Top 10 HIPAA Compliant Texting Apps for 2024

Senior Writer: Supriya Bajaj

Published : December 18, 2023

Healthcare businesses are increasingly leveraging texting apps to communicate with patients seamlessly. Patients tend to prioritize businesses that offer live chat, appointment scheduling, in-app reminders, and so on.

So, healthcare businesses are on the lookout for the best texting tools and communication platforms. While evaluating the tools, ensuring robust security measures is important as the HIPAA journal reports 5150 data breach incidents between 2009 and 2022.

Exploring the best messaging app for your healthcare business? Here is a curation of the best HIPAA compliant texting apps that are gaining prominence in 2024.

What is HIPAA Compliant Texting? 

HIPAA compliant texting refers to following the norms and rules in the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996 (HIPAA) while messaging.

HIPAA is a federal law that aims to protect sensitive information in medical records and other patient-related documents in the healthcare industry. So, when it comes to collaboration tools healthcare businesses prioritize those that comply with HIPAA.

Messaging tools use end-to-end encryption, two-factor authentication, role-based access, audit controls, etc. to secure patient’s Protected Health Information (PHI). HIPAA-compliant text messaging apps help healthcare businesses stay in constant touch with patients while ensuring the safety and security of the information shared.

10 Best HIPAA Compliant Text Messaging Apps 

There are several text messaging apps in the market and choosing a HIPAA compliant one involves significant effort and time. To help you, we have curated the 10 best HIPAA compliant messaging solutions along with a detailed validation of their features, pros, cons, and pricing.

1. CallHippo

CallHippo is our best pick for a HIPAA-compliant text messaging application as it has high-end security features as well as innovative communication abilities. CallHippo is appropriate for healthcare businesses of different scales, from startups and solopreneurs to well-established healthcare chains.

CallHippo offers strict access controls and user logins, a call recording feature, and advanced privacy settings that can be customized to secure patient data. CallHippo also supports signing Business Associate Agreements (BAA) to ensure PHI security and HIPAA compliance.

Key Features

• Call recording
• IVR system
• Custom user controls
• End-to-end encryption
• Shared inbox
• Automatic call distribution
• Contact management
• Live call transfers

Pros

• CallHippo has an intuitive, user-friendly messaging interface.
• Users have appreciated CallHippo’s cost-effective pricing plans in reviews on popular platforms.
• The customer support has sound knowledge of the product and features and experts are available to help promptly.
• Call clarity is good and the cloud-based platform has lower downtime when compared to other HIPAA compliant phone service.
• The shared inbox feature allows healthcare businesses to gain a comprehensive view of customer conversations.

Cons

• There is a lag in sending SMS when there is no proper internet connection.
• The default voice is not appealing and it lacks an option to add a custom greeting message.

Pricing

• Starter – $18 Per user/Month
• Professional – $30 Per user/Month
• Ultimate – $42 Per user/Month

*Pricing as of 11-06-2024.

2. TigerConnect 

TigerConnect is a reliable HIPAA compliant messaging software exclusively designed to promote communication and collaboration between healthcare professionals. Beyond text, TigerConnect allows patients to communicate with healthcare professionals via video, voice, and picture messaging. It allows seamless integration with Electronic Health Records (EHR).

Key Features

• Priority messaging
• Group chats and video calls
• Automatic erasure of messages
• Role-based messaging
• Appointment scheduling
• EHR integration
• Real-time alerts

Pros

• TigerConnect is easy to set up and its patient portal is simple to use without extensive training.
• TigerConnect has a mobile and desktop app, and so allows healthcare professionals to connect with patients even when they are not at their desks.
•  TigerConnect allows healthcare professionals to collaborate with multiple therapists and clinicians while handling complex cases.
• Beyond texting, TextConnect also supports video conferencing and sharing images in a secure platform which is helpful while handling critical care patients.
• The messages are encrypted and automatically deleted after a specific period to protect the PHI and allow secure collaboration.

