Using Texting to Communicate with your Patients

We live in a wireless world. Gone are the days of picking up the phone and speaking to your friendly operator named Betty who will connect you to Doc Jackson in just a second, as soon as he is off the line with Mrs. Cook, who is having trouble with her lumbago again.

While we might look back on those times with some affection, the truth is that cell phones have taken over, and the convenience of using them makes that nostalgia fade away pretty quickly.

In fact, according to research published in May by the National Center for Health Statistics landlines are now in the minority for the first time. A majority of Americans now have only wireless phones. And although we might think that cell phones are only for millennials, the statistics show that smart phone use is growing in all demographic areas. The Pew Research Center has published statistics showing that 95% of all adults in the United States own a cell phone, and of people 65 and over 80% are cell phone users.

For those people who still use landlines, they are often so barraged with marketing calls that they will often not even answer the phone unless the call comes from a friend or family member. So they don’t answer, then you have to leave a voicemail, and hope that they listen to it and act on it in a timely way. And if your staff is relying on phone calls for communication you need to take into account the time they will be spending answering the phones, or calling and waiting for an answer, leaving messages, on hold, or just playing phone tag throughout the day.

What this tells us is that texting is a very efficient and effective way to contact patients if you want to get in touch quickly, and if you want to ensure that your message gets through. Rather than trying to call a landline, letting it ring for ages, hoping that they pick up and, if they don’t, leaving a message on their voicemail that you hope they hear in good time, just send a text. It will go through straight away, the patient can refer back to it, and most importantly you can be assured of your message getting through. The patient can reply very quickly, no need ever to play phone tag again!

And texting is so much more convenient for the patient! Answering a phone call is a hassle, especially at work, instead they can just text back. They don’t have to download an app or login to a patient portal, just reply from their phone like they were texting a friend!

Why Would You Want To Text Your Patients?

There are lots of excellent ways to employ texting not only to contact your patients to remind them of appointments, to let them know about any questions you might have, but also inform them of things that might be useful to them.

Great Reasons to use Texting to Communicate with your Patients:

• Automated Reminders and Recalls: Texting is one of the best ways to make sure your patients are reminded of their appointments or to let them know their yearly appointment is due.
• Happy Birthday: Send a text to your patients on their birthday and make them happy!
• Deaf or hard-of-hearing patients: Texting can be a much easier way to communicate with your deaf or hard-of-hearing patients.
• Order Notifications: Do you have patients who just leave their glasses or contacts sitting around your office for days after they have been initially notified? Text them with a friendly reminder!

• Additional appointment information: If there is a particular bit of insurance information or anything additional a patient might need to bring to their appointment, text them and let them know!
• Last minute cancellations: When you arrived at the office, you found a message from a patient canceling their 3:00 appointment that afternoon. Texting is a great way to get in touch with patients who have asked to be on a waitlist. Rather than leaving a message on their home phone, which they probably wouldn’t hear in time for the appointment, text them and see if they can fill your empty appointment slot.
• Announcements: Did the pipes in the office freeze? Does the doctor have the flu? Text the patients that you have on your books today and let them know that their appointment will have to be rescheduled. They will be happy you got in touch!
• Communications in other languages: We are a diverse country, and texting is a great way to communicate with your patients in their native language.
• Rescheduling: If you have to change their appointment or if you are a practice that cancels patients’ appointments if they do not confirm, send them a text letting them know that they need to reschedule.

• Accounting information: Have an outstanding balance or some co-pay information for the patient? Text them and keep them informed.
• General updates: Has there been a delay in receiving your orders? Has a particular type of contact lens been discontinued? Texting will give the information quickly to your patients.
• Insurance questions: Do you need additional information to process the patient’s insurance? Text them and get the answers you need quickly.
• Follow-up Appointments: Does your patient need to make a follow-up appointment? Let them know by text and be sure to reach them with this important information.

As you can see, there are lots of great reasons to use texting to communicate with your patients. If you want to learn more about the automated text services and the Two-Way Texting tool that 4PatientCare can provide, please click on the button below.