How To Use Text Messaging In Your Healthcare Practice?

Introduction

In today’s times full of digitization and mobile devices, it has become even more important to stay on the top of the communication game than ever. To stay in touch with your patients on their most preferred communication channel, text messaging stands out as one of the best and most effective means of communication. Texting has an open rate of 98% and a high response rate amongst any other communication channels like emails or phone calls. Whether it’s appointment reminders, follow-up messages, or patient education, text messaging offers a direct line of communication that improves patient engagement and streamlines practice operations.

Let us explore various ways in which a healthcare practice can leverage text messaging to improve patient communication, improve healthcare practice’s operational efficiency, and boost patient experience. 

Benefits of Text Messaging In Healthcare

Ease of Use

Texting is easy-to-use and at the same time user-friendly, both for patients and for the healthcare providers. All the patients use text messaging and prefer to communicate over text messages to get quick response and communicate directly. Healthcare practices can integrate text messaging softwares with existing systems, making it simple to automate workflows and save manual efforts. 

Reduce No-Shows

Patient no-shows is like a loss of time and business for the healthcare practices. With text messaging reminders, patients receive timely notifications for their upcoming appointments, reducing the chances of no-shows. Text reminders not only reduce no-shows, but also ensure that the patients get timely medical help and care. 

Did you know, Emitrr can help you reduce no-shows by 90%. Book a demo to know more about the features and automations that Emitrr offers for healthcare practices of any size. 

Better Response Rate

Text messages have a high open rate and response rate as compared to emails or phone calls. The average response rate of text messages is 45%, which ensures that the patients are more likely to read and respond to the messages making doctor-patient communication faster and more efficient. The response rate is beneficial for time-sensitive cases like appointment confirmations or test result follow-ups. 

Improve Patient Communication

Effective patient communication is vital for any healthcare practice. With the help of text messaging, healthcare providers can send personalized messages, reminders, confirmations, alerts, test results, follow-up messages, healthcare tips and more. This fosters better communication and engagement between doctors and the patients. 

Reduce Operation Costs

Healthcare practices often face challenges when it comes to operations. Operations require a lot of time, effort and costs for maintenance. Imagine reducing the operations time and costs with text messaging. Well it’s easy to streamline operations with text messaging and reduce time and cost associated with it. All your text messages like reminders, confirmations, follow-ups, review requests can be simply automated. This also lifts the burden of phone calls and emails from your staff, allowing them to focus on more critical tasks. The staff can focus on other tasks and boost their overall productivity.

Retain More Patients

For building a successful healthcare practice, patient retention plays a vital role. Keeping in touch with the patients on a regular basis, reminding them of their routine check-ups, sharing timely medical advice and tips can keep them engaged. This also helps to build trust and loyalty, ensuring that the patients keep visiting your practice and have a long term relationship with the healthcare provider. 

Boost Patient Experience

Having a positive patient experience helps you keep the patients happy and satisfied with your healthcare practice. With text messaging, you can personalize your messages for a reminder, follow-up or even for a simple review request letting the patients feel valued. Text messages help create a seamless patient journey that boosts the overall patient experience with your healthcare practice. 

Best Practices For Text Messaging For Healthcare

Now that we know the power of text messaging for healthcare practices, it’s time we also learn about the compliance and regulatory requirements to make sure that patient privacy is maintained at all times. Also, understanding the best practices will help the healthcare practice to make the most out of text message communication. Let us have a look at the best practices for healthcare text messaging.

Get Patient Consent

It is important to take the consent of your patients before you start sending them text messages. You need to provide them with a clear explanation on the type of messages that the patient will be receiving and the frequency of the messages. Consent makes sure that the patients are aware and comfortable receiving communication through text messages. Having patient consent is not just a legal requirement but it is also about respecting patient choice to gain their trust. 

Opt-out Option

After taking patient consent as the first step to start patient texting, it is time to offer opt-out options to the patients. This shows respect to the patients and gives them the flexibility to opt for text communication of their preferences. It also allows them to stop receiving messages whenever required. Healthcare practice simply needs to include an opt-out mechanism, like replying “STOP” to a message to stop getting further messages. This helps maintain compliance with the regulations and respect patient autonomy. 

HIPAA Compliance

Healthcare texting requires strict compliance with the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA), which is mandatory for the protection of patient information. This includes using secure chats for sharing important patient information. It also means using an end-to-end encrypted texting platform to protect the data. Always ensure that your messaging practices are aligned with HIPAA guidelines to protect patient privacy and avoid legal actions.

Use Secure Messaging

Protecting patient information is of utmost importance. Using a secure messaging platform for healthcare texting offers good encryption and security. A secure texting platform ensures that the messages are transmitted and stored in a way that the HIPAA standards are met. Securing messaging reduces the risk of data breaches and reassures patients that their information is handled with care.  

Train Your Staff To Stay Compliant

Every healthcare practice needs to provide proper training to the staff to ensure that the staff understands the legal and ethical obligations involved in text messaging. The training should cover HIPAA regulations, obtaining patient consent, and proper use of secure messaging platforms. Regular training sessions will help the team to stay updated with the compliances and help them avoid unintentional breaches.

