University Hospital Kerry has announced a new, two-way text message appointment reminder service for patients.
The text service will remind outpatients of upcoming appointments and allow them to confirm or cancel directly via text message.
Patients will receive an initial appointment notification via a letter, then a text message ten days before the appointment, and a second text reminder five days later if there is no response.
UHK says this will improve patient engagement and address the issue of missed appointments.
UHK says missed appointments lead to significant costs for the HSE, wasted time for medical staff, and prevents those time slots being offered to other patients, prolonging wait times.
Patients who do not respond to either text message will be contacted by the hospital to either reschedule, or remove them from the waiting list if the appointment is no longer needed.
