Texting is now the most used form of communication for Americans aged 50 and under. Its popularity is due to its convenience, immediate and fluid response times, and ease of use. Your potential and existing patients already communicate with friends and family via text, but did you know they prefer to text your practice as well? One study found that all age groups wished medical practices texted them more, including over 80% of those ages 18-41.
1. Set up text appointment reminders and confirmations to keep your schedule full.
77% of people prefer to receive appointment reminders via text. Set up text appointment reminders and confirmations to cut down on repetitive office tasks and fulfill your patients’ needs. Since the majority of texts are read almost as soon as they’re received, it’s also an effective way to actively engage with your patients and minimize appointment no-shows.
2. Use text communications to quickly fill unexpected no-shows.
Last-minute appointment cancellations are inevitable. It’s important to fill those spots as soon as possible to reduce lost revenue. Offer a waitlist where patients looking for an earlier appointment are added to a list and alerted by text when there is a no-show. If the new time works, patients can reply to the message confirming that they would like the available spot, giving them the earlier appointment they desired and filling holes in your schedule.
3. Text patients who may be running late to get faster responses.
The average response rate to a text message is 8x higher than the response rate of an email. Make it easy for patients to reach out to you with a question or to let you know that they’re running late. Two-Way Texting helps save time by prioritizing urgent messages, suggesting responses, and automatically sending out appointment reminders and confirmation messages. Communicating with patients in their preferred method of contact can enhance patient satisfaction, retention, office efficiency, and more. 82% of people have received a text from a business so if you still aren’t texting with patients, your practice is missing out.
About Demandforce
Demandforce helps practices grow their patient base, while keeping current patients engaged. As the leading, all-in-one marketing communications platform, Demandforce brings efficiency to practices with automated appointment reminders, two-way texting, targeted email campaigns, online reputation management, and more.