Cons

• At times, it is impossible to remove notification bubbles without restarting the entire application.
• As messages are automatically deleted after a 30-day window, businesses may lose track of important conversations.

Pricing

Custom pricing. Contact sales for more information.

3. Revenue Well 

RevenueWell is a HIPAA-secure texting application exclusively designed for communication between dentists and patients. It allows dentists to quickly send and receive text messages from patients using their clinic phone numbers. RevenueWell intends to promote text communication for appointment scheduling and post-op care while reducing the time spent on phone calls.

Key Features

• Appointment scheduling
• Paperless patient forms
• Treatment follow-ups
• 2-way texting
• Automated online reviews
• Predefined message templates
• Reminders and notifications

Pros

• RevenueWell allows dentists to send automated texts, notifications, and broadcasts and reach out to many people at once.
• RevenueWell reduces distractions to professionals and allows them to focus on patients in the clinic.
• RevenueWell allows dentists to segment and target patients while sending broadcast messages.
• The automated reminders with custom text help notify patients of upcoming appointments and schedules.
• RevenueWell has a higher degree of customization as it allows users to precisely tailor the emails, text messages, campaigns, etc.

Cons

• Users have reported that it was hard to determine the ideal pace and frequency for alerts.
• RevenueWell has limited integration abilities and does not integrate with many popular tools.

Pricing

• Starter – $189
• Professional – custom pricing
• Premium – custom pricing

4. Luma Health

Luma Health is a robust healthcare management tool that allows patients to schedule appointments through messages. LumaHealth has an extensive suite of features and 25+ modules that help streamline end-to-end operations in a healthcare system. The operational flows of the HIPAA-compliant texting app are designed with a key focus on patients.

Key Features

• Outreach campaigns
• Patient self-scheduling
• Automated reminders
• Patient feedback
• Cancellation management
• EHR insights
• Insurance verification

Pros

• The online scheduling platform is robust allowing patients to enter the basic information and displaying the time slots that match with their criteria.
• Luma Health software integrates with the EMR and can send automated follow-up reminders and messages.
• The text, pace, and frequency of patient reminders can be customized and this helps reach out to patients without annoyance.
• The customer support team is well-knowledged, very responsive, and always on their feet to assist the clients.
• Luma Health asks patients to rate the healthcare service after consultation on Google My Business (GMB) which in turn boosts their search engine visibility.

Cons

• Review abilities are limited to just GMB which impacts the ratings of healthcare professionals on other popular platforms like WebMD.
• Though customer support is prompt, they do not have a global team which causes delays in responses for customers on the other side of the world.

Pricing

Custom pricing

5. OhMD 

Trusted by more than 40,000 healthcare professionals across the world, OhMD has emerged as one of the most sought-after patient communication tools. Being a HIPAA-compliant texting app, it allows healthcare professionals to send secure messages to patients and streamline high patient volumes effectively.

Key Features

• Two-way texting
• Broadcast campaigns
• EHR integration
• Video visits
• Live website chat
• Auto messages and reminders
• Feedback and survey forms

Pros

• On OhMD, it is easy for healthcare professionals to communicate with patients and share pictures, ask questions, schedule appointments, etc.
• OhMD has advanced security features that allow for a secure conversation between doctors and patients.
• The customer support team responds quickly and appropriately.
• Having access to conversation history helps businesses enhance the quality of service.
• Patients can take up video sessions with doctors just by clicking on the link shared with the patients and they need not download the mobile or desktop app.
• OhMD has a free plan with basic features that support small businesses and startups.

Cons

• While using the shared inbox, OhMD doesn’t show who in the internal team read a patient’s message.
• There is a technical glitch and lag in receiving messages at times, and the app must be refreshed.

Pricing

• Basic- Free
• Reach- Starts from $200 per month

6. Rocket.Chat 

Rocket.Chat is a popular HIPAA compliant communication platform known for its robust security features. It is open-source software, so can be customized to meet distinct business needs. The application can be scaled easily. Rocket.Chat has end-to-end encryption, two-factor authentication, and custom user access controls that strengthen the security of the platform.

