Compliance checklist for practices that text patients
The article outlines legal and operational requirements for texting patients, including consent documentation, opt-out procedures, encryption, and carrier registration. It also suggests questions practices should ask vendors before selecting a messaging system. The focus is on building a compliant patient texting program.
A patient texting program must account for several legal and operational steps. Practices need records showing patients agreed to receive messages, a clear way for patients to stop them, safeguards for message privacy, and registration with mobile carriers.
Before choosing a platform, practices should ask vendors how the system handles those requirements. The article frames these choices as part of building a texting program that meets compliance expectations while supporting patient communication.
The guidance could affect small and large practices that use text messages for appointments, reminders, or care updates, as well as the patients who receive them. Clear consent and opt-out processes may help patients feel more control over communications, while encryption and carrier registration could influence trust and reliability. Vendors may face more scrutiny from practices comparing systems. The overall impact may be greater attention to privacy and accessibility in routine healthcare messaging.