Gillette now texts in Somali, Hmong

Gillette Children’s Specialty Healthcare has been able to send English- and Spanish-language texts to patients and their parents since late last year.

Now, in what it thinks is a first in U.S. healthcare, it can also send texts in Somali and Hmong.

If families opt in, they are sent a text message as a reminder seven and three days before a patient’s next appointment. The text messages help families keep track of their appointments. Gillette won’t charge for its texting service, although data rates might apply depending on the person’s phone plan.

This kind of service makes sense, according to the hospital, since mobile phones are now all but ubiquitous.

The texting capability is provided via Dialog Health, a Nashville company specializing in phone services for patients in medical facilities.

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