NEXT-GENERATION PATIENT ENGAGEMENT
RCS – RICH COMMUNICATION SERVICES FOR HEALTHCARE THAT PATIENTS TRUST, OPEN, AND ACT ON
You already text patients because it works. RCS builds on that foundation so every reminder, prep instruction, and payment request arrives branded, verified, and ready for one-tap action, turning more of the patients you reach into confirmed appointments, prepared arrivals, and paid balances.
Branded, verified sender your patients recognize instantly
One-tap actions: confirm, reschedule, complete, pay
Delivery and read receipts, so no follow-up is guesswork
Photos, maps, and videos in the message
More opens, more replies, more confirmed appointments
Automatic SMS fallback, so every patient gets the message
Trusted by leading healthcare organizations.
WHAT YOUR PATIENTS EXPERIENCE
A conversation that takes seconds, on the phone they already have. Powered by Dialog Health.
Nothing to install - It runs in the messaging app already on their phone, iPhone or Android. No download, no account.
Zero learning curve - If they can text, they can do this. No tutorial, no portal onboarding, no password to remember
Reply in their own words - "OK," "Yes," "Sure," "Y." All understood, and the confirmation logs itself.
Straight to the next step - The link opens scheduling directly. No hold music, no phone tag, no callback window.
BUILT FOR THE FULL PATIENT JOURNEY FROM OUTREACH TO COMPLETED CARE
Scheduling & Recall
Referrals, recalls, preventive screenings, and care-gap outreach with one-tap booking.
Day-of-Visit & Arrival
Directions, parking maps, check-in links, and wait-time updates, right in the thread.
Pre-Visit Prep
Prep packets, registration forms, and medication or NPO instructions patients can pull up anytime.
Post-Visit Follow-Up
Recovery check-ins, one-tap "request a nurse call," and readmission-reduction outreach.
Reminders & Confirmations
One tap locks in the appointment and cuts last-minute cancellations.
Surveys & Payments
Satisfaction surveys, review requests, and secure one-tap payment links that get paid faster.
COMING SOON: EVEN MORE POWERFUL RCS EXPERIENCE
More interactive patient journeys: Tap-to-confirm, guided responses, and seamless next steps
Carousel-style messaging: Deliver prep instructions, payments, and education in one experience
Richer media inside the message: High-quality images and video to make complex information easier to understand
Deeper engagement insights: See who read, clicked, and acted - with real-time visibility
Smarter automation and personalization: Messages that adapt based on patient behavior and workflow triggers
Next-gen capabilities as RCS evolves: Built to support emerging features and future messaging innovations
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BUILT FOR THE TEAMS RESPONSIBLE FOR PATIENT ENGAGEMENT
RCS powered by Dialog Health scales across the enterprise, serving:
Hospitals & health systems - enterprise-wide branded patient communication
Ambulatory surgery centers (ASCs) - pre-op prep, NPO instructions, and follow-up
Physician practices & specialty groups - reminders, recalls, and referrals
Urgent care & multi-location groups - high-volume campaigns with one-tap booking
FQHCs & health plans - accessible, multi-language outreach across 130+ languages
Typical users: patient-access and scheduling teams, care coordinators, pre-op/PACU nurses, marketing and patient-experience leaders, revenue cycle teams, and contact-center staff.
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
What is RCS - Rich Communication Services - and how is it different from SMS?
RCS is the next generation of text messaging. Where SMS is limited to plain text from an anonymous number, RCS messaging for healthcare delivers branded, verified messages - with your logo, one-tap buttons, richer content, and read receipts - inside the patient's native texting app. No app download, no login. It's the same channel patients already use, upgraded to build trust and drive action.
Does RCS replace our SMS, or work alongside it?
It works alongside it. RCS powered by Dialog Health sends as RCS when the patient's device and carrier support it, and automatically converts to SMS when they don't. You keep the near-universal reach of SMS and add the trust and interactivity of RCS - you never have to choose.
Does RCS work on iPhones and Android?
Yes. RCS has been native on Android for years, and Apple added RCS support to the iPhone with iOS 18 in September 2024. Business RCS (verified, branded messaging) is now supported across the major U.S. carriers. When a specific device or carrier can't display RCS yet, Dialog Health falls back to SMS automatically, so 100% of your patients still get the message.
