Editing Text messaging (section)

=== Reminders of medical appointments ===
SMS messages are used in some countries as reminders of medical appointments. Missed outpatient clinic appointments cost the [[National Health Service (England)]] more than £600 million ($980 million) a year.<ref>{{cite news |last=Lakhani |first=Nina |date=24 September 2011 |url=https://www.independent.co.uk/life-style/health-and-families/health-news/text-reminders-could-save-nhs-millions-2360098.html |title=Text reminders could save NHS millions – Health News – Health & Families |newspaper=[[The Independent]] |access-date=5 April 2012}}</ref> SMS messages are thought to be more cost-effective, swifter to deliver, and more likely to receive a faster response than letters. A 2012 study by Sims and colleagues examined the outcomes of 24,709 outpatient appointments scheduled in mental health services in South-East London. The study found that SMS message reminders could reduce the number of missed psychiatric appointments by 25–28%, representing a potential national yearly saving of over £150 million.<ref>{{cite journal|author=Sims, H., Sanghara, H., Hayes, D., Wandiembe, S., Finch, M., Jakobsen, H., Tsakanikos, E., Okocha, C.I., Kravariti, E. |year=2012|title= Text message reminders of appointments: a pilot intervention at four community mental health clinics in london|doi=10.1176/appi.ps.201100211|journal=Psychiatric Services|volume=63|issue=2|pages=161–8|pmid=22302334|url=http://psychiatryonline.org/article.aspx?articleID=433008|url-access=subscription}}</ref>

Because of the COVID-19 pandemic, medical facilities in the United States are using text messaging to coordinate the appointment process, including reminders, cancellations, and safe check-in. US-based cloud [[Radiological information system|radiology information system]] vendor AbbaDox includes this in their patient engagement services.{{Citation needed|date=December 2023}}