Doctors in West London get texting

Link: iPlato deploy SMS to Hammersmith and Fulham PCT

Over 165,000 patients in West London are about to get SMS interaction with their doctors surgery, thanks to a deal between health text messaging specialists iPlato and Hammersmith & Fulham Primary Care Trust.

iPlato’s managing director, Tobias Alpsten, told EHI Primary Care: ‘This is the largest deal we have had, but just goes to show how using mobile services integrated with clinical data can help reach a widespread audience. Hammersmith and Fulham’s agenda is not just focusing on ensuring access to healthcare and reducing Did Not Attends, but is also looking at utilising the technology for campaigns, based on the intelligence on patient records.”

GPs are planning to use the service to specifically target important public health concerns such as smoking, flu/childhood immunisation and obesity.