Text Messaging in Healthcare Utilization

NCT ID: NCT03235830

Last Updated: 2017-08-02

Study Results

Results pending

The study team has not published outcome measurements, participant flow, or safety data for this trial yet. Check back later for updates.

Basic Information

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Recruitment Status

COMPLETED

Clinical Phase

NA

Total Enrollment

231 participants

Study Classification

INTERVENTIONAL

Study Start Date

2015-01-28

Study Completion Date

2016-08-05

Brief Summary

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The overall goal is to assess the feasibility and effectiveness of using text messages as an educational tool in order to improve health care utilization among the parents and caregivers of newborns; in particular, the investigators seek to understand how educational text messages counteract the effects of low health literacy as it relates to non-urgent visits to the emergency department.

Detailed Description

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Health care utilization is a issue germane to health care providers, insurers, and patients alike. Reducing non-urgent visits to the emergency department (ED) and primary care providers can improve both the quality and cost of care. There are barriers, however, to educating patients about more appropriate health care utilization. Low health literacy is one such barrier, particularly for caregivers of pediatric patients. Research reveals that up to half of caregivers seeking treatment at the ED have low levels of health literacy; levels that can make it more difficult to not only make sound decisions, but also provide effective follow-up care. Moreover, low levels of literacy perpetuate a cycle of seeking care for non-urgent conditions. Education initiatives designed to counteract the effects of low health literacy on health care utilization have been shown to reduce non-urgent ED visits by as much as 80%. These education interventions, while effective, are complex, costly, or time-intensive. For example, home visits by a nurse, parenting classes, and video tools are all shown to reduce non-urgent ED use, but each poses a unique problem for implementation in high volume, urban, pediatric primary care clinic. To date, no study has examined the effectiveness of text messaging as a possible avenue for educating caregivers about issues related to health care utilization. Text messaging has been shown to support behavioral change, and represents a fast and cost-effective alternative to more labor-intensive and expensive alternatives.

Danis Pediatrics, the pediatric practice of Saint Louis University physicians within SSM Cardinal Glennon Children's Medical Center (CGCMC), serves as a medical home to primarily urban, low-income patients. In the first half of 2014 alone, there were 5259 visits to the ED by caregivers of patients \< 13 months of age. Of those, 520 Danis Pediatrics patients accounted for 919 of those visits. In short, just under 1 in 5 visits to the CGCMC ED is a Danis patient, and Danis patients visit the ED approximately 2 times in the first year. Previous studies of patients at Danis Pediatrics suggest that this population has access to text messaging and is interested in receiving healthcare-related information from their pediatric provider.

Conditions

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Text Messaging

Study Design

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Allocation Method

RANDOMIZED

Intervention Model

PARALLEL

Caregivers of newborns (0-10 weeks of age) whose child received primary care at an urban, academic primary care clinic were approached for participation. Inclusion required reliable cellular and text messaging service and the ability to speak English. At intake, caregivers completed a brief demographic survey and were given a researcher-administered health literacy test called the Newest Vital Sign (NVS).

Following the initial visit where consent, demographic information, and the NVS were obtained, participants were randomly assigned, by computer, to one of two groups: (1) caregiver receives only enhanced standard of care documents (ESoC), or (2) caregiver receives text messages in addition to enhanced standard of care documents (ESoC + Text). Both research team members and participants were blind to group assignment at the time of consent and enrollment. Clinic staff and providers were not aware of group assignment unless revealed by the participant.
Primary Study Purpose

HEALTH_SERVICES_RESEARCH

Blinding Strategy

TRIPLE

Caregivers Investigators Outcome Assessors
Following the initial visit where consent, demographic information, and the NVS were obtained, participants were randomly assigned, by computer, to one of two groups: (1) caregiver receives only enhanced standard of care documents (ESoC), or (2) caregiver receives text messages in addition to enhanced standard of care documents (ESoC + Text). Both research team members and participants were blind to group assignment at the time of consent and enrollment. Clinic staff and providers were not aware of group assignment unless revealed by the participant.

Study Groups

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Enhanced Standard of Care (ESoC)

Subjects received a condensed version of the American Academy of Pediatrics Bright Futures content at their scheduled well-child visits though 6 months of age. The enhanced standard of care (ESoC) materials were added, by members of the research team, to registration packets and were given to caregivers by clinic staff, who were all trained to give the ESoC. For any patients who did not receive ESoC materials at their visit, an age-appropriate ESoC was mailed to the caregiver.

Group Type ACTIVE_COMPARATOR

Enhanced Standard of Care (ESoC)

Intervention Type BEHAVIORAL

See above in arm/group description

Enhanced Standard of Care (ESoC) + Text

Subjects assigned to the text messaging intervention group received four educational messages per week until their child was 6 months of age in addition to the ESoC documents. The text messages directly reflected Bright Futures and ESoC content, addressing infant development, safety, care, and the most common causes of nonurgent visits in the first year. Bright Futures content was adapted both for language and length to accommodate character limits and the patient population.

