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Your Choices...Your Health

Texts remind patients to go to the doctor


25 October 2007

The 15 practices in the Auckland Primary Health Organisation (Auckland PHO) are texting their patients to remind them to go to the doctor – with great success.

Making it easier to remind people to visit their doctor


The PHO’s chief executive Barbara Stevens said that under the Primary Health Care Strategy, there is funding to make it easier and more likely that people will go to their general practice. One of the methods the general practices of the Auckland PHO adopted was mobile phone sms, or texting. It is one of the first PHOs to adopt such a scheme.

“We know from research in the United Kingdom, that texting mothers to remind or recall them for child vaccinations has increased the call rate to make vaccination appointments by 50 percent. We don’t have proper figures yet, but anecdotal evidence from our medical practice staff is that we are having a fantastic response to text messages,” Ms Stevens said.

The “Text to Remind” tool is particularly useful with young patients. In the fight against the rising tide of sexually transmitted diseases, the general practices all run a free sexual health service, which includes screening for and treating Chlamydia.

“If we get a positive response to that screening, we send an innocuously-worded text, like “please call us about your test results”. We will already have discussed with the patient that this is how we will contact them. It has been so successful we find most patients respond within one to two hours. In fact, when we send out a large number of texts for recalls and reminders we have to time it carefully so that it is not a busy time when patients respond.”

Using texting to provide support and encouragement, and save money


The Text to Remind technology can help smokers trying to quit or those with diabetes who are changing aspects of their lifestyle. “The message might just read, ‘how are you doing, keep up the good work’”

Texting also encourages other groups to see their doctor.

“The Text to Remind tool, combined with lower fees to visit GPs, means Māori and Pasifika patients are seeing doctors and nurses far more than previously. The fee subsidy means they have fewer debts with their doctor so they’re happy to come for consultations, and texting them appears to be a really effective way for us to stay in touch.

“Previously, a general practice might spend $500 on stamps for reminder letters to its patients. You could have taken that $500 and thrown it into the air, for all the good the letters did. Texting does the same job, at little cost and with a much better response,” said Ms Stevens.


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Page last updated: 7 November 2007


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