The Heart of Birmingham PCT needed to maximize the effectiveness of its budget spend, finding cost effective ways to provide people with healthcare information, and allow them to ask for information. Its mandate is exceptionally broad, and as much as 70% of its client base is from ethnic minorities, sometimes with associated language and cultural issues.

SMS was an obvious choice as it has a number of attributes making it a particularly suitable communications tool for the health care industry. Not only is it one of the cheapest ways to communicate, estimated to cost 95% less than any other form of direct communication, but with the increasing ubiquity of mobile phones, the easy-to-use technology makes it a guaranteed channel to reach more people.

The Solution

The UK's National Health Service, in conjunction with the Heart of Birmingham PCT as a pilot site, partnered with 123 Consultants and Clickatell to build a system that allows people needing healthcare information to access it via SMS on their mobile phones. The system also allows the PCT to send information out to people in a variety of ways, to provide facts, reminders, support and alerts.

The SMS-based service allows subscribers to access a wealth of health information via text message. Users can create their own profile by filling out an online questionnaire focused on common health issues. Subscribers will then receive information and advice via SMS (Short Message Service) on health issues pertinent to their profile, such as information on drinking, smoking and much more. Alternatively, users can send the system any particular health related text or phrase to receive facts on a range of topics such as obesity, safe sex or useful information such as the contact details for a 24-hour pharmacy.

The Results

The costs involved in printing and distributing information in traditional printed form can vary and actual penetration into the target audience is often less than 1%. By comparison SMS messages cost mere pennies and are targeted directly to the mobile phone of the user and so have a penetration into the target audience of +90%. This simple example shows a saving of between 50-60% in production and distribution of key messages using SMS as a delivery system.

SMS has allowed healthcare organizations to deliver health information on demand 24 hours a day directly to the mobile phone of the person who needs the information - This is powerful and often life changing.

The Heart of Birmingham Teaching PCT has used the Health SMS system in a variety of ways, and is devising new applications all the time. The system's flexibility has allowed the organization to grow and adapt its utilization of SMS, and prepare it for developments into other messaging technologies.