Availability: Vital Emergency · Vital Inpatient · Vital Urgent Care
We use SMS (text) messages to notify patients and invite them into the app. We message the ADT phone number on record, provided it's set as the mobile or home number. If neither is set, we can't message the patient. Where multiple numbers are on record, we message all of them; whichever number is used to authenticate first becomes the primary contact, and messaging to the others stops. All SMS messages can be customized per facility.
Welcome / invite message
Patients receive an invitation to use the app. The sender number appears as 63369.
Emergency & Urgent Care: the welcome message is sent as soon as we receive the registration ADT message, provided the event is within the last 24 hours and the visit hasn't ended. This avoids inviting patients who have likely already left. We also engage patients up to 2 hours in advance (e.g. PreAdmit). A re-invite is sent 30 minutes after the visit starts.
Inpatient: the invite is sent as soon as we receive a location message indicating the patient has been assigned a bed on the inpatient ward.
Welcome and invite messages are translated into the patient's language where known from the EHR (see Supporting Different Languages).
Patients we don't invite
To protect patient confidentiality and avoid inviting patients who couldn't use the app, we do not send invites or any other messages to:
Patients receiving "critical care" whose reason for visit matches certain critical-care terms
Minors under 10 whose reason for visit matches certain restricted terms
Minors aged 10–18 whose reason for visit matches certain criminal or restricted terms
Patients who don't use the app still appear in the clinician tools, and their clinical events are still included in staff notifications.
Update messages during the visit
We send a range of updates as the patient moves through their visit. These include, but are not limited to:
Ordering and results of labs or imaging tests
Reminders about follow-up care after the visit
Emergency & Urgent Care only: updates on wait times for patients who have been waiting a long time
Inpatient only: patient experience surveys, and alerts to registration staff (missing insurance / contact details) and care-coordination staff (help scheduling follow-up appointments)
Direct messages from the care team
Patients may receive SMS messages from their care team with information or instructions, or in response to a service request. This is controlled by the direct messaging feature in the Care Team app.
Frequently asked questions
How do patients opt out?
Reply STOP to any message. They then receive no further messages, and we send a brief confirmation that they have unsubscribed.
Can opting out be reversed?
Yes. Reply START or UNSTOP to a previous message, or text START to 63369; we then confirm that messages are switched back on.
What if a patient replies HELP?
They receive a short automated reply directing them to the nearest staff member for immediate medical help, and to app-help@vital.io for questions about the app. (The exact wording is managed in the product and may change.)
How many times can an SMS link be used?
Links are single-use. If multiple devices share one phone number, only the first device can use the link; others see an "expired" message.
Patient has poor connectivity, what can they check?
Vital can't influence cellular/wifi signal, but patients can check signal strength (aim for better than −100 dBm). iPhone: turn off wifi, open the Phone app, dial *3001#12345#*, press call, the RSRP value is the signal strength. Android: turn off wifi → Settings → About phone → Status/Network → SIM status → Signal Strength.
Are messages sent to deceased patients?
No. All SMS messaging is automatically disabled if a patient is marked deceased.