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The patient texting API
Special Delivery! The patient texting API designed by OhMD makes two-way patient communication over SMS even easier for practices and solution partners. Take a look at our API docs and start building better patient connection through conversation.
Your shortcut to best-in-class patient communication
- Cut your SMS costs by 50% or more
We secure unprecedented rates so you can maximize communication while minimizing spend - Ignite your patient engagement
Tap into the best HIPAA compliant text experience with read and response rates of over 90% - Give patients even more reasons to love you
Consolidate communication across many tools into a unified, secure, streamlined conversation
What is a HIPAA compliant messaging API?
A HIPAA compliant messaging API lets healthcare software developers embed secure patient texting directly into their applications without building compliance infrastructure from scratch. Instead of spending months on encryption, audit logging, consent management, and BAA agreements, you connect to an API that handles all of it.
The difference between a generic SMS API and a HIPAA compliant messaging API matters. Twilio, for example, provides raw SMS transport. You’re responsible for HIPAA compliance, BAA agreements, message encryption, TCPA opt-in tracking, and audit trails. Build it wrong and you’re liable.
OhMD’s Special Delivery API is purpose-built for healthcare. HIPAA compliance, BAA, TCPA consent management, encryption, and audit logging are built into the infrastructure. You send a message. We handle everything between your API call and the patient’s phone.
How it works
1. Connect – Authenticate via REST API with your credentials. Sandbox environment available for testing before you go live.
2. Send and receive – Send HIPAA compliant SMS to patients using their phone number. Receive inbound messages via webhooks. Every message is encrypted in transit and at rest.
3. View and manage – Messages appear in OhMD’s unified inbox alongside calls, AI replies, and staff messages. Or manage everything through your own UI via the API.
That’s it. Three steps from zero to HIPAA compliant patient texting in your application.
Use Cases
Embed patient texting in your EHR
Add two-way patient messaging directly inside your EHR workflow. Clinicians and staff send and receive texts without leaving the chart. Messages are logged to the patient record automatically.
Add appointment reminders to your practice management software
Trigger automated text reminders from your scheduling system. Patients confirm, cancel, or reschedule via text reply. No-show rates drop. Your software gets credit.
Build patient communication into your telehealth platform
Pre-visit reminders, post-visit follow-ups, and between-visit check-ins all through secure text. Give your telehealth product a communication layer that actually gets used (98% text read rate vs. 20% patient portal open rate).
White-label patient messaging
Use OhMD’s messaging infrastructure under your own brand. Your customers see your product. OhMD powers the backend. No compliance headaches, no deliverability issues, no carrier management.
Automate patient outreach at scale
Care gap campaigns, recall reminders, balance collection, satisfaction surveys. Connect your analytics to OhMD’s API and trigger personalized outreach based on patient data.
Our enterprise-grade API was built to accommodate nearly every use case for SMS imaginable
Why app developers choose OhMD Special Delivery
- Special Delivery is the cost-effective, zero maintenance way to bring two-way texting to your healthcare solution
- HIPAA, PCI, and TCPA compliant patient texting solutions that let you focus on building your business
- A unified communication view that brings simplicity to your customers
- Select API partners gain access to 40,000+ physicians using OhMD
Why app developers choose OhMD Unified Inbox
- One patient thread for every interaction
Calls, SMS, AI replies, and human messages in a single, auditable view - Hero‑in‑the‑loop automation
AI handles routine workflows and auto‑escalates low‑confidence cases to staff - Built on Special Delivery rails
Runs on the practice’s local number with EHR writeback and a complete audit trail - Embeddable & configurable
SSO/API/iframe options and role‑based filters so each team sees what matters
OhMD in your platform
Patient communication embedded in your solution. See how integrating OhMD functionality into your own products and offerings can elevate how your customers communicate with patients.
Technical Capabilities
| Capability | Details |
|---|---|
| Protocol | RESTful API with JSON payloads |
| Authentication | API key-based auth with sandbox and production environments |
| Two-way SMS | Send outbound messages, receive inbound via webhooks |
| Message status | Real-time delivery callbacks (sent, delivered, failed, read) |
| HIPAA compliance | BAA included, encryption at rest (AES-256) and in transit (TLS 1.2+) |
| TCPA compliance | Built-in opt-in/opt-out management and consent tracking |
| PCI compliance | Payment-related messaging supported |
| Audit trail | Complete message logging with timestamps, sender, recipient, and delivery status |
| EHR integration | Pre-built connectors for athenahealth, eClinicalWorks, and 30+ EHR systems |
| Local numbers | Messages send from the practice’s existing local phone number |
| Embedding options | SSO, API, iframe. Role-based filters so each team sees what matters |
| Rate limits | High-throughput messaging for appointment reminders and bulk outreach |