NO MORE PHONE CALL REMINDERS
Send Patients Automated Text Messages the Day Before Surgery
Like you, we used to telephone our patients to remind them when to arrive for surgery and to not eat or drink after midnight. Now we text them. Around noon on the day before surgery, patients receive an automated text message alerting them of their arrival time. That initial text includes a link that gives patients general instructions, such as where to park and what to bring with them (a driver!) on the day of surgery. It lets them confirm that they received information about their arrival. A few hours later, they receive a second text reminding them not to eat or drink after midnight.

What a timesaver this has been. A staffer used to spend 2 hours a day confirming the next day's appointments and giving fasting reminders. It's also gotten patients to show up on time, improved patients' NPO compliance and decreased the number of cases we've had to cancel because patients had coffee with milk or toast with peanut butter. Plus, many patients nowadays prefer to receive a text rather than listen to a voicemail. A text is more personal and carries more impact. It helps patients feel connected. We've signed on with a startup company called CareWire (www.carewireinc.com). Cost is about $3 to $4 per patient.

Tina Mentz
Elmhurst Outpatient Surgery Center
Elmhurst, Ill.
[email protected]