Connected patient feedback

SMS Polls and Text-to-Vote Surveys

Collect patient feedback, satisfaction scores, and program input through simple text message polls that people can answer from their default messaging app. Carrick helps clinics, public health teams, and pharmacies ask focused questions without requiring patients to download an app or sign in to a portal.

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Simple by design

What are SMS Polls?

SMS polls are questions sent by text message that recipients answer by replying. A clinic can ask, “How would you rate today's visit, 1 to 5?” and patients can respond without opening a form or downloading an app.

An SMS poll is usually a focused question with predefined answers. SMS surveys can collect more feedback, while online formsare available for longer questionnaires.

A connected workflow

How SMS Polling Works with Carrick

  1. 01

    1. Create your poll. Write the question and response options for the feedback you need, such as a rating, yes-or-no question, or multiple-choice poll.

  2. 02

    2. Send it. Send the survey or poll on its own, or attach an existing post-appointment survey to an appointment reminder sequence for automatic follow-up.

  3. 03

    3. Collect responses. Responses are matched to each patient and counted as they arrive. If a reply is not one of the survey options, your team can continue it as a two-way SMS conversation.

  4. 04

    4. Review and act. Review response counts and charts, export survey responses, and use the feedback to guide follow-up or patient-experience improvements. Learn about EHR integrations for connecting Carrick with other healthcare systems.

Collect feedback as a standalone survey or part of an appointment workflow

Create and send surveys and polls when you need an answer, or add a post-appointment survey to an appointment reminder sequence for automatic follow-up.

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Focused questions

What Can You Ask with Polling SMS?

Healthcare teams use Carrick surveys and polls to collect focused feedback without adding another phone call to the day.

  • 01

    Patient satisfaction: “How was your visit today? Reply 1-5.”

  • 02

    Post-appointment feedback: Ask patients about their experience after a visit.

  • 03

    Program feedback: Help public health teams gather input about clinic hours, outreach, and service awareness.

  • 04

    Operational decisions: Ask whether patients would use new hours or services.

  • 05

    Internal polling: Collect care-team input on scheduling and training priorities.

Community input

Text to Vote: SMS Voting for Community Health Decisions

Text to vote turns a focused decision into a one-question SMS poll patients can answer in seconds. Practices can ask about scheduling changes, while public health teams can gather input on clinic hours, outreach locations, and program priorities. Voting happens by reply, without requiring a portal login or separate app.

SMS Polling FAQ

What is an SMS poll?

An SMS poll is a question sent by text message that recipients answer by replying, such as a rating from 1 to 5 or YES or NO. Patients can respond without a form, app, or portal login.

Is SMS polling HIPAA compliant?

SMS polling can support compliant healthcare workflows when the platform, message content, access controls, and patient-consent practices are configured appropriately. Carrick supports HIPAA-compliant texting for US healthcare organizations and PIPEDA/PHIPA-compliant texting for Canadian providers.

What response rate do SMS polls get?

Response rates vary with the audience, consent quality, timing, and question length. In a 2024 general-practice study, two-way SMS follow-up surveys received responses from about half of the patients who had agreed to receive them. A short, focused question gives patients the clearest path to respond.

Do recipients need to opt in to receive SMS polls?

Healthcare organizations are responsible for obtaining the consent required for their messages and jurisdiction. Consent, privacy, and opt-out requirements should be reviewed before launching any patient survey or poll.

How much does SMS polling cost?

Pricing depends on your organization's messaging needs. Review Carrick pricing or talk to our team about the right plan for your workflow.

Start collecting feedback patients actually give

See how SMS polling works in a 15-minute walkthrough with our team.

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