The digital arena has definitely set in, especially in the COVID era. Businesses are now looking to establish themselves in the digital market to continue their sales, all of which suddenly was disrupted due to the pandemic. Competitors in the healthcare and wellness sector are also attempting to do the same and branching out into making use of digital tools to better their services.
One of the leading modes of digital marketing currently is SMS marketing. For many businesses emails are still the dominant mode, however, recently SMS has been recognised for the benefits it provides compared to email marketing. MMS Messaging is the cheaper, quicker and more efficient method of communication compared to SMS, and many studies also argue the same. One of the most compelling arguments to prefer SMS over email is the high opening rates that it boasts of. SMS has a much higher likelihood of being viewed and read by a customer, rather than emails that can be sent to spam or the trash without the content being viewed at all.
But can SMS be beneficial for businesses in any sector, including healthcare? Following are some ways in which it can particularly improve your services.
Scheduling appointments and sending reminders
Since it is possible to book appointments online, make it easier for your customers and your company by enabling the same through SMS. SMS service provides for businesses can integrate your online software with the software for SMS, thus syncing all updates and customer history across devices. This means as soon as an appointment is booked online, the information can be conveyed instantly through SMS. This process gets automated as every entry will produce an SMS message that can be directly sent to the concerned patient. This not only serves as a confirmation of the appointment, but can also be a reminder for the final day of appointment which can be useful to the patient. Automating the process using SMS can also help in rescheduling, with the customer simply having to text a particular phrase so your system automatically processes it as a replacement appointment.
*Personalised healthcare communication *
Since your system would have access to all of the patient’s history, the SMS service can use this information to send personalised messages that can improve their experience. For instance, if someone takes an appointment for a heart check-up, sending related messages on improving heart health, or a reminder for the next appointment or food items to be cautious of, can help the customer further and create a better relationship between them and your establishment. Sending in a personalised healthcare plan formulated by their doctor can also be another way to boost relevance. Daily reminders on health, medications, or general diet instructions, can be helpful and are also shown to have improved adherence to medication by 68%.
Facilitating participation in Preventative care
If your organisation conducts events promoting wellness, sending invites to these can also lead to further engagement from patients. Specific events related to their illness or interests, or general events on wellness and good health can be beneficial for them and can also ensure that they read your messages with interest. If there are wellness groups that meet regularly, or screenings conducted related to their interests, SMS messages can be instantly sent to them informing them of the happenings. During the COVID era, online meetings have risen and the boundaries between countries have blurred, increasing the participation from the general population in several such events. Invitations to these, along with general or specific health tips, can be useful and will result in a trustworthy relationship in the long run.
Medications and Prescriptions via Text Messaging
After an appointment, if the doctor fills in the medicines written in the prescription into the software, as well as any additional tests or check-ups to be performed, these can also be sent to the patient via SMS. With digital shopping on the rise, they can use the SMS to buy directly from pharmacies, and these messages can also act as reminders for any future check-ups or to note any other tests to be conducted. Personalising this experience further by asking for an update, to see if they’re fine or need to get checked again can promote further engagement. By automating the process, if they are not well, it would be easy to just book another appointment when possible. This makes the entire process comfortable and easy for both sides and also ensures that your service keeps running and you become a reliable partner for this purpose to the patient.
SMS is one of the leading methods of communication today due to its effective technique and studies continually prove that its various benefits make it the preferred mode for small and large businesses alike. The same is true for businesses in the field of healthcare and wellness, and the change in relationship provides more opportunities to make the experience better for the customers, while also improving your services.
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