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Text4Peds: Short Message Service Evaluating Medical Student Education

NCT ID: NCT03346616

Last Updated: 2017-11-17

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

162 participants

Study Classification

INTERVENTIONAL

Study Start Date

2016-05-02

Study Completion Date

2017-04-28

Brief Summary

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In this study, third year medical students on the pediatric clerkship will be randomized to receive either only written educational material (review journal articles) or written educational material plus daily text messages consisting of board style questions with online answers. The students' performance on the National Board of Medical Examiners (NBME) Pediatric Subject Evaluation will be compared between the two groups.

Detailed Description

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In the last decade, the use of smartphone and text messaging (SMS) has increased significantly; during this time, text messaging has become the primary means of communication in some instances. Despite the popularity, text messaging and smartphones have been rarely utilized in the context of medical education. Few studies have been performed examining the effect of text messaging as an adjunct to traditional medical education. A previous study with the Saint Louis University (SLU) Pediatric Residency program, showed the feasibility of using text messaging to deliver medical information to pediatric residents through the Text4Peds program.

This study aims to expand Text4Peds to third NBME Pediatric Subject Evaluation performance. The NBME Pediatric Subject Evaluation is a national, standardized pediatric knowledge based exam from the NBME taken by all medical students at the end of their pediatric clerkship.

Conditions

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Education, Medical, Undergraduate SMS

Study Design

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Allocation Method

RANDOMIZED

Intervention Model

PARALLEL

Participants were randomly assigned to a Texting Group or a Non-Texting Group using a random number generator. The texting group received a daily text message containing a board style multiple choice question. If the participant wanted immediate feedback, the message contained a link to a website containing the answer to the question along with an explanation, the source material, and a more complete clinical vignette. One hour after the initial text message was sent, a follow up "answer" text message was delivered. Text messages were sent 6 days per week (Monday through Saturday) at 2pm and 3pm. To minimize perceived impropriety, the non-texting group received access to the journal articles from which the content was derived, but did not receive any text messages or any of the synthesized material. The primary outcome was performance on the NBME Pediatric Subject Examination.
Primary Study Purpose

OTHER

Blinding Strategy

NONE

Study Groups

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Texting Group

The texting group received a daily text message containing a board style multiple choice question. If the participant wanted immediate feedback, the message contained a link to a website containing the answer to the question along with an explanation, the source material, and a more complete clinical vignette. One hour after the initial text message was sent, a follow up "answer" text message was delivered. Text messages were sent 6 days per week (Monday through Saturday) at 2 pm and 3 pm.

Group Type EXPERIMENTAL

Texting Group

Intervention Type OTHER

See above in arm/group description

Non Texting Group

The non-texting group received access to the journal articles from which the text message content was derived, but did not receive any text messages or any of the online material or question stems.

Group Type ACTIVE_COMPARATOR

Non Texting Group

Intervention Type OTHER

See above in arm/group description

Interventions

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Texting Group

See above in arm/group description

Intervention Type OTHER

Non Texting Group

See above in arm/group description

Intervention Type OTHER

Eligibility Criteria

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Inclusion Criteria

* Third year medical students on the Pediatric Clerkship at Saint Louis University School of Medicine

Exclusion Criteria

* Third year medical students who did not have a mobile phone capable of receiving a short message service (SMS) text message
Minimum Eligible Age

20 Years

Maximum Eligible Age

50 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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Christopher Brownsworth, MD

Role: PRINCIPAL_INVESTIGATOR

St. Louis University

Locations

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St Louis University

St Louis, Missouri, United States

Site Status

Countries

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United States

References

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Gavali MY, Khismatrao DS, Gavali YV, Patil KB. Smartphone, the New Learning Aid amongst Medical Students. J Clin Diagn Res. 2017 May;11(5):JC05-JC08. doi: 10.7860/JCDR/2017/20948.9826. Epub 2017 May 1.

Reference Type BACKGROUND
PMID: 28658804 (View on PubMed)

Stockwell MS, Kharbanda EO, Martinez RA, Lara M, Vawdrey D, Natarajan K, Rickert VI. Text4Health: impact of text message reminder-recalls for pediatric and adolescent immunizations. Am J Public Health. 2012 Feb;102(2):e15-21. doi: 10.2105/AJPH.2011.300331. Epub 2011 Dec 15.

