Registration by Verified SMS

What

You can register a patient by sending an SMS text message to their mobile phone. If they have a smartphone the link can allow either a one-tap registration which is fast and easy or a link to the Trusts Web Page directing them to register via NHS Login. This is highly scalable allowing you to register lots of patients simultaneously through a mass send or individually as needed. 

Why:

On average a Trust has a high volume of mobile phone numbers. These numbers are actively updated and therefore an up to date source of information.

A patient receiving active care, is an engaged patient and it is in their benefit to access their appointments, letters and clinical data digitally. Providing a SMS registration link at certain periods of that care, is more likely to generate registrations. Active care could be due to an appointment being booked, a letter needs to be posted, or clinically you wish a patient to complete a digital questionnaire, either way it can be the opportunity to promote PKB registrations with the added benefit of potentially stopping usage of paper and postage. 

How:

This can be through two ways:

• SMS Token - You can either generate these SMS yourself, or you can work with your outsourced mailing company such as Synertec. This method gives a unique code to the patient to register for their account, when the click the link in the text message.

• SMS Link - that directs them to use the NHS login to verify identity and create a PKB record. 

Whichever type of SMS you choose, NHS providers can send a certain amount of SMS messages free of charge. For more information, please contact your PKB team.

Recommendations

PKB recommends a SMS template to support patient registration, link here. Using the recommended points below, it has been found to encourage registrations and reduce queries from patients about the contents.  

Here are the reasons for each individual element of the page:

1. Use just one SMS. This is cheaper and is important to avoid splitting and voiding the token codes or the web addresses.

2. Make sure the SMS is clear and concise and either

   1. directs the patient to the Trusts webpage with a registration button and attached FAQs for patients to ensure they understand what and why they are being asked to register and what is the benefit for them. Link to more information here  

   2. Or by clicking the token is directed to the PKB pre-populated registration page.

3. If there is a need to send more than one SMS, think about the message being sent and consider splitting this into two SMS. For example, first sms could be an explanation of why you want the patient to register, i.e. to view letters or to complete a questionnaire. Second, then could be the SMS to provide the link to do so.

Examples of SMS Token

Access your online health record from [Trust Name]. Register at http://joinpkb.com/?t1=xxxxxxxxxx&t2=yyyyyyyyyy More info [trust web link]

Example SMS Link

[Trust Name] invites you to access your health record details through Patients Know Best (PKB) via the NHS App. For more info: [Trust website]

[Service Name] are moving over to secure messaging and would like you to register. Click [trust website]

Example Waiting List Validation SMS message

You are currently on our [insert speciality] waiting list for an outpatient appointment or
procedure/surgical treatment. We are reviewing our waiting lists and require some further
information from you. Please click on the following [trust website] to sign
up to our patient platform, Patients Know Best, where you will find a short questionnaire to
complete.
It is important for you to complete this questionnaire as you may be discharged to your GP
and removed from our waiting list if you do not.
Thank you,
[Trust Name]

PKB also recommends that comms is available to patients prior to a mass SMS registration campaign or continued use of SMS registrations as patients will have questions when they receive the SMS. Answering these questions is easy if you have prepared in advance, and the patients will happily proceed when they trust that you trust the security and privacy of Patients Know Best. But if the patients cannot quickly find these pre-prepared answers some of them will assume there is a fraudulent attempt to access their health care data. So it is important to do the following.

• Set up a link to the PKB login page from your hospital's main navigation page. Patients cannot find login pages buried deep in your navigation, nor will Google show such an obscured page when patients fail to find the page on your web site and turn to Google. By contrast if the patients find the login link on your home page they immediately understand that the record access roll-out is part of your long term work with patients and trust the letter.

• Tell your phone centre and reception staff that the letter is going out. If the patient asks about the letter and staff recognise it, the patient is happy to proceed. If staff are not aware, the costs of regaining patients' trust goes up dramatically.

• Start registering your front-line staff as PKB patients. Send out a mass email to your colleagues giving them instructions to register to access their records so that, even if they do not register, they are aware that patient registration is happening. Staff can then confidently tell patients that the letter is part of a wider long-term roll-out. When a member of staff does register, they are much more confident about how PKB works and their confidence inspires confidence in a patient with questions that registration is beneficial.

• Social Media. Having a presence on social media about PKB can support patients trusting the content.