With the flood of emails in every American’s inbox, those from healthcare providers are typically left out of the junk folder. 
A new survey from the Varolii Corporation, a subsidiary of Nuance, asked 1,000 American consumers about communications they receive from finance, retail, utilities, phone and cable, and healthcare companies. The survey found that Americans trust email and text message communications from healthcare providers, such as doctors, pharmacists, and insurance providers, more than any other industry. Respondents particularly value proactive, reminder messages from companies that drive them to take action before it’s too late (e.g., a message from the doctor’s office reminding one of an upcoming appointment). When asked to list “most welcomed messages,” respondents named three health-related messages:
A new survey from the Varolii Corporation, a subsidiary of Nuance, asked 1,000 American consumers about communications they receive from finance, retail, utilities, phone and cable, and healthcare companies. The survey found that Americans trust email and text message communications from healthcare providers, such as doctors, pharmacists, and insurance providers, more than any other industry. Respondents particularly value proactive, reminder messages from companies that drive them to take action before it’s too late (e.g., a message from the doctor’s office reminding one of an upcoming appointment). When asked to list “most welcomed messages,” respondents named three health-related messages:
- Reminder about an upcoming appointment or vaccination (69%)
- Notice to reorder or pick up your prescription (57%)
- Message encouraging you to schedule an appointment (39%)
Respondents said email is the preferred form of contact, 79% rated it the most acceptable followed by regular mail (54%) and cell phone (23%). About two in ten of the total respondents preferred text messages; however, 36% of respondents aged 18-24 wanted to be contacted via text. Respondents who welcome text messages were more receptive to communications overall. For example, more than 40 percent of this group would find health tips and advice extremely helpful, while only 25 percent of respondents overall felt the same. This is good news for healthcare providers who are looking for new and innovative ways to engage patients in the community to reduce readmissions and promote preventive care.
