The healthcare provider’s care doesn’t need to stop after a patient’s consultation. One of the phenomenal strategies a medical practice can implement is to keep in touch and connect with their patients — and retain them on their patient list. Regularly connecting with patients shows that a provider cares for them and recognizes their needs. Patient recall messages can therefore benefit your organization.
Creating an effective recall message for patients is a solid strategy not only to bring your existing patients back but to keep your schedule full. There is patient communication software available to make implementing a recall system easy and stress-free on staff, yet effective in retaining patients.
Automated recall messages through patient communication software are an impressive way to ease the challenge of figuring out how to initiate the process of retaining patients. This smart system enables you to reconnect with patients you haven’t seen in a certain period. With patient communication software, you are not going to find yourself stuck hesitating to pick up the phone or experiencing trouble finding the time to make a call.
Instead, you may focus on these simple ways to create an effective automated recall message for patients.
Optimize your schedule with recall messages.
Reconnecting with patients is not an uncommon thing for a medical practice to do to keep the schedule filled. Healthcare providers retain patients by implementing an effective patient communications program to send personalized recall messages. If you want to make sure this is going to work in your practice, here are some helpful tips you can do to ascertain that your recall messages will be effective:
Make It Personal
When your patients receive an email or text message from you, you want them to feel that you composed that message for them specifically. A proactive, personalized recall message can drastically increase patient engagement. Not only that, but you can obtain five to eight times more return on investment (ROI) by tailoring your message to the individual patient.
HIPAA-compliant two-way text messaging from Curogram features an automated message personalization option that can play a key role in improving your patient’s treatment plans. Sending recall messages to involve your patients with their prescription refills, sending appointment reminders, and asking them about their health conditions can make them feel like you care for their well-being. It’s a recall message technique that isn’t aggressive but effective.
Be Straightforward
A long-winded message can be unwelcome. State the reason why you’re contacting the patient in the very beginning and get to the point early. It is possible that they meant to schedule an appointment with you but forgot about it. Know their medical history before you reach out to them, too. They might need the next appointment with you more than anything else.
State the Benefits
A “what’s in it for them” approach is an important detail to include when writing patient recall messages. The strategy is effective once you explain how coming back for an appointment with you helps them. Let them know how you can help them solve the problem they currently have concerning their health or emphasize the need for regular checkups to maintain great health. Also, let them know how your treatment process makes things easier for them.
For example, if they are due for their annual exam, you can include a key feature that will catch their eye, like, if you’re an eye doctor, explaining what a slit lamp exam is. Some of your patients may not know what that does, but if you start strong in your message by telling them that you screen for the early signs of eye diseases with a slit lamp, then it’s likely that you have and keep their attention.
You can also mention additional features about your practice. For instance, if you have integrated a new medical appointment scheduling software or HIPAA-compliant text messaging, you can share that with your patients, who can make use of that information to make the appointment booking process easier for them.
Curogram’s software includes online scheduling and HIPAA-compliant text messaging in addition to patient recall message creation.
Include a Call to Action
Now that the patient recall message has your patients hooked, after explaining why you’re reaching out, stating the benefits of the exam and features of your practice, it’s time to lead them to the final step with a call to action (CTA). By adding a call to action button, you can guide your patients on what to do next, like scheduling an appointment.
With Curogram, you can customize a clear CTA button that leads them to the service they need. If your patient wishes to schedule an appointment, guide them through a CTA button.
An effective patient recall message can boost patient engagement and improve patient retention.
Creating a knockout patient recall message can bring many of your previous patients back, improving retention. Not only does that make your schedule full, but you can also help them get their health concerns solved by scheduling an appointment with you. Your patients might feel fortunate that you reached out to them because they keep forgetting to book an appointment.
You can help your practice optimize revenue and improve the quality of care by successfully increasing the number of patient recalls. A great software system such as Curogram streamlines patient recall messages by automating the workflow — lessening the long and manual process.
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