The use of SMS in healthcare has many applications. Also at GGZ NHN, SMS is used for more than one purpose. Rob de Ruiter (head of I&A) knows all about it. He is responsible for automation, including connecting all kinds of applications in one platform within the framework of EPD. We asked Rob about the use and benefits of SMS services. For the clients and the organisation itself.

For years, GGZ NHN has been the specialist in the region for mental health care for severe psychiatric complaints. The clients are people of all ages. We work on recovery and, where that is not (yet) possible, on making the consequences of mental vulnerability, bearable.

What does GGZ NHN use the SMS Gateway for? 

Rob de Ruiter and his team make sure the technology keeps working, that everything keeps running. “Project management around the Electronic Patients File (EPD) is a big part of our work. We are responsible for the network management of 30 to 40 locations. Because GGZ NHN makes many appointments with clients, SMS is mainly used as an appointment reminder. We also use the SMS Gateway for OTP (One Time Password), to log in securely to the client portal, among other things. And occasionally we send a bulk SMS, for example in case of an emergency.”  

What are the results of using SMS?

Rob: “We introduced the SMS service years ago to reduce the number of ‘no-shows”. A clear decrease in the number of ‘no-shows’ was then monitored. We haven’t tested it recently because using SMS as an appointment reminder is quite normal nowadays, also for us. But if there are technical problems or a batch doesn’t go out on time, there are always people who get confused by that, or actively inquire whether it’s correct. If our clients didn’t receive an SMS, a lot of them will just not show up. So it’s obviously an important trigger.  So I’m still convinced that using SMS reduces the number of no-shows.” 

Why did GGZ NHN choose Spryng?

“Because of the growth that was going on at GGZ NHN, the cost of communication and IT grew along with it. We started looking at other parties in the market. That’s how we ended up with Spryng. The communication with Spryng was good, fast and active. Everything was also very clear on paper. That resulted in a quick decision. Another important factor was that Spryng only charges variable fees. You only pay for what you send, there are no start-up or fixed costs. The fact that Spryng already works with many large healthcare organisations in Belgium and in the Netherlands was also interesting for GGZ NHN. And I like the fact that Spryng is an innovative party. That offers multiple communication options in addition to SMS in the future.”

Messaging for multiple channels

Innovation is certainly important to Spryng. For example, we are a BSP for Whatsapp for business. And with the acquisition by Commify, Spryng now has plenty of opportunities as a messaging party for multiple communication channels. For many clients, including GGZ NHN, this is one of the reasons for choosing Spryng. For Rob, the quick and easy implementation process was a plus, partly due to the fast communication with Spryng and the simple REST API.

Did our ISO and NEN certification help in the choice for Spryng? 

Rob: “GGZ NHN does ask companies about this as standard. And it was certainly important in the decision-making process. It simply gives you more confidence when you do business with a party that takes data security seriously. If Spryng hadn’t done anything with this, but had the lowest price in the market, I wouldn’t have gone into business with you.” 

In short, Spryng and GGZ NHN turn out to be a perfect match: it is a pleasant cooperation in which we make things as easy as possible for our client and the clients of GGZ NHN. And in the meantime we continue to work together on ambitious and innovative plans for the future.

Do you also want a ‘perfect match’?

Curious about what SMS can do for your organisation or healthcare institution? Please feel free to contact Spryng for an informal meeting, by phone +3120 7703 005 or by email info@spryng.nl We look forward to our ‘first date’!