Leverage the Power of SMS in the Healthcare industry

Remember the last time you tried to reschedule an appointment with a medical facility and were stuck on hold for what seemed like an eternity listening to a tedious song?

Texting is a quick and convenient way for the healthcare industry to save time and money when compared to phone calls. The transmission of patient information, such as appointment dates, test results, medication details, appointment reminders, and educational campaigns, is efficiently executed through SMS, which stands as the most productive medium for healthcare communication

SMS marketing has proved to be a powerful communication tool for healthcare companies and offers benefits that go beyond other platforms on the internet. With nearly every adult having the mobile phone SMS is accessible to everyone and makes it an all-inclusive choice for healthcare professionals. Services for healthcare can be effectively delivered via SMS marketing including reminders for appointments as well as health tips and medication alerts.

The simple nature of SMS makes sure that vital health information is absorbed and understood without distractions that are common to other methods of digital marketing. The patients are much less likely not receive an SMS which makes it an efficient method of communicating urgently. This is essential for healthcare professionals who must to ensure that messages with a deadline such as appointments confirmations or updates on prescriptions are delivered to the intended recipients.

Why SMS is the most effective method of Patient Communication?

Instant Delivery

SMS proves to be the swiftest mode of communication. Real-time SMS, facilitated by medical alert systems, allows patients to receive assistance expeditiously, fostering a sense of direct engagement between the medical facility and the patient.

SMS messages can be dispatched via mobile phones, instantly reaching the recipient without necessitating internet connectivity. This accessibility extends to individuals residing in remote areas with limited internet access.

Healthcare establishments can promptly apprise patients of real-time wait durations through medical text notifications and reminders. Long wait times can be frustrating, but this proactive communication helps to lessen that.

SMS enables the provision of links to access vital reports. Patients can effortlessly access and review results, and it also allows for the transmission of prescriptions, medical documents, images, dietary plans, and SMS attachments.

The fiscal stability of a clinic can be significantly influenced by missed appointments, cancellations, and extensive phone interactions. Healthcare SMS solutions play a pivotal role in alleviating shortages in medical funds

SMS remains the most efficient method of healthcare communication. Most patients express a preference for receiving healthcare information via text messages, eschewing the need for medical portals. Numerous avenues exist for leveraging text messaging to enhance the overall patient and healthcare provider experience

SMS facilitates the dissemination of appointment details and reminders, reducing the likelihood of missed appointments and saving time and resources while enhancing office efficiency.

Diagnostic centers transmit SMS notifications to patients when their test results are ready, including a call-to-action link for report retrieval, thus ensuring patient ease and accessibility.

SMS serves as a valuable tool for raising awareness about health-related matters and disseminating information through weekly health tips, fostering stronger patient-provider relationships

SMS reminders aid patients in adhering to medication regimens, reducing the risk of adverse effects resulting from improper dosage or timing. Instructions can be relayed via text, along with refill reminders to prevent prescription lapses

Patients can be informed via SMS about local outbreaks or the introduction of new services and medical practitioners at the clinic. Critical updates regarding medication or medical product recalls can also be expeditiously conveyed

Text messaging is a seamless channel for soliciting patient feedback and arranging reviews, contributing to enhanced patient care

The instantaneity in SMS marketing is unparalleled. For healthcare professionals, where the timing can greatly impact the experience of patients the experience, SMS marketing has advantages including:

• High Open Rates SMS marketing has open rates that are as high as 98%, which is far higher than the average open rate for email. This kind of engagement means that messages about healthcare, whether they're reminders for appointments or tips for wellness are more likely be read and taken action on.
• Fast Response: The patients usually respond to texts within minutes. This rapid response is what makes SMS an ideal method to handle urgent medical issues such as making appointments, or distributing medical alerts.
• Increased Engagement: SMS allows two-way communication and gives patients an easy method of responding with appointment notifications, request refills and feedback survey.

SMS is an effective tool for engaging patients, speed up operations and improve service delivery and improve overall satisfaction with the services provided.

Best Practices for SMS Marketing in Healthcare

If you are considering using SMS marketing to market healthcare, it is important to adhere to best guidelines to ensure that the messages are efficient, legal and are effectively received. These practices include:

• Be Consentful: Ensure that patients have opted in to receive messages via SMS. This is not just important to ensure trust among patients, but also to ensure compliance with laws such as HIPAA and GDPR.
• Make it Short SMS messages must be brief and concise. Information about healthcare is essential however, it's better to keep messages brief in order to avoid overwhelming the person who receives them.
• Timing is important It is important to send SMS messages at the right times, making sure that patients don't get interrupted in the night or late in the day. The scheduling of messages to ensure the best engagement time will result in greater results.
• Secure Privacy: When sending messages via SMS that contain private health data, be sure you safeguard the privacy of your patients. Do not send medical information that is detailed in the absence of encryption and in compliance with regulations.
• Personalize Whenever Possible: Personalization can improve engagement. Contact patients by name and customize your message to meet their particular health requirements or preferences.

SMS for Healthcare Marketing Statistics

A number of studies confirm the effectiveness of SMS marketing in healthcare:

• 98% Open Rate SMS has a greater open rate than emails and ensure that content related to healthcare is seen by the audience you want to reach.
• 45 percent Response Rate: Patients are more likely to respond to messages sent via SMS in a higher percentage when compared with other forms of communication which results in greater engagement.
• 90 seconds: According to average people respond to SMS in 90 seconds, which makes it the ideal choice for communications that are time-sensitive.
• Reduced No-Shows: SMS reminders have proven to cut down on the number of appointments missed by as much as 38%, thereby helping healthcare providers to save time and money.

These figures highlight the importance of SMS as a communication and marketing channel for healthcare.

D7 Solutions is a one-stop solution for all your messaging needs. We assist you in setting up a functional and seamless path of communication with your patrons.

Our global coverage, developer-friendly API, easy integration, and expert support make the healthcare provider's job of sending alerts or notifications to patients easier.
We offer fast delivery, cost-effectiveness, and 24/7 SMS solutions.
D7’s transactional SMS service updates patients on appointment details, medical reports, and prescription details with a text message. Marketing the SMS API helps promote the hospital's new ventures and services.
We ensure excellent performance by delivering time-critical SMS within 15 seconds.

Get started with your D7 account and avail free SMS credits on your sign-up with D7.

Try sending test messages and get to know the efficiency of the D7 SMS gateway.