SMS Broadcast In Healthcare – Importance & Application
People can ignore phone calls, leave their emails unread for days, but SMS messages always get attention.
The whooping SMS open rate of 98% says a lot as compared to the email open rate of 20%.
With time, SMS Broadcasting has become a preferred method of communication for the healthcare sector.
Let’s dive in and understand how you can use SMS Broadcast to manage the pandemic and thrive in the Healthcare space.
Provide Relief To Anxious Patients
Let’s say a person requires serious surgery in the next 15 days.
He needs to prepare himself physically and mentally for the surgery in this half month.
Firstly, you can convey the stages of the surgery clearly to keep them informed.
Secondly, you can send out tips to physically prepare their body for what’s coming next.
Sending motivating messages can help them reduce anxiety. They must be prepared for the surgery in advance to experience less pain.
SMS Broadcasting Led To A Decrease In Anxiety And Pain (Case Study)
A study conducted by Dental Press Journal Of Orthodontics shows that sending SMS messages prior to treatment resulted in less pain.
They divided the total of 103 patients into two categories. The first category didn’t receive any sort of post-treatment communication. On the other hand, the second was sent out with a well-structured message.
The results revealed that 53% of patients in the first category got too anxious and experienced heavy pain after the treatment.
On the flip side, only 28% of patients from the second category showed signs of anxiety and extreme pain.
This study concluded that you are more likely to deal with pain if you prepare the mind in advance.
We all know about the effect of the COVID-19 pandemic on our mental health. The anxiety levels are at an all-time high. To ensure you give your patients an experience with minimal pain, make sure you prepare their minds first.
Reminding Patients Of Their Scheduled Appointments
In the healthcare sector, constant reminders need to be delivered to the patients.
If you don’t, they are likely to miss appointments leading to disruption of your schedule.
Apart from reminders regarding appointments, you must remind them of the date of their membership (if any), due fee, etc.
Once their test results are out, you can quickly inform them regarding the same.
Another core reminder can be regarding their well-being after a necessary surgery or operation.
Here are some SMS templates for the healthcare industry that you can use.
Appointment Reminder
“Hi <FIRST NAME>, your appointment is scheduled at <DATE AND TIME>.
Reply <WORD, NUMBER, OR SYMBOL> to confirm.”
Test Results
“Hi <FIRST NAME>, your test results are out and can be checked <HEALTH PORTAL> here.
If you find any trouble in accessing the same, feel free to contact us.”
Checking Up On Them
“Hi <FIRST NAME>, we are just checking up to see if you are doing well.
In case of any distress, feel free to reach out to us, and we will assist you with the same.”
Prescription Reminder
“Hi <FIRST NAME>, a gentle reminder that it’s time to renew your prescription. Book your appointment today.”
Suitable For Conducting A Patient Satisfaction Survey
Gone are the days when people were short of options.
Whether we talk about the healthcare or education sector, collecting feedback is of utmost importance.
When you make your patient feel valued and heard, they will keep their thought of switching to a different clinic away.
It will help you nurture a long-lasting relationship with your current patients.
As collecting feedbacks is a crucial process, we must know that the channel of communication matters.
If you are still stuck with paper-based surveys, you are unlikely to receive a great response.
Research conducted by Medical Economics shows how 80% of patients are interested in receiving SMS Broadcast messaging-based communication from health providers. Right after switching from traditional surveys, they tripled their survey completion rate.
To ensure you receive a great response, Survey Monkey identified that the best time to send a survey is the day of the visit. The earlier you sent it; the better are the chances of a response.
Whether they are highly delighted by the service or disappointed, they are likely to respond.
Still, Wondering If SMS Campaigns Work for Healthcare Professionals?
The California Department Of Public Health organized a flu vaccine SMS Broadcast campaign.
The results were great as they found out that 33% of people get vaccinated that week.
Another 30% of people made up their minds about getting vaccinated.
Another great example is the National Cancer Institute’s SmokefreeTXT campaign.
They doubled their results from 3% to 6% after running this campaign. Many teens were motivated to quit smoking altogether.
If you need people to take some action, you need to aim at the communication channel of
A Space For Confused And Scared Patients
A patient is stuck with many questions once he is informed about a particular treatment to follow.
He may ask you the impulsive ones, but what about the questions that overthinking brings them close to?
SMS Broadcast through an SMS Gateway is a great way to motivate patients to put forward their queries.
The only thing that can cost you, patients, is a delay in replies.
On the flip side, a space that offers instant replies to queries will hold them tight.
If they are putting forward their questions, they expect quick replies. Make sure you have a team of experts in the field assigned for this task.
This will show how much you care about your patients and their well-being.
Another area that might bug you is whether or not patients follow the tips received through SMS Broadcast messages.
The study conducted by The University Of Maryland revealed that the health tips sent by them were followed by 73% of recipients.
Remember that you are using one of the most responsive forms of communication.
Taking Feedback To Provide Improved Experience
Make sure you give enough emphasis to taking feedback. After COVID-19, the era of complete online learning began.
No matter how much effort you put into giving the best online learning experience, the personal touch remains missing.
You might believe that you are equipped with the best online learning methods, but there is always room for improvement.
No one can provide you with better ideas than the people experiencing your service.
Feedback is essential whether you conduct online lectures for schools and universities or organize frequent webinars on health.
Right after the session ends, send out a survey to take a closer look at their experience.
Give them a space to write down suggestions for improving the overall experience.
No One Likes Uninvited Visitors
It’s not mandatory to take permission before sending messages to your target audience.
But your goal is to nurture long-term relationships with your prospects.
Using SMS marketing with people that are genuinely interested in your brand will reap better results.
Instead of bumping into their inboxes on a regular Friday, ask them to text a word or some number to receive exclusive promotions, discounts, coupons, etc.
Two Crucial Areas In Your SMS Marketing Campaign
Timing
The people who agreed to receive messages won’t pay attention if the timing is wrong.
Try to set multiple time slots and notice which ones get the maximum response. Keep track of all crucial metrics and take actions accordingly.
Just because people have their mobiles in their hands at all times doesn’t imply they are looking forward to hearing from you.
Frequency
The second crucial area is the frequency of broadcasting SMS messages. Make sure you don’t hit them with 30 messages 30 days policy. Keep the number limited in the initial weeks or months.
Gradually start increasing them as per the responses you receive. Furthermore, the frequency could never matter as much as relevancy or value does.
Final Words
Use SMS Broadcasting appropriately to ensure your business survives this pandemic.
If not, you will merely become an option little to no prospects consider. SMS Broadcasting is also a great tool for GP Clinics & Hospitals in Australia managing and facilitating the whole vaccination process as well.
Guni SMS, Australia’s No-1 SMS Gateway, would be the best choice. Their consultants provide custom made solutions and use-cases as per your requirements. They would also be providing a free campaign manager too throughout the SMS Broadcasting process. The best part is that you would only have to pay for the SMS sent, which would be pay as you use. Guni has helped many Healthcare service providers across Australia tackle the pandemic by helping them capitalising on the power of SMS Broadcasting. It is safe to say that Guni would be with you full time, catering to all your needs and requirements.
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