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| "SMS offers further opportunities to deploy the benefits of mobile phone technology and improve access to healthcare and information." Dr. Mike Sadler, Medical Director, NHS Direct |
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Healthcare services are facing increasing pressure to improve efficiency and meet rising expectations for high-quality care and customer service.
Vodafone published the first systematic study into the potential use of mobile communications in healthcare. The research findings were published in March 2006 as part of our series of public policy papers designed to stimulate debate.
The research, led by Imperial College London, found that using existing basic voice and text mobile services in healthcare could significantly improve:
Efficiency
Trials have shown that text message reminders to patients lead to a 30–50% decline in missed hospital and doctors' appointments. Missed appointments in England cost the National Health Service about £789 million a year. By extrapolating the data from these trials, this suggests that a simple text message reminder system could save between £240 and £370 million per year in England alone.
Health outcomes
Text message support systems can help improve self management and monitoring of patients with 
chronic conditions such as tuberculosis and diabetes. A text message (SMS) support system that facilitates greater self management and control was trialled among young people with type 1 diabetes. The system, developed by the University of Dundee, improved users’ long-term blood glucose levels by 10%. Other studies suggest that this level of reduction can potentially reduce complications of blindness by 76% and kidney disease by 50%.
Access
Calling from a mobile provides more convenient, direct and confidential access to healthcare services than a shared fixed line, either at home or at work. Our research suggests that teenagers (particularly girls) prefer to use their mobiles to seek advice on health issues for privacy and confidentiality reasons.
Public health benefits
Mobile brings public health benefits by increasing adherence to treatment programmes and improving control of communicable diseases. A text message support system for patients with tuberculosis can improve treatment compliance resulting in annual savings of up to £1.9 million per 1,000 patients.