Many ASCs I speak with are comfortable with the basics of text messaging, using it for the everyday moments around a visit: a reminder ahead of tomorrow's case, a pre-op checklist the week before, a quick reply to confirm an arrival time instead of a phone call. Increasingly, that same channel is doing more and more these days, from scheduling a visit once a recall or referral is approved to collecting payment before the patient walks in the door on the day of their procedure.
Now, a new standard is starting to change what that simple text message can do, and I think ASC leaders should know about it, even if it isn't something most centers need to act on right away. It's called RCS, short for Rich Communication Services, and it's the direction texting is headed across every major carrier and phone.
What RCS Actually Changes
Before we get further into the discussion about RCS, it's worth taking a step back to discuss SMS. Short for Short Message Service, SMS was built before the smartphone existed, and it remains effective at delivering a quick, plain-text alert. As what we ask of two-way texting has grown, spanning the full continuum of care rather than a single reminder, the technology supporting it has had to grow too. RCS is the next step in that evolution.
What RCS unlocks is a message that can carry a photo or short video, show a name and logo before it's even opened, include buttons and links a patient can tap directly, and tell the sender whether it was delivered and read. Branded messages and a verified sender status help a provider stand out in a crowded inbox, while that verified status gives a patient a reason to trust the message enough to open it, all without a download or a new account. It's about as frictionless as building that kind of trust gets.
Inside that same thread, those feature-rich buttons and links start to turn a single message into a conversation hub of its own. A patient can schedule a visit, complete a pre-visit task, show up on time, review discharge instructions to help avoid a readmission, and pay a bill, all without leaving the conversation.
Apple brought RCS to the iPhone a couple of years ago, closing the gap that used to separate Android and iOS texting, and carriers and device makers have kept building toward it as the default since. Patients are also increasingly seeing this kind of message experience elsewhere. Shipping is probably the one most people saw first, since FedEx and UPS were early adopters, and retail, airlines, and banking are among the industries that have followed, which is shaping what patients expect from a text before they even open it.
Why RCS Matters to ASCs
A few specifics about RCS matter for surgical care, and they explain why the cost and infrastructure sit at a higher tier than standard SMS today.
Patients are getting more cautious about texts from numbers they don't recognize, and that caution is only growing as providers ask them to share more sensitive information by text, whether that's protected health information through a web form or payment details through a bill-pay link. A message that clearly identifies your center by name before a patient even opens it removes a layer of hesitation at exactly the moment you want a quick response, like confirming an arrival time or GLP-1 hold.
Read confirmation is the other piece that matters for surgical communication. Knowing that a patient actually opened and saw a preparation message gives staff useful information about who needs a follow-up call before the day of surgery.
RCS also makes it easier to present instructions clearly instead of as a wall of plain text. A pre-op checklist that includes an image or a clearer visual layout is easier for a patient to follow, and that kind of clarity is often what stands between a smooth check-in and a delay or same-day cancellation.
If your center is larger in volume, expanding, or part of a broader organization, these are the kinds of capabilities worth asking your texting vendor about now, so you know what's coming and when it might make sense for you. For some ASCs, that may be sooner than later.
Deciding If and When RCS Is Right for Your ASC
We're still early in the business-to-consumer adoption curve for RCS, but it's picking up quickly across carriers and devices. If a patient's phone or carrier hasn't caught up yet, the message still goes through as a standard text (SMS), and nothing gets lost in the handoff.
There's no need to decide whether to bring RCS into your center right now. But as verified branding and richer messages become the norm rather than the exception, it's worth knowing what's coming so you're ready for that conversation when the time is right for your center.
Sean Roy is co-founder and chief executive officer of Dialog Health, a provider of a HIPAA-compliant, conversational two-way texting and RCS platform that healthcare organizations, including ambulatory surgery centers, use as a communication and engagement channel.
