5 WhatsApp Business Use Cases for Healthcare

Communication is a process as old as time, used to transfer information between individuals or groups. As civilizations progressed so did our methods of communication. From smoke signals to messenger pigeons to telephones – every revolutionary step has made it quicker to send and receive information.

In recent decades, we have witnessed the role of technology in the evolution of communication. You can reach everybody at any time nowadays, thanks to email, SMS, and chat applications. With accessibility being so prominent, industries across the board are hard at work to utilize these technologies in the most relevant and effective manners possible.

One of the most groundbreaking applications of the last decade is WhatsApp. Since its inception, it has managed to garner 2 billion active users worldwide and has become a household name in communication, be it between friends and family or businesses and customers. For businesses, WhatsApp is one of the most effective methods to reach a customer base whose number is in the billions. With people being constantly active on the messaging platform, a new market has opened for businesses of all sizes; one that is swift, simple, and secure. And everybody should make hay while the sun shines. The launch of WhatsApp Business in 2018 presented small business owners with the opportunity to market themselves even further and operate their businesses over WhatsApp.

What is WhatsApp Business API?

WhatsApp Business Solution is an all-new experience in business communication. The WhatsApp Business application assists small business owners to build rapport on a local scale. Through a verified business profile, they can share information, showcase products, and offer services. The WhatsApp Business API on the other hand is targeted towards medium enterprises and large corporations for mass scale communication. Through two types of messaging, they can offer a unique customer support experience. These two types are:

• User-initiated messages: conversations that are initiated by customers and sent privately to customer support agents who can respond to any inquiries.
• Business-initiated messages: messages that are initiated by businesses in the form of alerts, notifications, reminders, etc.

Amid this year’s COVID-19 pandemic, several industries found themselves facing a conundrum: how to best serve our customers and offer them the help they need? It was, and remains, the question of the hour. Luckily for everybody, the technology to make that happen is available to deploy. As the world was distraught and struggling to access facts and information on the pandemic, WhatsApp provided a platform for a safe transaction of data and a larger network of connectivity.

Using WhatsApp Business in the Healthcare Industry

The emergence of the COVID-19 pandemic exposed critical gaps in healthcare communications. Whereas healthcare has seen technological leaps, the industry still relies on antiquated methods to communicate. This leads not only to employee burnout but also substandard patient care. %55 of healthcare organizations believe the industry is behind or very behind in the adoption of modern communication technology when compared to other consumer industries.

In the healthcare space, companies, hospitals, pharmacies, and other medical organizations can all make use of the world’s most popular messaging app to serve their customer base during such time of crisis and in the future as well. In March 2020, the World Health Organization launched the WHO Health Alert on WhatsApp. By employing the WhatsApp Business API, the initiative allowed users around the world to simply send “Hi” to the designated number and they would receive a series of prompts allowing them to access information and advice, get answers to their questions, and help spread awareness – all in regards to the novel Coronavirus.

The healthcare sector is currently experiencing unprecedented growth. The global healthcare market is expected to grow to nearly $12 billion by the end of 2022. The increase in population, rising health needs, and the growing penetration of cloud-based services in healthcare are all boosting the global market growth. 

Digital technology presents healthcare professionals with an unprecedented opportunity to serve clients conveniently and easily. Here are 5 use cases for WhatsApp Business API in the healthcare industry.

Appointment management:

Gone are the days of trying to reserve a doctor’s appointment via phone calls. Now patients can book their appointments through WhatsApp. Moreover, they can opt to receive confirmations, cancellations, or reminders through WhatsApp for a smooth and always available process.

Request medical reports:

Most doctor visits require that patients go for a second time to receive certain reports or test results. This can now happen via WhatsApp, saving time and effort for both the patient and the doctor. They can engage in a direct conversation to follow-up on their status. WhatsApp's chat history also ensure easier accessibility for health records.

Request prescriptions:

More often than not, people want to access doctors for quick advice and medicinal requests. WhatsApp makes this process easier and quicker. Doctors may also update a patient’s prescription for ease of purchase and make sure dosages are followed in the correct amounts with on-the-spot updates.

Approval notifications:

Healthcare institutions can use WhatsApp to send broadcast messages or notifications at a large scale. This can be done for efficient scheduling of appointments and patient confirmations.

Consultations:

Patients can access informed decisions and verified information quickly and directly from their doctors. Additionally, WhatsApp can be used for counselling, health tips, and frequently asked medical questions.

Accessible healthcare is a prominent issue. Using the latest technologies, health service providers can take their operations many steps forward to help more people. If you are a healthcare professional and want to find out more about how you can integrate WhatsApp with your business, kindly contact our sales team and we will get in touch with you. To explore the powers of WhatsApp Business API, you can use our dedicated Sandbox to simulate a WhatsApp conversation between your devices.

CEQUENS can help

We're a leading Communications Platform as a Service (CPaaS) provider in the Middle East and Africa (MEA) region that aims to bridge communication gaps in a communication-driven world.

Powered by innovation and guided by a Cloud-First and Mobile-First approach, we provide omnichannel communication services and APIs that enable enterprises and developers to communicate with their customer base worldwide.

As an Endeavor Entrepreneur and GSMA associate member, CEQUENS plays a pivotal role in transforming communication in the region.

CEQUENS proprietary, PCI/DSS compliant Communication Platform leverages the latest cloud technologies and features a comprehensive portfolio of products and solutions that are industry-focused, agile, scalable, and cost-effective.