Appendix B.
Reminders
| Citation | Martini da Costa, (2010)[24] | Wright, (2008) [13] | Munoz, (2009) [23] | Boman, (2010)[12] |
| Clinical Domain | Primary care | Health Prevention | Health Prevention | Cgnitive Impairment |
| Reminder Purpose/Technology Intervention | Appointment reminder/Text message | Health screening/Tethered Personal Health Records | Healthy behavior/Web-based application, email | Self-care management/Computer home reminder system |
| Study Objective | Assessed efficacy of a text message appointment reminder. | Assessed if sending a health screening reminder via EHR would increase screening. | Assessed efficacy of internet based smoking cessation program. | Assessed if acquired brain injury (ABI) patients could learn to use a set of electronic memory aids integrated in a training apartment, and to identify activities commonly forgotten by patients. |
| Study n | >29000 | 4534 | 1000 | 14 |
| Study Design | Retrospective review | RCT | RCT | Case study |
| Setting | Brazil/Large clinic | USA/11 primary care centers | Worldwide (68 countries)/Internet users enrolled at two websites. | Sweden/TBI clinic |
| Measurement | Appointment non-attendance rates | Number of health screenings sought by patients | Self-reported smoking cessation rates | Number of reminders for activities |
| Results | Non-attendance rates decreased in 3 of 4 clinics: 0.82% (p = .590), 3.55% (p = .009), 5.75% (p = .022), and 14.49% (p = <.001). | Patients significantly increased pap smear screening 1.68 95% CI (1.04–2.70, p < 0.05) - no significant difference for other screenings (p > 0.05). | No significant difference was seen among conditions tested; 7-day abstinence rates over 12 months were 20.2% for Spanish speakers and 21.0% for English speakers. | Participants made significant improvements learning how to use memory aids provided (p < 0.05); no significant correlation was found among the number of kitchen alarms and reminder messages. |
| Citation | Hanauer, (2009)[28] | Dowshen, (2012)[27] | Dokkum, (2012)[26] | DeFrank, (2009)[25] |
| Clinical Domain | Diabetes | HIV | STI | Oncology |
| Reminder Purpose/Technology Intervention | Self-care management/Text message; email | Medication adherence/Text message | Health Screening/Text message; email | Health Screening/Automated telephone call |
| Study Objective | Compared glucose monitoring using email versus text message reminders. | Assessed the effect and feasibility of daily text messages to increase adherence to antiretroviral therapy. | Assessed response rates of chlamydia home testing using mail, email and text message. | Compared efficacy of screening reminders including an automated phone call, mailed letter, and enhanced mailed letter. |
| Study n | 40 | 25 | 93,094 | 3547 |
| Study Design | Randomized sample | Prospective | Case study | RCT |
| Setting | USA/Diabetes center | USA/LGBT focused health center | Netherlands/Public community | USA/North Carolina teacher and state employee database |
| Measurement | Patients entering blood glucose levels on website | Self-reported adherence using the visual analog scale (VAS). | Rate of package return (home chlamydia testing kit) | Appointment attendance rates |
| Results | The text message group requested significantly more reminders (text message group = 180.4, email group = 106.6) and submitted more glucose values (30.0 vs. 6.9 per user, p = 0.04). | Visual analog scale scores increased significantly from a baseline of 74.7 to 93.3 at 12 weeks, p < .001; and 93.1 at 24 weeks, p < .001. | Participation rates increased from 10% to 14% after the email/SMS reminders in round 1, and 7% to 10% in round 2. | Participants receiving automated telephone reminders significantly increased overall repeat mammography adherence following the intervention (17.8% (p<0.0001). |
| Citation | Altuwaijri, (2012)[32] | Holbrook, (2009)[31] | Guy, (2012)[30] | Bourne, (2011)[29] |
| Clinical Domain | Immunization | Diabetes | STI | HIV |
| Reminder Purpose/Technology Intervention | Appointment reminder/Text message | Appointment reminder/Web-based application | Health Screening/Text message | Health Screening/Text message |
| Study Objective | Evaluated the effect of text messaging reminders with electronic medical record on nonattendance rates. | Assessed the impact of electronic shared decision support between the patient and PCP on the quality of diabetes management primary care. | Evaluated text message reminders on chlamydia re-testing rates. | Examined the impact of a text message reminder on HIV/sexually transmitted infection retesting rates among men who have sex with men. |
