For Dr. Shawn Jacobs, a doctor of chiropractic and the owner of a chiropractic practice in San Francisco, patient communication looked more like a game of phone tags, 3 months ago. Phone lines were always tied up with front desk staff making up to 100 calls a day trying to remind patients about their scheduled appointments, informing patients about their balance due, or answering calls from patients who wanted to cancel or reschedule their appointments. That was too much for the staff to handle and even for the patients. Some patients even complained they had to wait for up to 20 minutes to talk to a staff member.

Eventually, some patients gave up trying to contact the practice, leaving the clinic liable for more than 7 patient no-shows every day, on average. Dr. Shawn and his practice weren’t actually engaging and helping patients through phone calls, they drove them away. So Dr. Shawn decided to try 2-way text messaging technology from zHealth Software. Within a month of using zHealth Conversations, a 2-way text messaging solution for wellness providers, Dr. Shawn realized that patients pay attention to text messages. They read messages immediately, and most importantly, patients respond to text messages.

So which communication method delivers the best patient engagement results? We have the answer now. As chiropractic practices look for ways to boost patient engagement, it’s more important now than ever before to implement a text messaging solution for better communicating with and engaging patients. 

What is conversational messaging?

Conversational messaging involves using text-like interactions to communicate with patients. This can include appointment reminders, answering queries, providing health tips, or even addressing concerns in a conversational manner through messaging platforms. It aims to enhance patient engagement, streamline communication, and create a more personalized and convenient experience for individuals seeking chiropractic care.

2-way text messaging or conversational messaging is the most preferred method of communication among patients. We have some stats to prove that.

1.   A survey says that four out of five people prefer conversational text messaging to communicate with healthcare providers.

2.  3 out of 4 consumers get frustrated when they can’t respond or take action after receiving an automated text message.

3.   61% of consumers think businesses should use the same number for calling and texting.

4.  Some 76% of consumers recently reported that they don’t like talking to businesses on the phone.

5.  People are 4 times more likely to respond to a text message than call back to a voicemail.

6.  More than 8 out of 10 patients want to be able to send texts to and receive texts from businesses.  

Texting vs. Emailing Statistics

Texting vs. Phone Calls Statistics

•    84% of people won’t answer a call from an unknown caller.

•    Texts from an unknown number are 7 times more likely to get a response than a voicemail.

Meet patients on familiar ground

From what studies tell us (and from simple observation), people text all the time. If you’ve noticed, you will realize that patients check their smartphones all the time – while sitting in waiting rooms, when paying their balance for their appointment, when leaving the clinic, and even sometimes during the appointment session. A mobile phone is like familiar ground for patients. This offers a clear opportunity for chiropractic practices and other wellness providers to reach patients where they are – on their mobile devices. Text message-based communication reduces phone tags between patient and provider and encourages interactive, real-time conversations. By giving patients the ability to connect with providers when and where they need it, 2-way text messaging improves patient engagement and satisfaction. With zHealth Conversations, you can reach roughly all of your patients without requiring an app download or a password to remember. Providers can do conversational engagement with patients from their desktop and patients can reply to your messages from their phone’s messaging app – as if they are talking to a family member.

Use Conversational Text Messaging for a High-Touch Engagement Outreach

Now, if you’re thinking about how to use text messaging to engage patients better, we’ve put together 5 highly effective text message examples that can help you engage your current patients and attract new ones.

1. Meet Your Doctor

Your new patients will love this kind of message. Sending a “meet-your-doctor” text helps to reduce the feeling of anxiety in new patients. They will feel more comfortable showing up to your clinic as they’ve already been introduced to their doctor.

2. Instructions to Reach Your Clinic

Have you ever considered texting instructions on how to get to the clinic? Again, your new patients will love this. Sometimes, GPS isn’t reliable. Having the directions to reach your office ahead of time will help new patients show up on time.

3. Educating Patients or Answer Their Questions

Educating patients through videos, exercise recommendations, or sharing health tips in between appointments is a great way to keep reminding patients to adhere to their treatment regimen. You can directly share educational materials with patients via text messages to ensure they follow their treatment and keep coming back for follow-up appointments. Sometimes, patients need to quickly chat with their providers. Instead of calling back and forth, sending a text message from your desktop would feel more feasible.

4. Ask for Feedback

How often do you ask patients to rate their recent visit? If you’re not already asking for feedback or have automated this process, then you should be. We recommend automating the patient feedback process. This would help you save time and money in the long run. If you hesitate to ask patients for their feedback upfront, text messaging can help you. Send a message to your patients asking them for a rating between 1-5. If a patient gives you a 4 or 5-star review, then you can send them a link to post their review online.

5. Patient Recall

Time flies. Without a text reminder, patients are likely to forget their follow-up appointments, especially when they don’t visit your clinic for more than 3 months. Sending a text message will notify the patient that they need to visit your clinic for their follow-up appointment. 

6. Patient Recall

Conversational engagement through text messages allows chiropractic providers to stay connected with their patients and encourage them to actively participate in their treatment. Here are some sample messages that can be sent:

• “Hi [Patient Name], hope you’re feeling well! Have you had a chance to complete the recommended exercises for your back pain?”
• “A short 15-minute walk can do wonders for your spine health. How about incorporating it into your routine today?”
• “Friendly reminder: it’s time to schedule your follow-up appointment with us. Feel free to reach out to book your slot!”

These messages not only serve as reminders but also promote patient engagement and a proactive approach to their health.

Conclusion:

Now you know what is conversational messaging and how it helps you engage your patients, it’s time to incorporate 2-way text messaging into patient communication strategies. Use 2-way text messaging solution will help you drive patient experience, and ultimately, your practice revenue. Ready to start messaging? Want to learn more about how zHealth Conversations can help you boost patient engagement?