by Vinitha Ramnathan

Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates once said, “The vision is that people should have the ultimate in convenience. Being able to get things they care about on the appropriate device.” And though he was speaking in 2005, his words couldn’t be truer today to the extent we’ve harnessed consumer technology to make our lives easier and our goals more achievable.

Thanks largely to the rapid pace of the digital transformation and an increased emphasis on consumerism, the realization of technology-infused convenience is alive and well in 2021. In fact, we’ve developed such a high degree of integration with our modern devices that we feel lost without our smartphones. However, what’s truly novel is how these trends have influenced today’s healthcare consumers to insist on more modern patient-provider communication.

In recent decades, rapid developments in digital technology and a steady diet of consumerism have fundamentally transformed how we live. In a busy, hectic world, people want the accessibility and speed to be able to connect instantaneously with people, products, and services. We’ve become accustomed to technologies that make communication more effortless, such as on-demand video conferencing, real-time online contact, and live streaming video entertainment. In today’s world, convenience is no longer a luxury but more accurately a necessity. Eighty-three percent of consumers said that convenience is more important now that it was five years ago.

At the heart of this digital revolution is the ubiquitous smartphone. It’s the key that unlocks our connection to the world not only for communication but for nearly every activity or interaction in our lives. Because ownership has reached near-universal proportions, smartphones—and by extension, text messaging—have become the common currency to interact with retailers, businesses, and more recently, healthcare providers. Texting is replacing phone calls and even emails for patient-provider communication simply because it’s fast, convenient, and easy. It takes a patient an average of eight minutes to book a appointment by phone call, where a text message can be sent in four seconds.

Of course, the COVID pandemic accelerated consumers’ migration toward greater convenience and access via digital technology. In order for people to stay safe from the virus, we’ve had to learn to live, work, socialize, and communicate remotely. And texting has played a critical role in making that possible. One study found that 43 percent of people sent more text messages during COVID than they had before the pandemic. Now, it’s no surprise to get a text message for your curbside meal pickup, when your Amazon purchase has shipped, or to notify you when your telehealth appointment is about to begin.

It’s important to note here that text messaging hasn’t only being accepted in healthcare because it’s quick and efficient for patients. It’s also because it gets more proven results than other forms of communication. The response rate for text messages is 209 percent higher than it is for phone calls. Patients are not only receiving providers’ texts but they’re responding as well. That’s allowed providers to successfully interact with patients at greater regularity for crucial messages like appointment reminders, pre-visit instructions, and post-visit care follow-up. Providers who sent automated text appointment reminders at a proven cadence saw a 156 percent increase in visit confirmations.

Moreover, digital patient engagement platforms enable providers to use tools like automation and group messaging to simultaneously reach large numbers of patient’s efficiency and using fewer office staff resources. It’s no wonder that offering patients the ease and convenience of text communication is paying off for providers.

But similar to the consumer market, what’s really making patient-provider texting thrive is that it’s first and foremost patient driven. Patient communication preferences have evolved in recent years to where texting is quickly becoming the favored medium. In a 2021 HIMSS survey, not only did patient texting increase by 14 percent during COVID, but seven-in-10 patients want to get texts to guide them through their care journey. At the same time, the data showed that nearly 40 percent of patients of all ages are willing to switch providers to get more modern and convenient communication like texting.

In today’s crowded healthcare market providers need to upgrade their technology and capabilities like texting and digital platforms not only to meet patients’ “convenience” expectations but to differentiate themselves from competitors. The adoption of more innovative patient communication will help providers decrease disruptions like no-shows and late cancellations while better aligning themselves with current consumer-oriented patient preferences.

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