| Study n | 271,894 | 511 | 338 | 714 |
| Study Design | Retrospective review | RCT | Before and After | Nonrandom cohort comparison |
| Setting | Saudi Arabia/Outpatient clinic of Saudi National Guard | Canada/Community based care providers | Australia/Health center | Australia/Sexual health clinic |
| Measurement | Pre/post intervention attendance rates | A composite score measuring process improvement for mean change in individual patients at baseline and 6 months after randomization. | Chlamydia retesting rates | STI retesting rates |
| Results | Post-intervention non-attendance rates decreased (pre-intervention = 23.9%, post-intervention = 19.7%) 4.13% (p < 0.001, T=4.81). | The intervention group reported process composite scores were significantly higher than the control (1.27, 95% CI 0.79–1.75, p < 0.001); 19.1% improvement was seen in the intervention group (p <0.001); reported satisfaction was higher in the intervention group. | Re-testing was significantly higher in participants after receiving text messages than before (30% vs. 21%, p=0.04); adjusted OR = 1.57 (95% CI 1.01 to 2.46). | HIV/STI re-testing rates were significantly higher in the text message intervention group than the control (64% 30%; P<0.001); HIV/STI re-testing in the intervention group was 4.4 times greater than the control (95% CI 3.5 to 5.5; p < 0.002). |
| Citation | Bender, (2010)[35] | Balato,. (2012)[34] | Arora, (2012)[33] | Armstrong, (2009)[19] |
| Clinical Domain | Asthma | Dermatology | Diabetes | Dermatology |
| Reminder Purpose/Technology Intervention | Medication adherence/Automated telephone call | Treatment adherence/Text message | Healthy behavior/Text message | Healthy behavior/Text message |
| Study Objective | Evaluated the impact of an automated, interactive phone call on adherence to asthma medication. | Determined the impact of text messages on treatment adherence and patient outcomes in psoriasis patients. | Assessed the impact of daily healthy reminders on inner city low income diabetes patients. | Assessed the impact of a text message weather report and reminder to use sunscreen. |
| Study n | 50 | 40 | 23 | 70 |
| Study Design | RCT | RCT | Prospective | RCT |
| Setting | USA/Participants recruited from allergy clinics and through the newspaper | Italy/Dermatology clinics | USA/ED University County Hospital | USA/General population |
| Measurement | Medication adherence | Pre/post intervention self assessment on Psoriasis Area Severity Index, Self-Administered Psoriasis Area Severity Index, body surface area, Physician Global Assessment, Dermatology Life Quality Index, evaluation of patient-physician relationship, adherence to therapy. | Self-reported lifestyle changes, AIC, & self-efficacy | Frequency of sunscreen use |
| Results | Patients in the intervention group had higher adherence by 32% compared to the control group (p = 0.003). Intervention group also had a more favorable shift in perception of inhaled corticosteroids as shown by the BMQ scores (p = 0.003), which also correlated with degree of adherence change (r = 0.342; p = 0.0152). | Intervention group had significant improvement (p < 0.05) in disease severity, quality of life and treatment adherence (p < 0.001). Control group remained stable. | Overall lifestyle improvement was seen following text message reminders (consumption of fruits and vegetables: 56.5% before versus 83% after; exercising: 43.5% before versus 74% after; foot checks: 74% before versus 85% after; self-efficacy increased from 3.9 to 4.2 on the Morisky Medication Adherence Scale). | Daily adherence in the intervention group was significantly higher than the control (56.1% [95% CI, 48.1%–64.1%] versus 30.0% [95% CI, 23.1%–36.9%], p<0.001.) |
| Citation | Chen, (2008)[39] | Britto, (2011)[38] | Bos, (2005)[37] | Boker, (2012)[36] |
| Clinical Domain | Health Screening | Asthma | Orthodontics | Dermatology |
| Reminder Purpose/Technology Intervention | Appointment reminder/Text message; Automated phone call | Customized medical remiders/Text message | Appointment reminder/Text message; Automated phone call | Medication adherence/Text message |
