Yes, if the text stays generic, links to a page that holds the instructions, and follows the patient's choice about unencrypted messages. GoHighLevel can send the link, track whether it was opened, and nudge the patient once. The bottom line: instructions only help if patients look at them, and the way to make that happen without exposing health information is to put the content behind a link and the details in the visit, not in the text.
What the rules allow
A Holland and Hart summary of HHS guidance says covered entities may communicate with patients by unencrypted email or text when the patient asks for it, as long as the patient has been warned of the risks, and that the clinic should still limit what it sends to the minimum necessary. HighLevel's help center describes a HIPAA compliance setting that has to be enabled before you handle protected health information in the account, and your agreement with HighLevel should be in place first. A message that says nothing about the patient's condition is safer than one that does, and instructions written for one patient's condition are health information.
What goes in the text and what goes behind the link
| In the text | Behind the link |
|---|---|
| The clinic's name and a greeting | The exercise names and the patient's own instructions |
| That the instructions from today's visit are ready | The video for each exercise and how many repetitions |
| How to ask a question | Pain warnings and when to stop and call |
| A STOP line | A login or secure page, if your system supports it |
A general library page that anyone can open, with a short video for common stretches, is the simplest option and carries no individual health information. A patient specific page needs a secure portal or a login, so use your practice management system's portal for that.
Make the link measurable
HighLevel's trigger links give each message a tracked address, and the Trigger Link Clicked trigger starts a workflow when someone opens it. That lets the clinic see who opened the instructions and who did not, without reading the content of the page. A patient who has not opened the link after 2 days can get one reminder, and a patient who opened it can get nothing further.
Build it in HighLevel
- Create the library page with the stretch videos, and a trigger link named Home care library that points to it.
- Start a workflow when an appointment is marked Showed, with a Wait of 1 hour.
- Send a text with the trigger link: the clinic's name, that today's instructions are ready, and a way to ask a question.
- Use the Trigger Link Clicked trigger to add the tag Opened home care and cancel any reminder.
- If the tag is missing after 2 days, send one short reminder and stop.
- Add an If/Else on a tag recording the patient's choice about text messages, and send email only to patients who prefer not to receive texts.
- Turn on Stop on Response so questions reach staff.
A message, written out
Sample: Hi Dana, this is [Clinic]. The stretches from today's visit are ready to watch here: [link]. If anything hurts while doing them, call us at [number]. Reply STOP to stop messages. It names no condition, no body part, and no treatment.
Worked example
A clinic that sees 600 visits a month and sends the link after each sends 600 texts. If 45 percent open the link, that is 270 opens (600 times 0.45), and the reminder goes only to the other 330. A reminder that reaches 330 people costs nothing extra to send, and if 20 percent of them open it, that is 66 more patients who watch the video (330 times 0.2). The percentages are assumptions to replace with your own.
The patient's choice
Ask each new patient how they want to receive messages, record it in a field, and keep the warning about the risks of unencrypted text in the intake paperwork. Patients who say no get email or the portal. Honoring the choice is the point of the rule.
How to organize the video library
Group the videos by region, such as neck, shoulder, low back, and hip, and keep each one to a minute or two with a clear title and captions. A patient who opens the page should find what the doctor showed within two taps. Add a line under each video about when to stop and call the clinic. A library page that is easy to use produces more opens than a long page of text.
Access for every patient
Not every patient watches videos or reads text on a phone. Offer the same content as a printed sheet, a large print version, and captioned video, and record the patient's choice. A clinic that serves older patients should test the page on a small screen with larger type and make sure the links are easy to tap.
How this was handled before
The doctor handed out a printed sheet of stretches, and patients photographed it or lost it. A link sent after the visit puts the instructions where the patient already is, and the open tag tells the clinic whether it was used.
What to measure
Track links sent, links opened within 48 hours, reminders sent, and questions that came back as replies. The open rate in the first 48 hours is the number to improve.
Questions people ask
Can a clinic text exercise instructions to patients?
Yes, with a generic message and a link, and respecting the patient's choice about unencrypted messages, according to a summary of HHS guidance.
Should the text name the condition or body part?
No. Keep the message generic and put the details behind the link or in a portal.
How can a clinic tell whether a patient opened the instructions?
Use a trigger link, which records the click and can start a workflow.
You can start a GoHighLevel account here and build the trigger link workflow, and see trigger links in our capabilities demo.