Gather Regular Feedback

For continuous improvement in the text messaging practices, healthcare practices need to collect regular feedback from the patients. This will help in understanding patient preferences, learning about their issues if any, and making changes to the texting style to boost overall patient experience. Gathering feedback shows that you value patient opinions and are committed to providing the best possible care.

Send Quick Responses

Sending timely communication is the key to effective patient care. Make sure to set up a quick response for the patients sending enquiry messages. Sending prompt replies improves patient satisfaction and helps in maintaining the flow of communication.

Personalization

Sending personalized text messages enhances patient engagement. Use patient names and customize messages to patients’ specific needs. Personalized communication makes patients feel valued and understood, making them more loyal to your practice. 

How To Use Text Messaging For Healthcare Practices?

Text messaging can greatly improve communication and efficiency in healthcare practices. Here’s how you can use SMS to benefit both your practice and your patients:

Patient Communication

Text messaging can keep patients informed and engaged. You can send important updates, reminders, and health information directly to their phones for quick and convenient communication.

Send Appointment Reminders

Reduce no-shows by sending automated reminders for upcoming appointments. A simple text a day or two before the appointment can help patients remember and confirm their visits.

Send Appointment Confirmation Messages

After scheduling an appointment, you can send a confirmation text to ensure the patient has all the details. This helps avoid any confusion and allows patients to easily confirm or reschedule if needed.

Send Patient Forms

Make it easier for patients by sending links to online forms they need to fill out before their visit. This streamlines the check-in process and saves time for both patients and staff.

Prescription Refill Reminders

Help patients stay on top of their medications by sending reminders when it’s time to refill a prescription. This ensures they don’t miss a dose and supports better health outcomes.

Medication Reminders

For patients with ongoing treatments, send timely medication reminders to help them stick to their prescribed routine. This improves treatment effectiveness and patient well-being.

Share Healthcare Tips

Educate your patients by sharing helpful health tips and advice via text. These can be general wellness tips or specific advice related to their condition, promoting healthier lifestyles.

Share Lab Results

Once lab results are available, send a secure text message notifying patients that their results are ready. Include instructions on how to view them securely online or schedule a follow-up discussion.

Send Surveys And Reviews

Gather valuable feedback by sending surveys and review requests after appointments. This helps you improve your services and understand patient satisfaction levels.

Send Payment Reminders 

Avoid missed payments by sending reminders about upcoming or overdue bills. This keeps the billing process smooth and reduces the chance of missed payments.

Other Alerts And Notifications

Use text messaging to send various alerts, such as changes in office hours, weather-related closures, or vaccine availability. Keep patients informed about any important updates.

Share ePHI

If you need to share sensitive information, ensure you use a secure, HIPAA-compliant messaging platform. This protects patient privacy while delivering important health information.

Staff Communication

Efficient communication with your healthcare staff is essential for smooth operations. Text messaging provides a quick and effective way to keep your team informed and makes collaboration easy. Here’s how you can use SMS for staff communication:

Shift Reminders

Send timely reminders to staff about their upcoming shifts. This helps ensure everyone is aware of their schedule and reduces the chances of missed shifts or late arrivals.

Emergency Alerts

In urgent situations, use text messaging to quickly notify staff about emergencies or unexpected events. Fast communication can help your team respond effectively and keep patients safe.

Shift Opening Alerts

If there’s an open shift that needs to be filled, send an alert to the team. This allows interested staff members to quickly respond and fill in the gaps, ensuring that your practice runs smoothly.

Meeting Reminders

Keep your team on track by sending reminders for upcoming meetings. This ensures that everyone is prepared and aware of important discussions or training sessions.

Team Collaboration

Improve collaboration among your staff by using text messaging for quick updates and coordination. Whether it’s sharing important information or coordinating tasks, SMS helps keep everyone on the same page.

Templates For Healthcare Text Messaging 

Patient Communication Templates

Appointment Reminder

Hi [Patient Name], this is a reminder of your appointment with [Provider/Clinic Name] on [Date] at [Time]. Please reply ‘CONFIRM’ to confirm or reply ‘RE’ to reschedule. See you soon.

Appointment Confirmation

Your appointment with [Provider/Clinic Name] is confirmed for [Date] at [Time]. If you need to make any changes, please reply ‘Change’. Thank you.

Patient Forms

Hi [Patient Name], please complete your pre-appointment forms before your visit on [Date]. Click the link to fill them out: [Link]. Thank you.

Prescription Refill Reminder

Hi [Patient Name], it’s time to refill your prescription for [Medication Name]. Please contact your pharmacy or reply to this message if you need assistance.

Medication Reminder

Hi [Patient Name], this is a reminder to take your [Medication Name] at [Time]. If you have any questions, please contact us at [Phone Number].

Healthcare Tips

Tip of the Day: Stay hydrated! Drinking plenty of water can help keep you healthy and energized. – [Provider/Clinic Name]

Lab Results Notification

Hi [Patient Name], your lab results are ready. Please log in to your patient portal to view them securely or call us at [Phone Number] to discuss the results.

