(Newswire.net — October 10, 2017) — If you are a doctor, dentist or another medical practitioner you can now use an automated system to send a reminder message to your patient about an appointment. The appointment message is sent to the patient’s cell phone. This is a confidential system that connects directly to the patient to remind him or her of the scheduled meeting.
If you are a patient you have the option to decide when and how you want to be notified of your appointment. You may need a couple of reminders if you are a busy person with a tight schedule.
Many healthy people are busy and they forget that they have made an appointment for a routine check-up or teeth cleaning. A sick person who has scheduled an appointment for the same day may actually forget the time.
An example of a message may be:
Your appointment is Wed April 25 at 2 pm – pls check in at front desk at 1:45 pm. Call 123-456-7890 to cancel or reschedule.
The automated message can include the name and address of the medical service along with directions to the office and parking facilities. The message does not need perfect grammar and punctuation if it is a text. It may ask the patient to confirm or acknowledge receipt of the message.
It can also be an email or personal phone call, depending on the patient’s preference. This simple system eliminates no-shows and people who forget their appointments.
Better staff efficiency
The staff at any medical facility can add special software that alerts them to contact the patient for the appointment. An appointment can be rescheduled if the patient knows in time that she or he needs to make a change. The patient can be contacted at any time if the doctor has an emergency call and it is necessary for the office to reschedule the appointment.
Another advantage of the automated system is the ability to alert patients of other cancellations. A patient can be notified that an earlier appointment is available and that it can be scheduled immediately. There is often a waiting list for many elective out-patient surgical procedures. The patient may accept the new earlier appointment with a text message. The office fills cancellations efficiently with this system.
This simple software application keeps the office staff that occasionally “juggles” appointments aware of the next person due at the clinic or office. They have confirmed that the patient has been notified through this automated system and will be there. The room used for the check-up or other procedure will be ready.
Patient privacy
There are no apps to download and the patient does not need a portal. The patient can text a question or set an appointment with a text message. The office prioritizes the text messages and converses with the patient using this system.
All conversations are private through the text system. The patient can be notified that a prescription has been ordered or that is it necessary to see the doctor. The office staff working with the patient has access to the patient’s records.
Patients are reassured that all information and communications are confidential. Notations are made in the patient’s record regarding texted or email communications. This builds trust and a personal relationship between each patient and the medical staff at the office or clinic. The system does not eliminate phone calls but they are minimized.
This system can also be used to remind a patient to pick up new glasses or come into the office for test results. Patients can be reminded that it is time for a checkup, mammogram, blood tests or other routine procedures. The dentist can remind a patient that it is time for teeth cleaning.
Save postage
Sending out a letter to remind a patient of an appointment or that it is time for a check-up is now obsolete. Email, text messages or an automated phone call are faster and easier.