Reference Type BACKGROUND
PMID: 22390457 (View on PubMed)

Goodarzi M, Ebrahimzadeh I, Rabi A, Saedipoor B, Jafarabadi MA. Impact of distance education via mobile phone text messaging on knowledge, attitude, practice and self efficacy of patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus in Iran. J Diabetes Metab Disord. 2012 Aug 31;11(1):10. doi: 10.1186/2251-6581-11-10.

Reference Type BACKGROUND
PMID: 23497632 (View on PubMed)

Hall AK, Cole-Lewis H, Bernhardt JM. Mobile text messaging for health: a systematic review of reviews. Annu Rev Public Health. 2015 Mar 18;36:393-415. doi: 10.1146/annurev-publhealth-031914-122855.

Reference Type BACKGROUND
PMID: 25785892 (View on PubMed)

Sabin LL, Larson Williams A, Le BN, Herman AR, Viet Nguyen H, Albanese RR, Xiong W, Shobiye HO, Halim N, Tran LTN, McNabb M, Hoang H, Falconer A, Nguyen TTT, Gill CJ. Benefits and Limitations of Text Messages to Stimulate Higher Learning Among Community Providers: Participants' Views of an mHealth Intervention to Support Continuing Medical Education in Vietnam. Glob Health Sci Pract. 2017 Jun 27;5(2):261-273. doi: 10.9745/GHSP-D-16-00348. Print 2017 Jun 27.

Reference Type BACKGROUND
PMID: 28655802 (View on PubMed)

Gill CJ, Le Ngoc B, Halim N, Nguyen Viet H, Larson Williams A, Nguyen Van T, McNabb M, Tran Thi Ngoc L, Falconer A, An Phan Ha H, Rohr J, Hoang H, Michiel J, Nguyen Thi Thanh T, Bird L, Pham Vu H, Yeshitla M, Ha Van N, Sabin L. The mCME Project: A Randomized Controlled Trial of an SMS-Based Continuing Medical Education Intervention for Improving Medical Knowledge among Vietnamese Community Based Physicians' Assistants. PLoS One. 2016 Nov 18;11(11):e0166293. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0166293. eCollection 2016.

Reference Type BACKGROUND
PMID: 27861516 (View on PubMed)

Chen Y, Yang K, Jing T, Tian J, Shen X, Xie C, Ma B, Liu Y, Yao L, Cao X. Use of text messages to communicate clinical recommendations to health workers in rural China: a cluster-randomized trial. Bull World Health Organ. 2014 Jul 1;92(7):474-81. doi: 10.2471/BLT.13.127076. Epub 2014 Mar 25.

Reference Type BACKGROUND
PMID: 25110372 (View on PubMed)

Gurol-Urganci I, de Jongh T, Vodopivec-Jamsek V, Atun R, Car J. Mobile phone messaging reminders for attendance at healthcare appointments. Cochrane Database Syst Rev. 2013 Dec 5;2013(12):CD007458. doi: 10.1002/14651858.CD007458.pub3.

Reference Type BACKGROUND
PMID: 24310741 (View on PubMed)

Mount HR, Zakrajsek T, Huffman M, Deffenbacher B, Gallagher K, Skinker B, Rivard G, Benson S, Dancel R, Buckman F, Hayes M, Jackson J, Viera AJ. Text messaging to improve resident knowledge: a randomized controlled trial. Fam Med. 2015 Jan;47(1):37-42.

Reference Type BACKGROUND
PMID: 25646876 (View on PubMed)

Draper L, Kuklinski C, Ladley A, Adamson G, Broom M. Texting preferences in a Paediatric residency. Clin Teach. 2017 Dec;14(6):401-406. doi: 10.1111/tct.12590. Epub 2017 Jan 12.

Reference Type BACKGROUND
PMID: 28078778 (View on PubMed)

Broom MA, Adamson GT, Draper LR. Text messaging in medical education. Pediatrics. 2014 Mar;133(3):e491-3. doi: 10.1542/peds.2013-1529. Epub 2014 Feb 17. No abstract available.

Reference Type BACKGROUND
PMID: 24534409 (View on PubMed)

Provided Documents

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Document Type: Study Protocol

View Document

Document Type: Statistical Analysis Plan

View Document

Document Type: Informed Consent Form

View Document

Other Identifiers

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26458

Identifier Type: -

Identifier Source: org_study_id