JEAN SHIN

Jean Shin , Director of Strategy and Content at tyntec , tells us 4 ways WhatsApp can facilitate communication with patients .

1 . Booking appointments . WhatsApp enables providers to sidestep phone queues and busy signals . Patients can send an appointment request that a doctor or booking department can respond to in moments , and administrators can handle multiple appointment requests simultaneously .

2 . Flexible scheduling and feedback . Healthcare providers can send appointment details , deliver reminder notifications , and allow patients to change or cancel appointments easily . They can also share a list of to-dos before an appointment , and send short surveys afterwards encouraging patients to give feedback on their experience .

3 . Deliver test results . Clinics can send notifications that lab results are ready for pick up or send the results to the patient directly , more convenient than mail or phone calls .

4 . Security . WhatsApp features two-factor authentication and end-to-end encryption plus official business verification , so patients always know they are talking to their actual healthcare provider and not a scammer .

� FOLX HEALTH After launching in December , the world ’ s first major digital healthcare platform for queer and trans people has created a hotline and raised $ 25m to expand its services

� INFLOW The UK startup has raised £ 500k to launch a digital healthcare programme “ for people with ADHD , by people with ADHD .” Their mission is to make healthcare more accessible for neurodiverse people .

� FACEBOOK The tech giant was labelled a “ schoolyard bully ” for blocking news pages in Australia - including government healthcare and mental health pages - during the pandemic . The row erupted over a new law that would force tech firms to pay for news content .

� VACCINE DISTRIBUTION The UN called the distribution of vaccines “ wildly uneven and unfair ” saying that 10 countries have administered 75 per cent of all vaccinations while 130 countries have yet to receive a single dose .

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