How Texting Can Solve Patient Communication Woes

Lea Chatham, director of content marketing for Solutionreach

We use our cellphones to deposit money, send email, and track our daily step count. We also use them to constantly communicate, whether it’s through social media, texting, and (rarely, it seems) phone calls.

With countless apps and new technology increasing our communication channels, shouldn’t it be easier to communicate with healthcare providers? Unfortunately, that isn’t always the case.

In a recent study commissioned by The Physicians Foundation, a survey of more than 1,700 people found that while most were satisfied with their provider, only 11 percent of respondents felt that they had enough time with their physicians. Thirty-one percent of respondents also felt their physicians were overwhelmed or overworked.

There are many ways technology can alleviate some of these pain points, and texting can be a key player in improving those patient-physician relationships. Solutionreach, a patient relationship management system, recently conducted a survey that showed a large correlation between communication technology and patient satisfaction.

“We saw some huge gaps in the number of patients who wanted the ability to text their provider, and the number of practices actually offering that technology,” says Lea Chatham, director of content marketing for Solutionreach. “There was also a big number of patients who left a practice because they were dissatisfied with communication, and not because of a change in insurance.”

Learn about several secure-messaging apps and communication strategies that can help your healthcare organization prevent this kind of leakage:

How Texting Tools Save Time, Help Clinical Collaboration, and Improve Patient Communication

Best regards,
Matt Humphrey
President