Key Features

• File sharing
• End-to-end encryption
• EHR integration
• Threaded conversations
• Self-hosted deployment
• Conversation history
• Omnichannel support

Pros

• Rocket.Chat allows self-hosting deployment which works well for healthcare organizations that are wary of sharing the data to the cloud.
• Rocket.Chat is open-source software and so has a large community that helps sort bugs and glitches quickly.
• Businesses can whitelabel Rocket.Chat to match their brand values and ensure consistency.
• Installation is quick and it only takes less than an hour to set up the system and obtain SSL configuration.
• It is easy to add the Rocket.Chat live chat widget on the website and it does not require extra modules.
• It is an open-source and free tool and so is comparatively cheaper than many other messaging platforms.

Cons

• At times, the chats are refreshing and not loading automatically resulting in an unintended lag in response.
• Rocket.Chat users have reported compatibility issues, where it does not work on the Firefox, but works well on Google Chrome.

Pricing

• Starter – $0 per user per month
• Pro – $4 per user per month
• Enterprise- custom pricing

7. Solutionreach 

Solutionreach is a popular patient relationship tool with exclusive tools to help promote hassle-free appointment scheduling, send reminders, and post-appointment follow-ups.

Beyond being a HIPAA-compliant texting app, it has a video-calling feature that allows healthcare professionals to deliver virtual consultations. Businesses can send newsletters, educational information, and promotional messages as campaigns to patients.

Key Features

• Two-way texting
• Video calling
• Automated outreach campaigns
• Patient surveys
• Appointment reminders
• Reputation management
• Mobile app

Pros

• Solutionreach users have reported a significant decline in appointment no-shows which is a major cost in the healthcare industry.
• The Solutionreach interface is intuitive and easy to use and allows patients to easily schedule appointments and seek consultation.
• Solutionreach directs patients to Google My Business or Facebook for reviews which increases the credibility of the business.
• The reminders and appointments can be customized for text, pace, and frequency which allows a greater degree of personalization.
• Solutionreach helps automate the entire patient communication and coordination and saves a lot of time for healthcare professionals.
• The newsletter layouts and campaign templates are great and offer multiple options.

Cons

• Solutionreach does not allow users to embed video in the messages.
• Customer support needs to be improved and the agents take longer to fix an issue.

Pricing

Custom pricing model

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8. Symplr 

Symplr is one of the leading HIPAA-compliant texting tools used by healthcare businesses to streamline their internal and patient communication. It has extensive modules for workforce management, talent management, spend management, patient support, etc. Symplr development team had physicians, so has robust features when compared to other tools.

Key Features

• Workforce management
• Access management
• Spend management
• Manage vendor relationships
• Visitor management
• Contract management
• Physician scheduling

Pros

• The customer support team is great and they offer a quick follow-up if the query is not resolved.
• The physician scheduling tool works well and helps automate appointments while reducing physician burnout.
• Symplr is compliant with HIPAA, HITRUST, and SOC II, which ensures secure data handling and conversational exchange with patients.
• Symplr has extensive modules that automate end-to-end healthcare operations allowing physicians to focus on patients rather than administrative tasks.
• Symplr provides a centralized hub to store EHRs and leverage the data to optimize patient service.

Cons

• Enhancements and add-on modules are very expensive when compared to other healthcare messaging solutions.
• Symplr involves quite a bit of a learning curve and it requires technical expertise to be able to configure the system.

Pricing

Custom pricing

9. Spok 

Spok is a secure, HIPAA-compliant texting app with advanced features that automate clinical workflows and communication. It has a robust on-call scheduling feature that reduces communication delays and helps deliver timely patient support. With its extensive range of contact center solutions, healthcare businesses can automate customer support and forge 24/7 availability.

