There’s no question about it—SMS text messaging is a quick and convenient way to exchange information between providers and their patients. However, a text message communication channel can be tricky to navigate while in compliance with the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) in place for healthcare providers. However, it is possible to conveniently connect with your patients while adhering to HIPAA policy within the healthcare space when the proper safeguards are in place to protect your patients’ privacy and information.
Compliant text messaging is often available through HIPAA-compliant secure text messaging apps, which have the necessary protections in place to guard your patients’ data while allowing you to easily connect with your patients in an ongoing stream of messages.
Popular HIPAA-compliant text messaging applications include OhMD, QliqSOFT, and TigerText. All of these platforms allow providers to easily utilize HIPAA-compliant telehealth and communications software to text patients from a laptop, a phone, or a tablet.
During the global COVID-19 pandemic of 2020, compliant text messaging has been more useful than ever as basically every healthcare service that could go virtual did go virtual in an attempt to limit individuals’ exposure to the virus. Widely circulated statistics show that text messages have a much higher response rate than email messages, and the likelihood of receiving a response rises exponentially after a text is received vs. an email.
Compliant text messaging is also a great way to connect with your patients who dislike or even avoid picking up the phone to call and talk with providers. Many people are phone call-averse, and communicating primarily via text messaging can reduce the missed calls and miscommunication that arises from the dislike of talking to businesses or anyone on the phone.
Additionally, patients love to text their providers and get responses from them. Texting professionals and receiving timely messages in response allows patients to connect with their providers without completely interrupting their daily activities, and the vast majority of individuals always keep their phones nearby, which means it will be hard to fall out of touch because your text wasn’t seen.
Especially during these uncertain times, now is a fantastic opportunity to adopt compliant text messaging and assess how it can help you connect with your patients on another level, and we highly recommend trying it. To continue to improve your patient relationships, Frost-Arnett would be happy to work alongside you and protect your patient-provider relationships by helping you resolve your accounts without pain. For more information, give us a call at 1 (855) 287-7043.