| Study Objective | Compared the effectiveness of text message and phone reminders on appointment attendance rates. | Evaluated feasibility, acceptability, and utility of a text messaging system allowing teenagers to customize medical reminders sent to mobile phones. | Examined multiple types of reminders on orthodontic appointment attendance. | Assessed if daily text reminders increased acne medicine adherence. |
| Study n | 1848 | 19 | 301 | 40 |
| Study Design | RCT | Nonrandomized pilot | RCT | RCT |
| Setting | China/Hospital | USA/Children’s medical center | Netherlands/University dental clinic | USA/Community - university dermatology clinics, medical campus advertisements, and Craigslist.com. |
| Measurement | Appointment attendance rates | Score on asthma control test; a Likert-type scale rating for usefulness and acceptability | Appointment attendance rates | Amount of medication used and severity of acne |
| Results | Attendance rates were highest in the telephone intervention group (88.3%), followed by text message (87.5%) and control (80.5%), showing a significant increase with the text message and telephone groups together (OR 1.698, 95% CI 1.224–2.316, P=0.001; OR1.829, 95% CI 1.333–2.509, P<0.001, respectively) but no significant difference between the two groups (P=0.670). | Participants reported high ratings of usefulness, acceptability, and ease of use. Comparison and intervention group self reported asthma control was similar across the study. | Attendance rates by type of reminder were: mail 90.6%, telephone 90.4%, text 82.4%, and control 83.7%. There was no significant difference in attendance rates (p > 0.05). | There was no significant difference in the adherence rates (p = 0.75) between the intervention group (mean = 33.9%) and the control group (mean = 36.5%); both groups showed improvement in the severity of their acne. |
| Citation | Dick, (2011)[43] | Martini da Costa, (2012)[42] | Corkrey, (2005)[41] | Cocosila, (2008)[40] |
| Clinical Domain | Diabetes | HIV | Oncology | Health prevention |
| Reminder Purpose/Technology Intervention | Self-care management/Text message | Medication adherence/text message | Health screening/Automated interactive telephone call | Adherence to preventative activities/Text message |
| Study Objective | Pilot tested a text messaging system for a diabetes management care adherence system. | Examined the effect and perception of a text messaging reminder system on adherence to antiretroviral medication regimens for HIV-infected women. | Assessed the effect of automated interactive telephone calls delivering screening status and an advisory message on cervical screening rates | Determined the effectiveness of text messaging on healthy behavior adherence. |
| Study n | 18 | 21 | 17,008 | 102 |
| Study Design | Pilot study: surveys and interviews | RCT | RCT | Randomized, unblinded, controlled trial |
| Setting | USA/University primary care group clinics | Brazil/University clinic | Australia/Community | Canada/University-community |
| Measurement | Interview & survey responses | Self-reported adherence, pill counting, microelectronic monitors (MEMS) and a satisfaction interview with respect to incoming messages. | Cervical cancer screening rate | Self-reported healthy behavior adherence and the number of participant text messages |
| Results | Weekly missed medication doses decreased from 1.6 to 0.6 (p = 0.003); confidence significantly increased during and 1 month post-pilot (p = 0.002, p = 0.008); 94 % strongly agreed that text messaging was easy to perform and helped with diabetes self-care; participant response = 80%. | Overall results improved for the intervention group. Self-reported adherence intervention = 100%, control = 84.62%; counting pills compliance intervention = 50%, control = 38.46%; microelectronic monitoring adherence intervention = 75%, control = 46.15%. 81.81% of participants perceived that text messaging assisted with treatment adherence; 90.9% requested to continue to receive text messages after the study. | Intervention group screening rates were 0.43% higher than control. | The intervention group resulted in a larger increase in healthy behavior (246%) than the control group (131%). No significant difference was found in the number of pills missed, a significant correlation was found (coefficient = −0.352, sig. = 0.01) in the intervention group between the average number of text messages sent and number of pills reported missed. |