Key Features

• Secure messaging
• On-call scheduling
• Paging services
• EHR integration
• Enterprise directory
• IVR systems
• AI-based call routing
• Shared inbox

Pros

• Spok has advanced collaboration features that help improve the response time for professionals.
• The best thing about Spok is that it is easy to use and does not require deep technical expertise.
• Professionals don’t have to carry physical pagers and instead, they can add different pagers to their Spok account.
• Spok has a mobile application that allows healthcare professionals to serve patients and respond to their messages even when they are not in the clinic.
• Spok has custom user controls that allow administrators to decide who can access the patient’s private health information from their personal or shared device.

Cons

• There is a character limitation with text messages which is a problem while sharing long messages.
• There are technical glitches with certain features and integration which question the reliability.

Pricing

Custom pricing

10. Weave

Weave is a robust HIPAA-compliant texting platform with exclusive software for dental, optometry, veterinary, plastic surgery, and several other medical professionals. Weave offers an extensive suite of tools that support secure texting, appointment scheduling, reminders, payments, reviews, etc.

Key Features

• Online scheduling
• Billing and payments
• Insurance verification
• Email marketing
• Digital forms
• Analytics and reporting
• Automated reminders
• Multi-location support

Pros

• The automated appointment scheduling system saves time and cost for both, patients and healthcare professionals.
• Users have appreciated the preset templates for messaging, appointments, and broadcast campaigns.
• Weave allows businesses to communicate with patients through their preferred mode- email, text, fax, etc.
• As Weave offers a comprehensive suite of features for end-to-end automation, users do not have to juggle between multiple tools.
• The in-office chat tool is robust allowing for deeper internal collaboration and communication.
• As it automates administrative tasks, healthcare professionals can manage operational activities like scheduling, reminders, etc. as well as patient engagement in a single go.

Cons

• The Weave platform lacks a group chat option which limits the internal collaboration abilities of a business.
• There is a lag in text and caller ID notifications and users have to restart the app to view them.

Pricing

• Elite
• Pro
• Essentials

Why Choose HIPAA-compliant messaging? 

An Accenture study shows that 68% of patients prioritize healthcare businesses that have digital competencies. To cater to patient preferences, more businesses are digitalizing their communication systems. If you do not catch up to the trend, there are chances that you will miss out on business opportunities.

Also, HIPAA breaches are a costly affair. Not complying with HIPAA guidelines may lead to hefty fines and penalties while also adversely impacting the business’s reputation. Patients may be reluctant to share their data and exchange conversations with a business that has been accused of data breaches.

As per the HIPAA journal, the average cost of a data breach was around 9.2 million USD in 2021. So, choosing a HIPAA-compliant texting tool helps businesses promote effortless communication between patients and doctors on one hand, and a secure exchange of sensitive patient information on the other.

FAQ- 

1. Is SMS texting HIPAA secure?

Yes, a HIPAA-compliant SMS service works under the following conditions.

• The patient must be duly informed of unauthorized information disclosure
• The patient has agreed to share information and communicate over SMS.
• PHI must be encrypted and should not be stored on employee’s devices.

2. Is WhatsApp HIPAA compliant?

No! Although WhatsApp remains the most preferred communication platform, it is not a HIPAA-compliant texting tool.

3. How does HIPAA-compliant texting differ from regular text messaging?

Regular text messaging does not emphasize encryption and stringent security controls. Whereas, HIPAA-compliant texts can be sent after being secured with end-to-end encryption and only after receiving consent from patients to send their PHI through SMS or RCS or other modes.

4. Is there HIPAA-compliant texting for therapists?

SMS texting is not automatically HIPAA-compliant, but there are platforms like CallHippo and Luma Health that provide HIPAA-compliant texting. These platforms ensure secure communication by using encryption, access controls, and audit trails to protect sensitive health information.

Updated : September 24, 2024

Supriya Bajaj

Supriya Bajaj is a senior content developer with immense experience in the VoIP telephony domain. With a deep knowledge of VoIP systems and emerging technologies in the field, she provides insightful and targeted content. Known for simplifying complex topics and her thought-leadership articles, Supriya delivers actionable content for both technical and non-technical audiences.

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