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On Friday the Vhi announced that it was launching a Mobile Health Alerts service for its 1.5 million members in the Republic. Mobile services company iTouch developed the SMS alerts service for the health insurance company.
Vhi members can go to the company's Web site at www.vhihealthe.com to sign up for the service. Once signed up, users can set up a profile where they will be sent free SMS alerts, on a once-off or per day basis, to remind themselves of medical appointments, times to take medication or even alerts to encourage themselves to go to the gym.
For example, a smoker who is trying to quit can receive a text alert offering encouragement at particularly difficult times, such as first thing in the morning, at weekends or whilst socialising, the Vhi says. "We recognise that people wish to take control of their healthcare management. We are also sensitive to the fact that busy lifestyles are forcing health issues to take a back seat to other priorities and we are committed to ensuring that a healthy lifestyle is made as simple as possible," explained Tim McKeown, e-business manager at Vhi Healthcare.
Meanwhile the Dublin-based Leprosy Mission is encouraging users to sign up for its "Bible txt 2 U" service. Users that sign up for the Mission's service will receive text messages once per day throughout Lent containing biblical verses in a text message format.
"These will not be judgemental messages, they will messages of encouragement," Reverend Kenneth Gibson, the head of the mission, told ElectricNews.Net. Gibson explained that users can call the Mission's premium phone number to sign up for the service. All proceeds go to the charity and RSL, a Dublin-based mobile marketing company, is providing the service free of charge for the Mission. Gibson said the average call would cost a user around EUR5.
"We have always tried to work with the community by offering something in exchange for a subscription. In this case it's 40 days of inspirational messages," Gibson said. The Leprosy Mission is using the funds to help build three leprosy colony villages in China where 21,000 people live. The telephone number to sign up for the Mission's alerts is .
For more information visit http://www.leprosymission.org/htm/area/ireland.htm, http://www.itouch.ie or www.vhihealthe.com.
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