A medical facility generally needs to use varied methods of communication. Phone, voicemail, email, sms, name it and you will find a use for it. One particular channel that stands out when it comes to instant communication is secure/encrypted SMS. Using SMS for doctors’ offices can give great results! From connecting with staff for inter-team communication to engaging with patients, using SMS for the doctor’s office can have a significant impact on business operations. Let’s have a look at some useful templates for SMS for doctors and see how you can implement it at your practice.
SMS Templates for Doctor and Staff Communication
#1. Send urgent notifications
In emergency situations, instant communication with the team is required. Whether it be notifying doctors for rapid response calls, sending urgent updates regarding a patient’s treatment, or communicating important information during emergencies/natural disasters, SMS can be a great tool to ensure instant delivery of the message. Here is a template you can use:
Template 1
“Urgent Notification: Attention all doctors/staff. Immediate action required regarding [brief description]. Please gather in [location] for an emergency meeting at [time]. Your prompt presence is crucial. Thank you.”
#2. Shift Reminders and Updates
Keeping the staff in the loop regarding their shift timings and other updates can also be effectively achieved through SMS. You can send reminders to the staff about upcoming shifts or changes in the shift. SMS can also be used to communicate shift assignments and reassignments. You may also leverage the power of automation for shift reminder purposes. You can set up automation in such a way that whenever a slot opens up for a shift, all team members are sent an update. This way the system can keep running without manual intervention. Here are some templates you can use:
Template 2
Your upcoming shift at [Hospital/Department] is tomorrow from [Shift Time]. Please ensure your timely presence. Thank you.
Template 3
Your shift at [Hospital/Department] has been rescheduled to [New Shift Time]. Please adjust your schedule accordingly. Thank you.
Template 4
You are assigned to work at [Hospital/Department] on [Date] from [Shift Time]. Please confirm your availability. Thank you.
Template 5
Your shift at [Hospital/Department] on [Date] has been reassigned. Please disregard the previous schedule. Thank you.
#3. Collaborative decision-making
SMS can also be used to quickly communicate for collective decision-making among doctors and staff members.
Template 6
We invite you to participate in a collaborative decision-making process at [Hospital/Department]. Meeting on [Date] at [Time]. Your valuable input is vital. Thank you.
#4. Administrative communication
You can send instant updates about new administrative policies, deadlines for documentation work, and performance evaluations through SMS.
Template 7
Effective immediately, a new administrative policy has been implemented at [Hospital/Department]. Please review the details provided via email or on the intranet. Thank you for your cooperation.
Template 8
Friendly reminder, the deadline for submitting all staff documentation is approaching. Please ensure all necessary paperwork is completed and submitted by [Deadline Date]. Thank you for your prompt attention to this matter.
Template 9
We would like to inform you that your performance evaluation is scheduled for [Date]. Please prepare any necessary documentation or supporting materials. Your active participation is appreciated. Thank you
However, one thing to note here is that if communication entails details about a patient’s health information, it is necessary to ascertain that HIPAA compliance is maintained.
Learn how you can use Emitrr’s texting features for doctor and staff communication here:
SMS Templates for Doctor and Patient Communication
Using SMS for doctor and patient communication can help improve patient engagement levels. A better patient journey can also be expected when patients have an easy medium to communicate with their providers every step of the way. Following are some use cases of SMS for doctor and patient communication along with SMS templates.
#1. Appointment scheduling
SMS is a great channel to engage patients and have them schedule an appointment. Patients may call the clinic or visit the practice website to book an appointment. However, there is a possibility that their calls go unattended or a lack of internet connectivity makes the appointment scheduling attempt void, in such cases engaging the patients through text can definitely prove beneficial.
Scenario 1: Patient calls, but no one attends. In this case, sending an immediate follow-up text can help engage the customer. If their calling intent was scheduling an appointment, simply include a link to appointment scheduling in the text.
Scenario 2: Patients were inquiring on the website’s chat widget but lost connectivity. To engage these patients, you could make it mandatory to have them submit their phone numbers. If and when the conversation stops due to a lack of internet connection, you can simply continue the conversation by text!
Here are some text templates you could use:
Template 10
Hello! We would like to schedule an appointment for you at [Hospital/Department]. Please reply with your preferred date and time, or call [Contact Number] to coordinate a convenient appointment. Thank you!
Template 11
Hi, if you wish to schedule an appointment with [Practice Name], follow this link [Link].
Template 12
Sorry, we missed your call. If you wish to schedule an appointment with [Practice Name], follow this link: [Link]
#2. Appointment reminders
After the patient has scheduled their appointment, reminding them to keep up with it, is the clinic’s responsibility.
Did you know?
The total cost of missed healthcare appointments in the United States every year is an astronomical $150 billion. Each open, unused time slot costs a physician 60 minutes and $200 on average.
A sure-shot way to ensure the visibility of appointment reminders is by sending them via text. Text appointment reminders can be automated in such a way that they are sent according to each patient’s appointment date along with setting the cadence of the appointment reminders.
Did you know?
A study published in the Journal of Medical Systems found that appointment reminders through automated phone calls or text messages led to a 36% reduction in no-show rates in a primary care setting. Another study conducted by a dental clinic reported a reduction of 50% in no-shows after implementing text message reminders.
Here is a template you could use:
Template 13
Hi {{patientname}}, this is to remind you that you have an upcoming appointment at {{clinicname}} on {{date}} {{time}. If you wish to reschedule your appointment press C.