Group Type EXPERIMENTAL

Enhanced Standard of Care (ESoC) + Text

Intervention Type BEHAVIORAL

See above in arm/group description

Interventions

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Enhanced Standard of Care (ESoC) + Text

See above in arm/group description

Intervention Type BEHAVIORAL

Enhanced Standard of Care (ESoC)

See above in arm/group description

Intervention Type BEHAVIORAL

Eligibility Criteria

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Inclusion Criteria

* English-speaking parents and/or guardians of newborns (aged 0 to 2 months)
* Receive primary care at Danis Pediatrics
* Must have reliable mobile phone service and be able to receive text messages

Exclusion Criteria

* Non-English speaking caregivers
* No reliable text messaging service
Minimum Eligible Age

15 Years

Maximum Eligible Age

65 Years

Eligible Sex

ALL

Accepts Healthy Volunteers

Yes

Sponsors

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St. Louis University

OTHER

Sponsor Role lead

Responsible Party

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Matthew A. Broom, MD, FAAP

Associate Professor of Pediatrics

Responsibility Role PRINCIPAL_INVESTIGATOR

Principal Investigators

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Matt Broom, MD

Role: PRINCIPAL_INVESTIGATOR

St. Louis University

References

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Hodgkinson S, Godoy L, Beers LS, Lewin A. Improving Mental Health Access for Low-Income Children and Families in the Primary Care Setting. Pediatrics. 2017 Jan;139(1):e20151175. doi: 10.1542/peds.2015-1175. Epub 2016 Dec 12.

Reference Type BACKGROUND
PMID: 27965378 (View on PubMed)

Yin HS, Johnson M, Mendelsohn AL, Abrams MA, Sanders LM, Dreyer BP. The health literacy of parents in the United States: a nationally representative study. Pediatrics. 2009 Nov;124 Suppl 3:S289-98. doi: 10.1542/peds.2009-1162E.

Reference Type BACKGROUND
PMID: 19861483 (View on PubMed)

DeWalt DA, Hink A. Health literacy and child health outcomes: a systematic review of the literature. Pediatrics. 2009 Nov;124 Suppl 3:S265-74. doi: 10.1542/peds.2009-1162B.

Reference Type BACKGROUND
PMID: 19861480 (View on PubMed)

Morrison AK, Schapira MM, Gorelick MH, Hoffmann RG, Brousseau DC. Low caregiver health literacy is associated with higher pediatric emergency department use and nonurgent visits. Acad Pediatr. 2014 May-Jun;14(3):309-14. doi: 10.1016/j.acap.2014.01.004.

Reference Type BACKGROUND
PMID: 24767784 (View on PubMed)

DeAngelis C, Fosarelli P, Duggan AK. Use of the emergency department by children enrolled in a primary care clinic. Pediatr Emerg Care. 1985 Jun;1(2):61-5.

Reference Type BACKGROUND
PMID: 3843434 (View on PubMed)

Salami O, Salvador J, Vega R. Reasons for nonurgent pediatric emergency department visits: perceptions of health care providers and caregivers. Pediatr Emerg Care. 2012 Jan;28(1):43-6. doi: 10.1097/PEC.0b013e31823f2412.

Reference Type BACKGROUND
PMID: 22193700 (View on PubMed)

Morgan SR, Chang AM, Alqatari M, Pines JM. Non-emergency department interventions to reduce ED utilization: a systematic review. Acad Emerg Med. 2013 Oct;20(10):969-85. doi: 10.1111/acem.12219.

Reference Type BACKGROUND
PMID: 24127700 (View on PubMed)

Yoffe SJ, Moore RW, Gibson JO, Dadfar NM, McKay RL, McClellan DA, Huang TY. A reduction in emergency department use by children from a parent educational intervention. Fam Med. 2011 Feb;43(2):106-11.

Reference Type BACKGROUND
PMID: 21305425 (View on PubMed)

Fieldston ES, Nadel FM, Alpern ER, Fiks AG, Shea JA, Alessandrini EA. Effects of an education and training intervention on caregiver knowledge of nonurgent pediatric complaints and on child health services utilization. Pediatr Emerg Care. 2013 Mar;29(3):331-6. doi: 10.1097/PEC.0b013e31828512c7.

Reference Type BACKGROUND
PMID: 23426249 (View on PubMed)

Zandieh SO, Gershel JC, Briggs WM, Mancuso CA, Kuder JM. Revisiting predictors of parental health care-seeking behaviors for nonurgent conditions at one inner-city hospital. Pediatr Emerg Care. 2009 Apr;25(4):238-243. doi: 10.1097/pec.0b013e31819e350e.

Reference Type BACKGROUND
PMID: 19382324 (View on PubMed)

Provided Documents

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Document Type: Informed Consent Form

View Document

Document Type: Study Protocol

View Document

Document Type: Statistical Analysis Plan

View Document

Other Identifiers

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25160

Identifier Type: -

Identifier Source: org_study_id

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