London, 5^th August 2009, GP Surgeries in Camden are successfully sending out text messages advising patients on what to do if they think they have Swine Flu.

The GP surgeries are some of the first to use text messaging as a way to help people deal with the Swine Flu pandemic.  The iPLATO Patient Care Messaging service, which is being used by the surgeries to send out the Swine Flu related text messages, was originally funded by the PCT to improve efficiency and performance across a range of healthcare areas.

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Using iPLATO’s Patient Care Messaging Dr Masterton & Partners practice in Lambeth has discovered that mobile messaging is the most effective tool for rapid communication with patients about immunisation. In a recent flu-jab campaign the practice administrator identified 152 patients due for a flu jab and sent them a text message requesting them to turn up for immunisation the following day or to decline the flu-jab clinic by reply text message. Within two minutes of sending the practice had received feedback from 32 of the contacted patients. In total 44% of the contacted patients responded to the flu jab campaign either by declining the clinic or by showing up, making it one of the most effective flu jab campaigns ever undertaken by the practice.

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