Why are text reminders a better choice than calls for payments

80.5% of consumers check their text notifications within five minutes of receiving a text. Statistics show that patients prefer receiving payment and appointment reminders via text rather than interruptions by phone. This is likely because phone calls can be annoying and disruptive, whereas texts serve as a helpful reminder without being intrusive. Additionally, many patients may not answer unknown phone numbers, which could result in missed communication from healthcare staff attempting to reach them.

"80.5% of consumers check their text notifications within five minutes of receiving a text"

Communicating through text messages can enhance the patient’s billing experience as it is less disruptive. Communicating directly with patients through text messages is simpler, as recipients can view the message at their convenience. Ultimately, providing text reminders proves to be more efficient and convenient for healthcare providers and patients. This blog will comprehensively understand the difficulties, resolutions, and advantages of why text reminders surpass phone calls when requesting payment.

In This Blog

• What are Patient Text Reminders?
• Why Does Your Healthcare Need to Implement Patient Text Reminders?
• Why Choose Patient Text Reminders
• Best Practices for Patient Text Reminders
• How to Implement Patient Text Reminders with AnodynePay

What are Patient Text Reminders?

Patient Text reminders remind patients of their payments, appointments, and sometimes just a reminder to take care of their health daily.  These text reminders are an SMS message delivered directly to their cell phone, allowing them to confirm their previously planned appointment. These patient appointment text reminders are clear and uncomplicated, and they can drastically reduce the time your clinic spends on calling and emailing individuals.

One of the main reasons for declining appointment show-up rates is that patients need to remember their appointments. Text reminders play a major role in reminding patients of their health and commitment and improving the billing experience. It can help reduce the number of missed appointments and get patients back into your office when they need to be there.

Why Does Your Healthcare Need to Implement Patient Text Reminders?

The Healthcare sector is one of the Industries which desire two-way communication for an improved patient relationship. Compared to 2022, where Healthcare accounted for 49% of SMS opt-ins, there has been a 13% increase in 2023 with 55% of SMS opt-ins.

Getting the audience’s attention is a tough battle between emails, social media blasts, and phone calls. However, Text reminders break through the clutter due to their online and offline availability. 60% of businesses prefer text marketing because of the high engagement levels from customers, as opening a link requires minimal effort with huge results.

Why Choose Patient Text Reminders

The advantages of employing HIPAA-compliant text messaging for healthcare professionals are numerous, particularly for administrative duties such as appointment reminders. Text message appointment reminders save time for a provider’s staff, increase productivity, appointment confirmation rates, and patient involvement, minimize cancellations and phone volume, and make rescheduling simple.

• Immediate communication: When the bill is available, text messaging reaches the patient immediately and helps them. These patient payment reminders aid quicker balance collection and keep your revenue boat floating.
• Convenience: Texting is part of many patients’ normal daily routine, and it’s convenient for patients, as phone calls do not get received due to the patient’s busy schedules.
• Less intrusive: Phone calls, especially follow-up calls, can be disturbing and sometimes triggering to some patients due to anxiety issues. Patients see texts as less intrusive as they require no verbal communication, yet the message is received.
• Effective for past due bills: Sometimes, patients forget they have a bill due with the provider. You must make sure your patients can pay correctly and on time. Text messaging can be helpful for in-patient payment reminders. Use it to tactfully inform and remind them of their bills and request payment. You can also automate payment reminders to get paid faster using the right platform, such as AnodynePay.
• Personalization: Patient text message reminders get personalized to communicate announcements, remind and confirm appointments, and even notify the patient when their bill becomes available and how to pay. Personalized services impress patients with their exclusive service.

Best Practices for Patient Text Reminders

Sending Patient text reminders with the right software gives the right message with a good patient billing experience. Here are a few practices you can use to utilize patient text reminders for your practice:

• Automated Appointment Reminders: With patient text reminders, practices can schedule appointments, remind patients of their appointments, and confirm or cancel them, all with automation so the staff does not exert their efforts.
• Patient Payment Reminders: practices can schedule their payment reminders to remind patients of their dues before and during their due date, so patients are alerted and quickly pay their dues to the provider.
• Confirmation Reminders: You can utilize text reminders to promptly follow up with a confirmation once a patient has set an appointment. That way, they may add it to their schedule immediately, reducing the likelihood of a no-show months later.
• Reduce no-shows with Text reminders: Similar to patient payment reminders, text reminders will remind patients of their appointment dates and reduce no-shows when they know their commitment for the next visit.

How to Implement Patient Text Reminders with AnodynePay

AnodynePay can provide a seamless experience to patients for their text reminders and increase engagement levels for practices by 80%. Additionally, AnodynePay even provides self-scheduling appointment options for more flexibility and increased patient satisfaction through the platform. With AnodynePay, you can:

• Increase Patient Collection Rate: With AnodynePay, you can get a better return on investment by leveraging Patient Text Reminders & IVR Calls to maintain your revenue cycle. Well-executed reminders can significantly increase timely payments providing you with better ROI.
• Payment Reminders: The Patient receives their E-statement in the mail as per their plan. This e-statement includes a PDF attachment detailing the outstanding balance. If the patient fails to make the payment within the specified period, they will receive text reminders and IVR calls as payment reminders.
• Personalized Automated Reminders: With AnodynePay Patient Text Reminder & IVR Calls, practices can personalize each message with the right amount of practice and patient information.  
• Tailored Patient Communication: Practices can improve the communication gap by sending secure and automated patient payment reminders about appointments, payments, rescheduling, and more. Communication via patient text reminders and confirmation via IVR calls decreases the gap and quickens the payment process.

AnodynePay is a comprehensive automated digital solution to address Patient Invoices. It focuses on digitizing the patient’s financial journey using e-statements with automatic text or IVR call reminders and autopay services while improving patient bill collections and patient experience.

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