PATIENT ENGAGEMENTÂ | 10 MIN READ
5 Different Studies Reveal How Text Messaging Improves Patient Experience and Outcomes
Written by Michael Wise
For many of us, the idea of getting a text from our doctor’s office reminding us of an upcoming appointment might seem like standard operating procedure. However, the vast majority of healthcare providers have been hesitant to embrace text messaging with patients as a primary means of communication.
That stance is beginning to change as more and more studies reveal positive results for all types of use cases for text messaging between patients and providers.
Here are five recent case studies:
1|
Emergency Department Follow Up
Participants: 374 English and Spanish-speaking patients
Results: 72.6% appointment adherence rate among texting group versus 62.1% in the non-texting group.
2|
Texting the Care Team
A 2016 study looked at the effect texting had on the number of delays in care and hospital stays. Results concluded texting can be more effective than typical paging systems.
Participants: 11,500 patients at two hospitals
Results: 14 percent reduction in hospital stays among patients over the course of a year (about 0.77 days) using text messaging.
3|
Patient Attendance
A 2017 study focused on text message reminders and patient attendance for a government-funded diabetes clinic in Hong Kong.
Participants: 248 subjects
Results: 92.9% attendance among those receiving text messages versus 81.4% in the non-SMS group.
4|
Preoperative SMS Reminders
This July 2018 study focused text messaging and pre-op reminders. There was an improvement among those who were getting SMS reminders.
Participants: 301 patients in a call group, 298 in a SMS group
Absence in Dysfunction: 75% in SMS group vs. 61% in the call group
Risk difference: 15%
The results also site a significant improvement in compliance.
5|
Text Messages for Appointment Management & Timely Patient Response
A North Florida Women’s Care added a text message component to their services in order to assist with appointment management and timely patient response.
Results: Physicians are seeing 100 more patients per month ($10,000 in monthly revenue). They also saw a 25 percent increase in referral appointments (about 1,100 people.
Want to make text messaging a part of your patient communication strategy?
Whether you’re looking to upgrade one part of your billing process or the whole enchilada, we can help!
Resources
Resources & Articles For Managing Your Finances On Your Own
How Machine Learning and Speech Analytics Automate Agent Training and Reduce Compliance Risk
Self-service, or digital collections, has moved beyond just a set of buzzwords in the ARM industry to become a major shift in operational strategy. High employee turnover and a difficult labor market has also forced many businesses to approach collections differently.
Intelligent Contacts Presents Latest Features at AccountsRecovery Demo Day
Intelligent Contacts, a leading provider of contact center communication and payment solutions for the accounts receivable and healthcare industries, debuted its 2022 features and new agent interface at AccountsRecovery’s Demo Day.
Make a Proactive Billing Strategy Your 2020 Resolution
Billing is the most important part of your business. If you don’t do this process well, you may have difficulty charging for your services. And that may mean that in a few months your accounts will be in the red flag.