Planning a Connecticut Hospital Stay? Your Medical Orders May Soon Come Over Text Message

Last month the Joint Commission reversed a decision from 2011 preventing physicians and surgeons from texting medical orders to nurses. The ban came over the concern of encryption and security. This ban has now been overturned after a research study was conducted.

This included 100 physician respondents of which 78% favored the use of text messaging to deliver medical orders to nurses. Of 649 nurse respondents, 68% favored the ruling, but what does this mean for patient care?

The Joint Commission will be releasing to its members guidelines on read back/text confirmation of medical orders, how frequently orders can be texted and how these orders get entered into the patient’s health records.

The Joint Commission is a not-for-profit organization that accredits hospitals, healthcare programs, facilities and organizations.