A strong case to offer text appointment reminders

SMS messaging effective in reminding patients to schedule annual exams

A recent study conducted on Amerigroup Washington members found that those with a TracFone Lifeline phone and enrolled in Voxiva’s Connect4health digital health messaging service were three times more likely to attend their annual physical than other members.

The TracFone Lifeline phone is given to patients with a monthly plan at no cost. It also provides free calls to their health plan and includes the Connect4health text program. The Connect4health program sends patients personalized text messages that remind them to schedule annual exams, preventive screenings flu shots and other vaccinations according to their health history and health guidelines.

In addition to members being three times more likely to attend their annual physical, the study also found the following:

• 71% of respondents said the Connect4health text messages helped them remember to visit their doctor
• 52% of respondents said the Connect4health text messages taught them about their Amerigroup plan benefits
• 36% of respondents said the Connect4health text messages prompted them to have conversations with a physician or nurse

While this study was conducted on a very specific audience, the findings can be applied to other hospitals and healthcare providers. Consumers are busy, and sometimes they need a simple prompt to remind them to call their doctor’s office and schedule that mammogram or annual physical. I work in healthcare marketing and I still need to schedule an event in my phone to remind myself to schedule appointments on my lunch break.

Your hospital or physician practice could use SMS messaging to communicate with your patients in between appointments and encourage preventive care. Your hospital should consider sending texts about the following:

• Reminder to schedule an appointment
• Reminder to attend an appointment (instead of leaving a voicemail message)
• Hours and locations to get a flu shot
• Notification of new physicians or offices, ex. a new urgent care center
• Information about services available, ex. nutrition or smoking cessation

Does your hospital currently use SMS messaging to communicate with patients? Have you seen positive results?