Patient engagement & telehealth · Secure text messaging
Rhinogram
Rhinogram provides HIPAA-oriented patient text messaging and team inbox workflows for practices, without requiring a patient app. It is not an EHR.
Strong fit
- Dental, orthodontic, and specialty practices that want HIPAA-friendly texting without making patients use a portal app
- Teams moving phone tag into one shared text inbox
- Buyers comparing mid-sized messaging tools rather than large intake suites
Weak fit
- Health systems buying a large CRM and kiosk system as their only project
- Clinics that need a full EHR or consumer telehealth clinic
- Buyers unwilling to turn on texting for practice phone lines and train staff on a shared inbox
Bottom line
Rhinogram is worth using for small and specialty practices that want HIPAA-focused patient texting and a shared team inbox without a patient app. It suits practices moving phone tag to text. Practices wanting AI call handling or intake forms may prefer OhMD or Curogram.
Score breakdown
Weights: Outcomes 35% · Product 30% · Implementation 20% · Pricing clarity 15%.
Rhinogram is a patient communication company in Chattanooga, Tennessee, founded in 2015 by Dr. Keith Dressler, who leads it as CEO.
Its product centers on HIPAA-focused texting, teamwork, and virtual visits, without patients needing to download an app.
It is messaging software, not an EHR or a full intake and payments system like Phreesia.
Results show up when phone tag moves into text and staff share one conversation history.
Setup is light for small specialty clinics, though it posts less pricing detail than some peers.
Among the patient engagement tools we review, Rhinogram scores below OhMD and Curogram on AI and intake breadth. It sits near Clearwave in the lower middle, for a narrower job built around texting.
OhMD suits buyers who want AI call handling, and Spruce suits clinical phone plus messaging. Curogram suits practices that want intake forms next to secure chat.
Competitor landscape
| Vendor | Overall | Ease of implementation |
|---|---|---|
| OhMD | 7.5 | 7.4 |
| Curogram | 7.5 | 7.3 |
| PerfectServe | 7.4 | 7.0 |
| Spruce Health | 7.3 | 7.4 |
| Emitrr | 7.2 | 7.1 |
| TigerConnect | 7.1 | 6.9 |
| Rhinogram | 7.1 | 7.3 |
| Dialog Health | 7.0 | 7.1 |
| CareMessage | 7.0 | 6.9 |
| QliqSOFT | 6.7 | 6.5 |
Pricing
| Item | Detail |
|---|---|
| Model | A quoted messaging subscription for practices. Rhinogram posts few prices. |
| What usually drives cost | Providers or locations, message volume, and optional telehealth features. |
| What to ask before you buy | Monthly cost for your number of locations, including texting volume and any telehealth add-ons. |
| Published pricing | Rhinogram does not publish most prices. Confirm current packages on a sales call. |
Prerequisites for purchase
| Need | Why it matters |
|---|---|
| What you need to get Rhinogram to function | |
| A named front desk or access owner for the inbox and phones | Software with no owner goes unused. |
| Starting numbers for abandoned calls, time to book, and message response | You cannot show value without a starting number. |
| A plan for writing back to the EHR or practice system, and a list of phone numbers | Missing connections bring back copying between screens. |
| A patient consent and texting policy ready before launch | Unclear consent stalls legal review. |
| A staffing plan for issues the AI or inbox cannot resolve | Issues nobody owns turn into missed visits. |
| What will maximize your value | |
| Track calls answered by staff and time to book every week for 90 days | Counting logins does not show results. |
| Start with one location or service line first | A small real win is worth more than a broad launch with nothing behind it. |
| Drop other texting tools after a month of running both | Two inboxes double the cost. |
| Review stalled conversations in a regular huddle | Unpaid balances that quietly grow older hide problems. |
| Send a monthly access summary to practice leaders | Delays no one reports surprise everyone later. |
| Deal-breakers | |
| No one will own the shared inbox. | |
| You will not do the phone or EHR connection work the product needs. | |
| You expect a full EHR replacement from a messaging tool. | |
| Leaders will not track fewer staff-answered calls or booking speed. | |
| Compliance blocks patient texting consent. | |
Value creation time frame
| # | Stage | Typical range |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Plan and measure the starting point | 1-3 weeks to set measures, list phone numbers, and review the EHR. |
| 2 | Set up | 2-6 weeks to set up the inbox, AI tasks, and connections, and test scripts. |
| 3 | Pilot | 2-4 weeks at one site, with a plan for issues. |
| 4 | Expand | 1-2 months to add lines and sites and retire side texting tools. |
Leadership
Methodology
| Weight | Factor | What it measures |
|---|---|---|
| 35% | Customer outcomes | Whether buyers get measurable operational or clinical-workflow results after go-live |
| 30% | Product | Capability depth, reliability, and fit for the job the category buys |
| 20% | Implementation | How hard it is to stand up, integrate, train, and stabilize |
| 15% | Pricing clarity | Whether a buyer can model total cost without a mystery quote |
| Label | Meaning |
|---|---|
| Highly recommend | Strong outcomes and product with manageable caveats |
| Recommend | Solid fit for the right buyer; know the tradeoffs |
| Conditional | Only with a specific use case or heavy caveats |
| Not recommended | Avoid for most buyers in this category |
Read our full methodology for how we weight scores and assign recommend labels.