#3. General Updates
After the patient has had an appointment with the doctor, you can use texting to send them treatment plans they should follow, lifestyle tips, general medical information, etc. If texting is 2-way then patients can also clear any doubts they might have and engage more effectively with their providers. You can also leverage the 2-way texting feature to receive patient referrals or even refer doctors to patients.
Here are some templates you can use:
Template 14
Lifestyle Tips: Stay active! Aim for at least 30 minutes of exercise daily to boost your energy and improve overall health.
Template 15
Lifestyle Tips: Prioritize sleep; aim for 7-9 hours of quality rest each night to rejuvenate your body and mind.
Template 16
Your personalized treatment plan is ready. Visit [Hospital/Department] or call [Contact Number] to collect. Thank you for entrusting us with your care. [Your Name]
#4. Sending Intake forms
Healthcare providers can enhance the patient journey by allowing the patients to save time. The number one time-consuming task in a healthcare practice is filling out the patient intake form. To avoid this time-consuming step, providers can send a text message to the patients containing a link to the patient intake form. This way patients can fill up the patient intake form even before coming to the practice and hence save a lot of time. These intake forms can also be integrated with your clinic’s EHR. This way the forms can become easily accessible in one place along with all important patient data. Here is a template you can use:
Template 17
Please complete the patient intake form prior to your visit. The form can be accessed at [Form Link]. Thank you for your cooperation.
#5. Surveys
So surveys can be sent to patients using text. Surveys plan an important role in determining how well the practice is functioning and understanding whether the patients are satisfied with the service they receive. There are two ways to deliver surveys on text.
i) You can send a text message containing a link to the survey.
ii) You can engage in two-way communication with one question asked at a time.
Here is a template you can use:
Template 18
We kindly request your participation in a brief survey regarding your recent visit. Your feedback is valuable. Please complete the survey at [Survey Link]. Thank you for your time and input.
#6. Review Requests
Most patients who want to finalize a healthcare practice first look it up on the internet, ascertain its credibility through other patient reviews, and then book an appointment. Therefore it is necessary for healthcare practices to have credible reviews on all required review platforms. The best way to collect these reviews is just by asking your existing patients for reviews. And the best method to implement it is through SMS.
For example, one of Emitrr’s customers Pinnacle Medical was able to see an increase of 500% in their reviews just by automating the entire process review request process through text. When they started with Emitrr they had a total of 9 reviews.
Here are a few templates that you can use to send review requests to patients:
Template 19
“Hi [Patient’s Name], we hope you’re doing well. Your feedback is important to us. Please take a moment to share your experience by clicking the link below. Thank you!”
Template 20
“Hello [Patient’s Name], we value your opinion. Please take a moment to leave a review about your recent visit. Your feedback helps us improve our services. Thank you!”
Template 21
“Dear [Patient’s Name], we strive to provide the best care possible. Your feedback is valuable to us. Please take a moment to review your experience with us. Thank you for your time!”
#7. Mass texting
As we discussed in the section for doctor staff communication, mass texting can also be used to send broadcast messages to patients! Emergency alerts, policy updates, general health information, etc can all be sent as a mass text blast using the mass texting feature. Here is a template:
Template 22
Experience exceptional care at our state-of-the-art hospital. Expert doctors, advanced technology, and compassionate staff ensure your well-being. Your health is our priority. Visit us today!
Education & health tips
Send educational SMS or health tips to your patients via mass messaging. Via this, you can either share wellness tips, medical practice newsletters, healthcare alerts, and more.
Here are a few customized templates that you can use for the same:
Template 23
“Hello! Here’s a quick wellness tip for you: Remember to stay hydrated throughout the day to keep your body and mind healthy. Drink plenty of water and take care of yourself. Have a great day!”
Template 24
Hi [name]. We wanted to share this recent article on [topic] with you. It contains answers to all of the FAQs about [diagnosis].
Learn how you can use Emitrr’s texting features for doctor and patient communication:
How Doctors Can Use SMS Templates for Sending SMS?
Here’s a step-by-step guide on how to send SMS for doctors using SMS templates on Emitrr:
1. Login into Emitrr’s dashboard and go to “campaigns> text campaigns.”
2. Now click on the “create campaign” option.
3. A new page will open. Here type in the campaign name and select the template option at the bottom of the box.
4. Now you will see the option to either choose a template or create a new one. Select “create template” option
5. Give a name to your template and paste the message in the box.
6. You can also select the “use a property” option appearing at the bottom, if you want to send customized messages to your patients. Once done, click on create & your template will be saved.
7. Next, you will get the option to send or schedule your message. Select “Immediately” if you want to send the SMS instantly, or choose “Later” if you want to schedule the message campaign for later
8. Now scroll down and click on Next. You will see a new page where you can upload the list of contacts to whom you wish to send the appointment reminder messages.
9. Lastly, click on “Next” and then “Confirm and send” to send appointment reminder messages to multiple patients scheduled for the day.
FAQs
SMS templates for doctors are pre-written templates that can be customized for different kinds of messages, be it appointment reminders, patient recalls, etc.
Doctors can send SMS to patients; however, they must follow HIPAA guidelines and protect patients’ PHI when communicating.
Conclusion
SMS can be a very powerful tool in the doctor’s office. From communicating with staff to communicating with patients, SMS can help facilitate smooth conversations due to its versatile nature and the fact that nearly everyone has access to a mobile phone. Since SMS is independent of the internet, it helps ensure that everyone receives the message without an active internet connection.
Feel free to use these free templates for SMS for Doctors next time you communicate with your patients.
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