What happens if a patient's phone can't receive RCS?
Nothing breaks. The message is delivered as a standard SMS instead. This automatic fallback is why the smart approach is "RCS-first, not RCS-only" - you capture the richer experience wherever it's available without ever sacrificing reach.
Is RCS HIPAA-compliant? Can we send PHI over it?
RCS is ideal for the large share of healthcare messaging that isn't protected health information - appointment reminders, prep instructions, surveys, and payment links. As a best practice, protected health information should stay on Dialog Health's compliant, purpose-built workflows rather than in a rich message body. Our platform has been built for healthcare since 2011 and adheres to HIPAA, TCPA, CTIA, SSAE, and SOC II standards.
How does the verified sender fight spam and smishing?
A verified sender means your organization's name, logo, and verification badge are confirmed and displayed before the message is opened - something scammers can't replicate. With U.S. consumers reporting $470 million in text-scam losses in 2024 (five times the 2020 figure, per the FTC), patients are rightly wary of anonymous numbers. Verified branding tells them, instantly, that the message is really from you.
Is RCS secure and encrypted?
Business RCS messages are encrypted in transit and sent from a verified, authenticated sender - a meaningful step up from plain SMS. The GSMA published RCS Universal Profile 3.0, which defines end-to-end encryption using the Messaging Layer Security (MLS) protocol, in March 2025, and cross-platform E2EE for personal chats has been rolling out since. Dialog Health layers healthcare-grade security on top - secure hosting, encryption, role-based access, archiving, and audit trails.
Do we need new patient consent, or does our existing SMS opt-in carry over?
Routine, healthcare-related messages such as appointment reminders and prep instructions generally fall under established consent practices for treatment communication, and every message includes clear opt-out language. Marketing messages require the stricter prior express written consent. Dialog Health tracks opt-ins and opt-outs at the patient level across channels to keep you compliant.
What about 10DLC and carrier registration?
Business texting requires carrier registration, and RCS adds verified-sender (Brand Agent) approval. Dialog Health handles this registration plumbing for you - brand and campaign registration, number verification, and becoming a verified sender - so your important clinical and operational messages reach patients instead of getting filtered.
Will RCS integrate with our EHR and existing workflows?
Yes. Dialog Health is integration-agnostic and designed to enhance the systems you already use, including Epic, Cerner, Greenway, ModMed, NextGen, Meditech, and Athenahealth, plus ASC and payment systems. It supports CSV, HL7, XML, and JSON via UI, sFTP, or Web API. You upgrade to rich messaging without replacing what already works.
How much does RCS cost compared to SMS, and what's the ROI?
On a per-message basis, rich RCS can cost more than SMS, but the metric that matters is cost per completed action. Because branded, interactive messages drive higher engagement, RCS often lowers your true cost per confirmed appointment, completed form, or collected balance. Dialog Health clients have seen results like a 54% increase in cash flow with payment links and a 15% increase in recall appointments (results vary by facility and usage).
How does RCS reduce no-shows and staff workload?
A plain reminder is passive. An RCS reminder is active - patients confirm or reschedule with one tap, and read receipts tell staff exactly who still needs a call. That combination is why Dialog Health clients have seen up to a 66% reduction in no-shows and a 92% decrease in pre- and post-op phone calls (results vary by facility and usage).
Can we message patients in other languages?
Yes. Dialog Health supports 130+ languages, so you can reach non-English-speaking patients in the language they prefer - a proven driver of engagement in multi-language outreach.
How quickly can we get started?
Fast. Dialog Health is cloud-based - no hardware, no app downloads and includes best-practice healthcare templates, EHR/portal integration, and staff training. Dialog Health is rolling out RCS in phases, beginning with verified sender identity, branded messaging, and read receipts, with interactive buttons and carousels following. Our client success team guides registration, verified-sender setup, and go-live.
Why Dialog Health for RCS?
Because we pioneered two-way texting for healthcare and are bringing that same authority to RCS. We live and breathe healthcare communication - from patient to staff - and we've done this hundreds of times with organizations from single practices to enterprise health systems. You get branded trust, richer engagement, and the visibility to protect and generate revenue while reducing workload.
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