subject: How Sms Can Help With Healthcare [print this page] Most of us have forgetful moments which can be a great inconvenience if it affects healthcare appointments. If you miss an important appointment, it can be difficult to reschedule at a time that suits you. Appointment DNAs (did not attend), as the NHS calls them, are the reason for a high percentage of wasted appointments each year. It is because of this that the NHS and other healthcare services now use text messages to send reminders to patients. Text messages are proving to be a mutually beneficial practice because patients are reminded of the time and date of the appointment and also receive a contact number for cancellations so that an unwanted slot can be reallocated. The use of SMS has increased the likelihood of healthcare providers receiving advance warning of cancellations and has made the appointment system much more efficient.
SMS can also provide an effective and useful way to remind people to take a prescribed medication. Voice SMS, in particular, is good for this because an SMS converted into a voice message is ideal for the elderly, blind and partially sighted. Taking incorrect doses can be harmful as can forgetting to take something altogether, so time critical reminders sent via SMS can be an excellent way to ensure patients get the best possible care. Voice SMS allows the sender to send to recipients to either a landline or a mobile phone. If the call is not answered, engaged or unavailable then it will retry until answered. Some people take their medication regularly but studies have shown that, depending on the age group, having a busier or even a less active day can affect whether or not people remember to take their pills. It may well be that a simple SMS is the best way to make sure nothing gets in the way of our healthcare needs.
It's all well and good praising the advantages of SMS healthcare, but many people will understandably question the need for it in a world where smart phones, and therefore apps, are fast becoming the norm. There are lots of healthcare apps available but not everyone has a smart phone. Generally speaking, smart phones do not appeal as much to older generations yet they are the people who typically have more healthcare needs. It is also noteworthy that not everyone who owns a smart phone wants to learn how to use a new app or pay for one if it is not free. Therefore, SMS is a much more accessible tool overall because anyone with any kind of mobile can text, a fact that some use to promote the idea of SMS healthcare in developing countries. Cheap or old phones could be used in poorer countries to track disease outbreaks and locate victims after disasters, without the need for fancy touch screens or impressive software features.
Overall, it would seem there are only positives when it comes to using SMS for healthcare because it is convenient and helpful for both patients and healthcare providers.
