Healthcare is a basic human need.  Physical, mental, and emotional aspects of our health are a priority for many and affect our effectiveness daily.

That said, there needs to be more technological improvement and usability in our health systems. One of the ways that healthcare can leverage technology, is through SMS. To illustrate how I will divide the healthcare industry into 3:

1. The Patients
2. The Staff
3. The Government and NGOs

The Patients

They are the largest group in the healthcare industry. They are the customers and end-users. When patients engage in Health institutions, they seek services that will resolve their problems. Their primary need is to get well. This will happen through various consultations, tests, treatments, and sometimes counseling methods.

As a service provider or owner of a health facility, you understand this is to be at the base of every patient’s expectations. However, making the process a little easier for the patients pays back in their trust and loyalty. Through SMS, you will be able to send professional messages to the patients for various things for instance:

• Reminders of booked appointments
• Delivery of test results
• Two Factor Authentification for security when they log on to your website.
• Medicine refills/reminders
• Check-ins with patients on home care.
• Receive feedback through two-way SMS methods.

The Staff

Your staff is the image of your identity. They embody your values, ethics, and service delivery. When they operate at optimum efficiency, they are able to meet goals better. However, it is not lost on us that workers in the healthcare industry are usually overwhelmed. That patients are often more than workers is a known fact.

To ease their load, SMS systems coordination comes in handy. Some of the ways that this can be utilized are:

• Inform and remind them about daily, weekly, or monthly check-in meetings
• Notify them about a new emergency case that needs all hands on deck.
• Integrations with clock-in, clock-out systems to alert begin and end of shift.
• Communicate care by sending appreciation texts and holiday greetings.

The Government and NGOs

Ultimately, the healthcare buck stops with a government’s willingness and ability to engage. Non-governmental organizations involved in health also provide great insights and aid in improving a nation’s wellbeing.

If the recent and ongoing Covid-19 pandemic is anything to go by, these two bodies play a big role in instructing and informing on practices. They engage in policy-making. In fact, some health measures are only as effective as the government and NGOs are involved. These include pandemics, epidemics, and general coordination during catastrophic events.

The uses of SMS in these cases are:

• Improve immunization rates in children by reminding mothers.
• Alert on the outbreak of communicable diseases in high-risk areas. This is essentially notifying exposure.
• Communicate methods to prevent the further spread of certain illnesses.
• Inform and initiate a call to action on matters such as family planning.
• Update on nutritional information
• Provide basic health information to those who do not have access to the internet or smartphones.

All these parties are critical players in the health industry. Great coordination and effective communication are meant to improve the physical, emotional, and mental welfare of all. This ensuring that win-win happens. A great but affordable way to start on this is through bulk SMS.

We are good at that, effective communication is our niche. Let us work with you in making healthcare better for all.