Short Codes in Action for Healthcare

Situation

Coordinating medical care for four children is no small task, and Dave knew these struggles firsthand. As a parent on the go, he struggled to keep up with appointments, paperwork, and other details—and despite his best efforts, sometimes a few details slipped through the cracks. 

Meanwhile, his pediatrician’s office had its own administrative challenges. When patients arrive late for appointments, it sets the entire practice behind. And when people fill out paperwork at the clinicians’ office rather than beforehand as recommended, further bottlenecks and frustration arise.

Short code text messaging offered a convenient, easy-to-use solution for both parties.

Results

The pediatrician’s office is able to send out timely notifications—from appointment reminders to patient satisfaction surveys to links for pre-visit paperwork—to the mobile phones patients have with them all day. What’s more, these messages arrived through a channel patients knew they could trust—since they proactively opted in to the service in the first place. 

Dave, meanwhile, now had up-to-the-minute reminders of check-ups, follow-ups, prescription pickups and more, for each of his four children, and he’s able to confirm appointments and complete paperwork from the same text messages.

Solution

Short code text messaging has made it easier for Dave to manage his family’s medical care. With a one-stop resource and timely, interactive support at his fingertips, the whole family is saving time and money while improving overall health. 

His pediatrician’s office benefited as well. Patients became more engaged in their care and satisfied with the health care experience, leading to fewer costly no-shows, stronger adherence to recommended treatments, and earlier detection of potential health problems.