarding the device you were prescribed from <<Business Name>>. We wanted to verify delivery and answer any questions regarding the device or treatment. You can reach us at <Contact number> or text us back M-F from 7am-5pm MT. Regards.

Discounted balance text template

Hello {{firstName}}, We are reaching out regarding the device you were prescribed from <<Business Name>>. We wanted to verify delivery and answer any questions regarding the device or treatment. You can reach us at <Contact number> or text us back M-F from 7am-5pm MT. Regards.

Outstanding balance SMS template

Hello {{firstName}}, You are receiving this message as our records indicate that you currently have an outstanding balance. If you would like to pay online, please visit our website: http://www.ABC.com/billpay/ If you would like to discuss this further, please contact us at <Contact number> on weekdays between 6 AM to 6 PM Mountain Time. We look forward to assisting you! Sincerely, <<Business Name>>.

Review request template

“Thank you for allowing <<Business Name>> to be a part of your non-invasive and opioid-free pain management journey. We are always working hard to ensure our patients receive the highest level of care. We’d love to get your feedback about your experience with us! {{review_link}}

Order tracking template

Hello {{firstName}} ! This is <<Business Name>>. Your device has been shipped via xxxx. Tracking number: xxxx. Please contact our product specialist team Monday through Friday 7a-5p MT at <Contact number> if you need additional assistance.

Order update text template

Hello {{firstName}} ! This is <<Business Name>>. Your device has been shipped via xxxx. Tracking number: xxxx. Please contact our product specialist team Monday through Friday 7a-5p MT at <Contact number> if you need additional assistance.

Shipment issue SMS template

“Hello [contact name here],You are receiving this message because we have been attempting to reach you regarding a shipment issue with the medical device sent to you by <<Business Name>>. If you could please contact us back at your earliest convenience at <Contact number> Monday to Friday, 7a-5p MT. Regards.”

Apology text template

Hi, {{firstName}}. Thank you for taking the time to contact us, and I’m so sorry about your experience. We’re usually known for providing great customer service, and we regret missing that standard. We’ll have someone reach out to assist you. You may also contact us M-F 6am-6pm at <Contact number>.

Error balance text template

Hi, {{firstName}}. Thank you for taking the time to contact us, and I’m so sorry about your experience. We’re usually known for providing great customer service, and we regret missing that standard. We’ll have someone reach out to assist you. You may also contact us M-F 6am-6pm at <Contact number>.

Missed call SMS template

Hello {{firstName}}, We are reaching out from <<Business Name>> as we have missed a few calls from you – our apologies. Is there a specific time of day that works best to contact you to avoid future missed calls? We can be reached 7a-5p MT at <Contact number> or at [email protected]. Regards.

Available for pickup text template

Hello {{firstName}}, We are reaching out from <<Business Name>> as we have missed a few calls from you – our apologies. Is there a specific time of day that works best to contact you to avoid future missed calls? We can be reached 7a-5p MT at <Contact number> or at [email protected]. Regards.

Unable to reach SMS template

Hello {{firstName}}, You are receiving this message because we have been attempting to reach you regarding your account with <<Business Name>>. If you could please contact us back at your earliest convenience at <Contact number> Monday to Friday, 7a-5p MT. Regards.

Thank you message template

Thank you so much for your feedback. We really appreciate you taking the time out to share your experience with us. If there is anything more you need, please contact us at [email protected] or call <Contact number>. Our hours of operation are Monday through Friday from 6a-6p MST. Thank you.

Medical Texting FAQs 

Conclusion 

If you’ve been relying on phonecalls and emails to communicate with your customers, then it’s time to adapt to the changing times. Choose medical texting for better communication, improved ROI, and increased revenue. Did Emitrr’s offerings pique your interest? If yes, book a quick call here.