Survey and Review Request

Thank you for visiting [Provider/Clinic Name]. We value your feedback! Please take a moment to fill out our quick survey: [Link]. Your input helps us improve our services.

Payment Reminder

Hi [Patient Name], this is a reminder that your payment of [Amount] is due on [Date]. Please visit [Link] to make a payment or contact us at [Phone Number] for assistance.

Alert or Notification

Important Update: Due to severe weather, our office will be closed on [Date]. Please reply ‘RE’ to reschedule any appointments.

Sharing ePHI

Hi [Patient Name], you have new health information available in your secure patient portal. Please log in to view the details: [Link]. Contact us at [Phone Number] if you need help.

Staff Communication Templates

Shift Reminder

Hi [Staff Name], this is a reminder of your upcoming shift on [Date] from [Start Time] to [End Time]. Please ensure you arrive on time. Thank you.

Emergency Alert

URGENT: [Brief description of the emergency, e.g., ‘Code Red in ER.’] Please report to [Location] immediately. Contact [Phone Number] if you need further instructions.

Shift Opening Alert

Shift Available: We have an open shift on [Date] from [Start Time] to [End Time]. Reply ‘YES’ if you can take it or contact [Phone Number] for more details.

Meeting Reminder

Reminder: Team meeting scheduled for [Date] at [Time] in [Location]. Please be prepared to discuss [Agenda Topic]. See you there.

Team Collaboration

Hi Team, please review the latest updates on [Project/Task] and share your feedback by [Deadline]. Let’s work together to ensure everything is on track. Thanks.

How To Get Started With Healthcare Text Messaging Using Emitrr?

Emitrr is a HIPAA compliant texting platform that helps healthcare practices send text messages for reminders, confirmations, follow-ups, review requests, and more. Emitrr is one of the most preferred text messaging platforms of healthcare practices to automate their manual tasks and sending patient text messages. 

You can start your text messaging journey with Emitrr using simple steps – 

1. Connect with Emitrr’s team to use your current business number for texting
2. Once your number has been text-enabled, you will be given a login access to Emitrr’s platform
3. Now you can start sending text messages by clicking on Send on the top right bar.

4. You can easily integrate your EHR/EMR/PMS to get all your contact list on Emitrr.
5. You can then create campaigns, set up auto responses and more using the platform.
6. You can also send secure messages to the patients by enabling the Secure Chat option. Here’s a video to help you do the same. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ky-8czip1Gc

What Can You Do With Emitrr’s HIPAA Compliant Text Messaging?

With Emitrr’s HIPAA Compliant text messaging you can automate a lot of workflows and reduce operations time of your staff. Emitrr offers a comprehensive suite of features that support the entire patient journey, from scheduling appointments to bringing patients back for follow-ups. Here are some key features:

• Send 2-way Texts: You can send 2-way text messages to your patients to keep the conversation even more engaging.
• Group Messages: You can create groups and send text messages to keep multiple people in the loop.
• Broadcast Messages: Send a text message to a list of people individually by creating a simple broadcast list.
• Appointment Reminders: Send automated or manual reminders to ensure patients never miss an appointment.
• Digital Patient Intake Forms: Securely send and receive patient intake forms online.
• PMS Data Syncing: Automatically sync form data to your practice management system (PMS).
• Appointment Status Updates: Update appointment statuses directly in the PMS.
• Review Requests: Request reviews from patients after their appointments.
• Hygiene Recall: Remind patients to return for hygiene check-ups when due.

Additionally, you can view and manage appointments directly from your calendar using various filter criteria:

• By provider
• By visit type
• By patient
• By date range

In-chat Features

Emitrr goes the extra mile by offering a range of features directly within the chat interface, refining your conversation management.

• Add Depth with Notes: Enhance discussions by adding notes to your conversations.
• Organize Chat Space: Keep things organized by categorizing conversations as read or unread.
• Customize Dispositions: Monitor progress by customizing dispositions, staying informed about every conversation.
• Streamlined Focus: Instantly differentiate between open and closed conversations to streamline your focus.
• Clutter-Free Workspace: Effortlessly organize conversations into folders for a clutter-free workspace.
• Control Contacts: Exercise control by blocking contacts when needed for a secure and focused communication environment.
• Record-Keeping: Securely print conversations for record-keeping, maintaining a tangible archive of important discussions.

FAQs

Conclusion

Text messaging has become an invaluable tool in modern healthcare, offering a convenient and efficient way to communicate with patients and streamline practice operations. By integrating SMS into your practice, you can enhance patient engagement, reduce missed appointments, and improve overall patient satisfaction. However, it’s crucial to implement best practices, such as obtaining patient consent, ensuring HIPAA compliance, and using secure messaging platforms to protect patient privacy. With thoughtful use, text messaging can transform the way your practice connects with patients, leading to better care and stronger patient relationships.

Start your HIPAA compliant text messaging journey today with Emitrr. Book a demo to talk to our team today.