 Anyone who has been up close and personal with pregnancy,
be it their own or a family member's, friend's, or partner's,
knows that it's a lot to keep track of. After all, a
pregnant person needs to meet the care demands of two
bodies, and must heed very particular self-care and
lifestyle guidelines in order to do so. A major interest
in developing modern health solutions is helping young
people look after the health of themselves and their
pregnancies.
Enter text messaging. Using SMS to promote public health
is not new; the breadth of health applications that
text messages have been applied to is impressive. And
it seems like an especially good option to help young
people, especially underserved patients, meet the demands
of a healthy pregnancy. We hardly need mention the ubiquity
of cell phones and the depth of our entanglement in
our devices, and this rings true even among underserved
patients, who are most in need of prenatal care support;
a survey at Massachusetts General Hospital indicated
that about 65% of underserved patients own mobile phones.
So, how can text messaging help boost prenatal care?
A 2012 pilot at the Lynn Community Health Center (LCHC)
in Lynn, MA sought to find out. Providers at LCHC enrolled
25 young patients between the ages of 14 and 32, with
an average age of 22, in the program, with 96% of them
being enrolled during their first or second trimester
of pregnancy. 17 patients preferred to receive texts
in Spanish, and eight preferred English.
Patients in the LCHC study received up to three messages
per week during their pregnancies. The texts varied
in content, seeking to offer advice and education, reminders
of important events like appointments, motivation and
support, and a solid connection to their team at the
health center. The messages were only outbound, but
several texts offered a phone number at which patients
could reach their team should they need any further
support.
Patients received two surveys that allowed them to
reflect on the program, both six months into the trial
and after year-long period, when the study had come
to completion. The results are staggering.
The text messages were very effective at reaching patients;
100% of participants reported reading all or most of
the messages. Patients were also very satisfied with
the messages. Three quarters of participants felt the
amount of texts they received from the pilot was "just
right," 95% found the program helpful, and 100% said
they would recommend it to pregnant patients. Notably,
patients reported that the program helped them exercise
good self- and fetal care, like remembering to take
vitamins, and made them feel supported and cared for
throughout their pregnancies.
Though a small study, the trial at the Lynn Community
Health Center offers robust and promising results for
the future of pregnancy. SMS is a very easy and affordable
way to connect to patients, and given the success of
the pilot program, it is clear that text messaging holds
great power and promise for the future of prenatal care.
About the Author -
Sharon Housley is the VP of Marketing for NotePage,
Inc. a software company for communication software solutions.
http://www.notepage.net
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Can Text Messaging Boost Prenatal Care?