Can we text appointment reminders and recall offers, and what consent do we need?
Texting works well for patients. The rules depend on what the message is for.
- Can we text reminders without asking?
- Are recall texts promotional?
- What can a text say?
Appointment reminders and messages about a patient's own care are generally transactional, while offers and campaigns are commercial messages under CASL, which need consent, clinic identification and an unsubscribe option. Ask patients at intake how they want to be contacted and record it. Keep health details out of texts: say "your appointment", not the procedure.
Message types
| Message | Typical treatment |
|---|---|
| Appointment reminder | Service message about their care |
| Recall due | Usually service-related; keep it about their care |
| New service or offer | Commercial: consent, ID, unsubscribe |
| Review request | Treat as commercial to be safe |
Privacy in texts
Texts can be seen by others. Avoid procedures, diagnoses or balances in the message itself; link to a secure portal instead.
How we look at it at ShoutEx
We set up consent capture at intake and separate message types in your tools.
- Promotions without consent.
- Procedures named in texts.
- No unsubscribe.
- Preferences not recorded.
- Contact preferences at intake.
- Service and promotional messages separated.
- Clinic name in every text.
- Health details kept out.
What dentists and regulators say
Here is what regulators say.
Commercial electronic messages need consent, identification and an unsubscribe mechanism.
Read the CRTC FAQ →Health information in messages is subject to PHIPA in Ontario.
Read the IPC page →Dentists discuss texting patients and how much detail to include.
Browse the threads →Community summaries describe recurring themes in public threads, not individual posts. Vendor pages describe vendor claims, so test them on your own calls.
Read next
Go deeper in the ShoutEx guides, or check the sources behind this answer.
We'll configure consent capture and texting rules.
Book a call →Follow-up questions
Can we text a patient's spouse?
Only if the patient has authorized it.
What about email?
Same rules apply to commercial email under CASL.
Do US rules differ?
Yes. US texting falls under the TCPA and carrier rules.