Text-Message Reminders for Routine Check-ups

(HEDIS Trial)

Overseen By Sanjay Basu, MD, PhD

Age: < 65

Sex: Any

Trial Phase: Academic

Sponsor: Waymark

Disqualifiers: Opted out of SMS, No valid phone, No contact request

No Placebo Group All trial participants will receive the active study treatment (no placebo)

Compensation: Varies

Number of Visits: Unknown

799 Participants Needed

Trial Summary

Will I have to stop taking my current medications?

The trial information does not specify whether participants need to stop taking their current medications. It seems unlikely, as the study focuses on text-message reminders for routine check-ups.

What data supports the effectiveness of the treatment Automated SMS, Automated SMS + Scheduling Assistance for routine check-ups?

Research shows that sending SMS text message reminders significantly improves attendance at outpatient clinic appointments, indicating that similar reminders could effectively encourage routine check-ups. ^{1 2 3 4 5}

Is it safe to use text-message reminders for medical appointments?

Research shows that using text-message reminders for medical appointments is generally safe, with no reports of harmful effects like misreading messages or privacy issues. ^{2 6 7 8 9}

How is the treatment 'Automated SMS, Automated SMS + Scheduling Assistance' unique compared to other treatments?

This treatment is unique because it combines automated text message reminders with scheduling assistance to improve attendance at routine check-ups, offering a personalized and convenient approach that is not typically found in standard care practices. ^{2 10 11 12 13}

What is the purpose of this trial?

The goal of this clinical trial is to evaluate the effectiveness of different outreach strategies in closing HEDIS gaps for Well-Child Visits (WCV) in children aged 0-21 years. The main questions it aims to answer are: Does automated SMS outreach improve the rate of completed Well-Child Visits compared to traditional passive outreach? Does the combination of automated SMS and appointment scheduling assistance lead to higher completion rates than automated SMS alone? Researchers will compare three groups to see if the different outreach strategies have varying effects on WCV completion rates: Control Group: Participants will receive traditional passive outreach (current standard practice). Automated SMS Group: Participants will receive standardized SMS messages to remind them of their Well-Child Visits. Automated SMS + Scheduling Assistance Group: Participants will receive SMS messages along with proactive assistance in scheduling their appointments. Participants will: Be randomized into one of the three study groups. Receive outreach according to their group assignment. Have their appointment scheduling and attendance tracked. Contribute data that will help evaluate the effectiveness of each outreach strategy in closing HEDIS gaps for Well-Child Visits. This study aims to optimize outreach methods to improve healthcare delivery and preventive care adherence for pediatric populations.

Eligibility Criteria

This trial is for children aged 0-21 years who are due for a Well-Child Visit (WCV). It's designed to see if text messages or texts plus help with scheduling can make it more likely that kids go to their routine check-ups and address healthcare disparities.

Inclusion Criteria

Patients with a phone number in health plan eligibility file

Patients for whom the care team is authorized to conduct outreach per the patient's Medicaid health plan

I am 21 or younger and haven't had a check-up in the last year.

Exclusion Criteria

I chose not to receive text/SMS messages.

I cannot receive text messages due to not having a phone.

I have asked not to be contacted by my healthcare provider or health plan.

Timeline

Screening

Participants are screened for eligibility to participate in the trial

2-4 weeks

Intervention

Participants receive outreach according to their group assignment: traditional passive outreach, automated SMS, or automated SMS with scheduling assistance.

6 months

Ongoing monitoring through SMS and appointment tracking

Follow-up

Participants are monitored for the effectiveness of outreach strategies in closing HEDIS gaps for Well-Child Visits.

6 months

Monthly data collection

Treatment Details

Interventions

• Automated SMS
• Automated SMS + Scheduling Assistance

Trial Overview The study tests whether automated SMS reminders alone, or combined with scheduling assistance, increase the rate of completed WCVs compared to standard passive outreach. Participants will be randomly placed into one of three groups: no texts, texts only, or texts plus help booking visits.

Participant Groups

Group I: Automated SMS Active Control 1 Intervention

Participants will receive automated SMS messages reminding them of their Well-Child Visits. These messages will be standardized and sent at intervals designed to prompt appointment attendance.

Group II: Control Active Control 1 Intervention

Participants will receive traditional passive outreach, which includes standard reminders and communications that do not utilize automated technologies.

Group III: Automated SMS + Scheduling Assistance Active Control 1 Intervention

Participants will receive the same automated SMS messages as in Arm 2, but with the added component of proactive appointment scheduling assistance. This may include options for scheduling directly through the SMS platform or follow-up messages encouraging appointment setting.

Who Is Running the Clinical Trial?

Waymark

Lead Sponsor

Trials

1

Recruited

180+

Findings from Research

This study aims to evaluate the effectiveness of different reminder methods (text messages, reminder calls, or both) in increasing the use of service referrals among 300 participants from community outreach programs.

The research will help determine how mobile phone-based interventions can enhance community engagement and service utilization, potentially guiding future reminder protocols for similar programs across the country.

NCBI (Pubmed)

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

A Research Protocol to Test the Effectiveness of Text Messaging and Reminder Calls to Increase Service Use Referrals in a Community Engagement Program. Varma, DS., Hart, M., McIntyre, DS., et al.[2020]

References

1. Pakistan pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Efficacy of Mobile Phone SMS Reminder for Increasing the Patient Follow-Up Consultation Visits in OPD Clinics. [2020]

2. Australia pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

SMS text messaging improves outpatient attendance. [2019]

3. Australia pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Use of SMS text messaging to improve outpatient attendance. [2022]

4. United States pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Effect of multiple patient reminders in improving diabetic retinopathy screening. A randomized trial. [2019]

5. United States pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

The Effectiveness of SMS Reminders on Appointment Attendance: a Meta-Analysis. [2022]

6. England pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Patient preferences and access to text messaging for health care reminders in a safety-net setting. [2022]

7. United States pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

An Integrative Review of Text Message Reminders for Medical Surveillance Examinations. [2022]

8. Canada pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

A Research Protocol to Test the Effectiveness of Text Messaging and Reminder Calls to Increase Service Use Referrals in a Community Engagement Program. [2020]

9. United States pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Targeting Missed Care Opportunities Using Modern Communication Methods: A Quality Improvement Initiative to Improve Access to CT and MRI Appointments. [2022]

10. United States pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Improving patient compliance with best practices guidelines: a web based automated and personalized reminders system. [2018]

11. United States pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Potential Limitations of E-mail and Text Messaging in Improving Adherence in Glaucoma and Ocular Hypertension. [2022]

12. England pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

SMS reminders- future in self-care management of diabetes mellitus? [2021]

13. England pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Appointment reminders by text message in a safety net health care system: a pragmatic investigation. [2022]