At Clinic 66 we use both email and SMS text messaging as effective ways of conveying information and communicating to our patients.

 

You may be contacted by the clinic via SMS text messaging for appointment reminders, recall reminders, asking to call the clinic or book an appointment. We may also provide you with normal results via SMS provided you agree to that. 

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Weblinks sent via SMS are used to convey booking information or procedural instructions. 

Clinic 66 may use email communication to send results, documents and information to our patients, particularly relating to telehealth consultations. Factsheets that are integrated into our clinical software can be emailed directly to a patient during their consultation. Email is also a very popular way of receiving pathology results as they can be sent on a secure emailed link from the Sonic Dx pathology website, and provides the patient with a PDF copy of their test results.

 

With electronic modes of communication, it can be easier to inadvertently breach a patient’s confidentiality as there is a higher chance of electronic communication being seen by a third party.  Clinic 66 ensures that all possible steps are taken to reduce the risk of confidentiality breaches. 

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All of our patients are informed that SMS is our default method of communication for appointment reminders and recalls. Consent to use electronic methods of communication is always obtained before using these methods. 

Hotdoc is a system that integrates with our Practice software and allows patients to make online appointment bookings. The system is also used for sending patient recalls and results. Hotdoc has consent to use electronic communication inbuilt into the software. For existing patients of the practice, they will have previously completed a patient registration form that asks for consent to contact via SMS. Their communication preferences, as stated at the time of the registration are entered into our clinical information software.

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New patients booking with the practice are asked by our receptionist team verbally for their consent to receive SMS when their telephone number is entered into our Practice software. All mobile telephone numbers are checked for accuracy at every patient contact with clinical or reception staff. If a patient indicates that they do NOT consent to be contacted via SMS, this is clearly recorded in the patient's file. 

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