Doctors have a responsibility to prescribe the right medication to their patients, but until recently, there wasn't much they could do to ensure consumption. "Take two and call me in the morning" may seem like a sound order, but was never any guarantee that it would be followed. However, by using SMS services, many doctors are alleviating those troubles.
Ultimately, patients aren't deliberately violating doctors orders. Any failure to take prescribed medicine typically falls under the category of forgetfulness, not disobedience. Today, with the increasingly high number of mobile devices in this society, many healthcare providers are implementing a service that sends text messages to patients reminding them to take their medicine.
This is part of a growing trend in the industry in which healthcare professionals are using modern technology to streamline daily processes. In addition to following up with patients and sending reminders to take medication, doctors are texting each other for a number of professional reasons.
"Increasingly, referrals are being done now by text messaging and personal cell phones," said Dr. Marty Makary, a surgeon at Johns Hopkins Hospital, in a recent interview with Bloomberg BusinessWeek.
By communicating with patients and colleagues via text message, doctors are able to spend less time on the phone and more time caring for individuals that require medical attention. For patients, receiving medical advice and reminders to take medication on their mobile phones is an effective way to spur recovery.
As healthcare organizations continue to adopt modern technology, SMS messaging will continue to be a prevalent practice. For hospitals that wish to implement a similar service, Swift SMS Gateway offers a variety of tools that organizations can use to effectively build communication efficiency.
