Benefits of SMS in healthcare and how RCS can improve communication

SMS – A reliable channel with high open rates

SMS has an open rate of over 98%, making it one of the most effective channels to quickly reach both patients and staff. Many healthcare providers use SMS to improve patient communication, reduce missed appointments, call in staff, notify test results, or follow up on the patient experience after a visit. However, there are also some limitations to SMS compared to RCS.

Advantages of SMS:

Fast and direct communication: SMS reaches both patients and staff instantly, providing a simple way to communicate critical information quickly.

Increased patient engagement: By regularly communicating through SMS, healthcare providers can engage patients more actively in their own care, for example, through reminders for follow-ups or health checks.

Reduced missed appointments: Integrating SMS reminders into booking systems reduces the risk of missed appointments, leading to better resource use and efficiency within healthcare.

Better resource planning: By reducing missed appointments and planning patient flow more effectively, healthcare providers can optimize resource use, resulting in higher efficiency, shorter wait times, and more treatments provided.

Reduced administration: Healthcare staff can focus on other tasks, as many administrative details like booking appointments and reminders can be automated through SMS systems.

Improved communication, coordination, and staffing

SMS can also be used to quickly notify staff of essential updates, schedule changes, or urgent situations, improving internal communication and coordination. Staffing processes can become smoother and more efficient with two-way SMS instead of phone calls, especially during periods of high demand or staff shortages, where employees can quickly respond "yes" if they are available for a shift.

However, SMS is limited to text, meaning images and interactive elements cannot be included. Additionally, the sender cannot always be verified, which may raise concerns about the authenticity of the message, especially with increasing fraud cases.

RCS – Smarter healthcare communication today and tomorrow

Rich Communication Services (RCS) builds upon SMS with new, interactive features that enable the sending of images, interactive maps, and tracking links. This technology offers a richer experience and more features that can be tailored to the needs of patients and staff.

Advantages of RCS:

Verified and branded sender: With RCS, healthcare providers can use their brand identity by including logos and brand colors in messages. This provides safer patient communication, as the sender is verified, reducing the risk of fraud and increasing trust in the healthcare provider’s messages.

Conversations: RCS enables easy and fast two-way communication between patients and healthcare providers. Automated responses allow providers to interact in real-time with patients to provide immediate answers to common questions.

Interactive and rich communication: With RCS, healthcare providers and organizations can send messages containing high-resolution images and built-in CTA buttons, creating a more engaging patient experience.

Personalized communication: RCS enables more dynamic interaction, where the healthcare provider can send detailed instructions with images or videos or guide patients through specific processes such as post-operative wound care.

To meet the growing demands for digitalization in healthcare and patients’ expectations for quick communication, it's crucial to use modern communication channels like SMS and RCS. By combining fast SMS communication with the richer and more interactive experience that RCS offers, healthcare organizations can improve both their internal processes and staffing, which not only leads to more treatments provided but also higher care quality and more satisfied patients. The future of healthcare communication is here—are you ready to take the step?