A GP surgery which ran a text messaging campaign for calling hypertensive patients in for periodic blood pressure checks has reported response rates of 76%.
The Lea Surgery, in London’s City and Hackney Teaching Primary Care Trust (TPCT), sent out a group text message to selected patients inviting them to call the surgery to make an appointment.
Three weeks after sending the text invitation via the iPLATO Patient Care Messaging system, 149 out of 197 patients had been in for a blood pressure check.
Dr Goel of the Lea Surgery said: “Getting hold of the right patients for periodic reviews at the right time is often cumbersome. The system makes it a lot easier.”
Funded centrally by the TPCT, the service has been adopted by 41 of City and Hackney’s GP surgeries and is being used to address important health issues such as smoking, flu, childhood immunisations, breast screening and obesity.
Jonathan Mason, head of prescribing and pharmacy at City and Hackney TPCT, said: “This is another good example of the healthcare initiatives that are currently being positively supported by iPLATO Patient Care Messaging within City and Hackney TPCT.
“As the majority of City and Hackney GP surgeries now have the iPLATO capability, we look forward to more success stories to come.”
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