Table 1.
Demonstrating the final items recommended by the expert panel regarding the use of mobile messaging in population screening programmes.
| Content | |
| 1. Using concise simple language (reading age of 9) | ☑ |
| 2. Using non-technical language with factual, non-coercive information | ☑ |
| 3. Specifying the date, time (am/pm), location | ☑ |
| 4. Include additional information such as what to bring, or what to do, where possible. | ☑ |
| 5. Specifying who has sent the message (e.g. screening service or GP practice) and purpose | ☑ |
| 6. Including weblinks to evidence or more information (e.g. screening website) | ☑ |
| 7. Providing a telephone number to book | ☑ |
| 8. Where appropriate using GP endorsement in reminder messages (e.g. [Practice name] encourages you to screen] | ☑ |
| 9. Sending messages to facilitate attendance at screening (without being coercive), which could use behavioural science | ☑ |
| 10. Using Did Not Attend Messaging (DNA) messages for missed appointments | ☑ |
| 11. Sending messages in English, but with language translations available (e.g. via weblink or by previous selection) | ★ |
| 12. Providing an ability to re-book in the message other than telephone no. (e.g. by text or weblink) | ★ |
| 13. Using messages tailored or targeted at certain groups (such as patients at higher risk of an illness) | ★ |
| Timing | |
| 1. 2 messages maximum should be sent at 1 time in the programme ideally | ☑ |
| 2. BEFORE an appointment 2 reminder messages should be sent at day 7 before then at day 2 before. | ☑ |
| 3. FOLLOWING an open invitation (e.g. to book an appointment) or sending of testing kit (e.g. FIT) 3 messages should be sent if there has been no booking or returned kit. These will be on average 12 days, 20 days then 28 days after the invitation. | ☑ |
| 4. Using confirmation texts immediately if a booking has been made or a kit has been received | ★ |
| Delivery | |
| 1. Flagging individuals who have who it might not be appropriate to message (e.g. following a miscarriage/patient passing away) | ★ |
| 2. Ensuring all services are integrated into the GP Spine to enable telephone number verification | ★ |
| 3. Verifying numbers through direct contact with patients where possible | ★ |
| 4. Enabling limited bi-directional messaging service (e.g. for functions such as booking, confirming locations, organizing translated messages) | ★ |
| Evaluation | |
| 1. Routinely evaluating the impact of new/different messages on regional healthcare inequalities | ☑ |
| 2. Measuring user satisfaction by recording opt-out rates | ☑ |
| 3. If no existing pathway is available, periodically assessing usefulness of messages/satisfaction through other means (online, telephone and in writing) | ☑ |
| 4. To ensure ongoing acceptability of messages to the public, introducing ongoing testing (e.g. online A/B testing, or User-experience trials) | ☑ |
| 5. Incorporating satisfaction measures into existing pathways (e.g. GP practices or NHSP Parent Survey) where possible | ★ |
| 6. Assessing measure mobile message delivery success reports and measure responses rates (e.g. in bi-directional messages, or appointment calls) | ★ |
| 7. When necessary using linked datasets (e.g. between screening services and GP data or hospital data) to facilitate the evaluation on healthcare inequalities | ★ |
| 8. Routinely collect measures of knowledge and attitudes (e.g. Decisional Conflict Scale) to screening to determine the effect on informed choice | ★ |
| Security | |
| 1. Maintaining consistency across media including publishing contact details/links on websites and in letters, so individuals can verify these as legitimate | ☑ |
| 2. Using MEF-registered (official) SenderIDs (e.g. “[Screeningservice] sent you a message”, as opposed to “[+4478 …] sent you a message”) | ★ |
| 3. Defining a wrong recipient message receipt as a reportable breach | ★ |
| Research & future | |
| 1. Using experimental methods such as Randomised Controlled Trials to determine the impact of novel messages | ☑ |
| 2. Using online experimental methods such as A/B testing to determine the impact of novel message | ☑ |
| 3. Routinely report the outcomes of trials/research on population inequalities (e.g. between different demographics, and individuals with different health conditions) | ☑ |
| 4. Prior to large trials, new messages should ensure Patient and Public Involvement and qualitative measures are undertaken | ☑ |
| 5. Screening services/PHE Publishing their research priorities, to enable researchers to focus upon relevant areas (this includes non-content related areas) | ☑ |
| 6. Involving top-down infrastructure and governance support to facilitate research, including enabling trials across services/regions e.g. providing roadmaps for trial conduct, dissemination findings to stakeholders | ★ |
| 7. Implementing fast–track processes to enable widespread testing for messages with trial evidence | ★ |
| 8. Facilitate the examination of new technologies e.g NHS approved app-based integration or push notifications | ★ |
☑ Core item (reached consensus as important and feasible).
★ Desirable item (reached consensus as important, but not feasible).