| Citation | Fischer, (2012)[18] | Feldstein, (2006)[46] | Fairhurst, (2008)[45] | Downer, (2005)[44] |
| Clinical Domain | Diabetes | Primary Care | Primary Care | Outpatient multi-specialty clinics |
| Reminder Purpose/Technology Intervention | Self-care management; Appointment reminder/Text message | Medication adherence/Automated telephone voice message | Appointment reminder/Text message | Appointment reminder/Text message |
| Study Objective | Pilot tested a text messaging system to support self-management behavior for adults with diabetes. | Evaluated automated voice messaging system and lab outreach intervention patient to improve completion of lab monitoring for patients at onset of new study medication. | Evaluated text message appointment reminders for patients who failed to attend two or more appointments in the previous year. | Evaluated the use of automated text messages for outpatient clinic appointment reminders. |
| Study n | 47 | 961 | 173 | 2864 |
| Study Design | Quasi-experimental pilot | Cluster randomized trial | RCT | Cohort study with historical control |
| Setting | USA/Family health clinic | USA/Primary care clinic | Scotland/Inner city general practice | Australia/Children’s hospital |
| Measurement | Patient responses to text and focus group | Quantitative: completion of baseline laboratory testing upon initiation of new study medication. Qualitative: Content analysis. | Appointment non-attendance rates | Appointment attendance rates |
| Results | 1585 text messages were sent with a 68.14% response rate. 98.7% of the responses were correctly formatted. Upon receipt of medical measurement text message requests, 66.4% provided blood sugar values that were correctly formatted. The study was underpowered and no significant changes in study attendance were detected. 8 participants participated in a focus group and reported satisfaction with the program and found the technology easy to use. | Quantitative: Each intervention increased laboratory monitoring: EMR reminder (provider) = 2.5 (95% CI 1.8–3.5), automated voice message reminder (patient) = 4.1 (95% CI 3.0–5.6) lab tech outreach (patient) = 6.7 (95% CI, 4.9–9.0), p < 0.001. Qualitative: Interventions were acceptable to primary care providers and patients. | Non-attendance was lower in the intervention group (=12%) than the control (=17%), however did not reach statistical significance (p = 0.11). | Non-attendance rates were significantly lower in the intervention group than the control (14.2% v 23.4%; p < 0.001). |
| Citation | Gerber, (2009)[50] | Geraghty, (2008)[49] | Franklin, (2008)[48] | Foreman, (2012)[47] |
| Clinical Domain | Weight management | ENT | Diabetes | Medications |
| Reminder Purpose/Technology Intervention | Self-care management/Text message | Appointment reminder/Text message | Self-care management/Two-way text message | Medication adherence/Text message |
| Study Objective | Investigated feasibility of mobile phone text messaging to enable ongoing communication with African-American women participating in a weight management program. | Retrospectively evaluated nonattendance rates after a text reminder system was implemented. | Evaluated utility of the “Sweet Talk” system for type 1 diabetes patients. | Evaluated text message medication reminders on patient’s medication adherence. |
| Study n | 95 | 3981 | 64 | 290 |
| Study Design | Feasibility study | Retrospective review | Descriptive/Qualitative | Retrospective observational cohort analysis |
| Setting | USA/Participants in ORBIT (other) study | UK/Outpatient clinic | UK/Community | USA/Community |
| Measurement | Satisfaction questionnaire and telephone interviews | Appointment non-attendance rates | Frequency of messages sent by patients in response to automated system messages. | Chronic oral medication adherence measured as the proportion of days covered (PDC). |
| Results | Feasibility was demonstrated: 96% of participants reported they read the text messages; 79% reported that the text messages assisted with their weight loss goals. | The text reminder group mean non-attendance rate was 22% (range, 21.9–22.2%) compared to the historical control group of 33.6% (range, 32.1–34.8%) (p < 0.001). | Participants used the Sweet Talk system as a successful communication method with providers. Messages sent in response to the Sweet Talk were almost half of total messages (472/1180). The number of messages participants sent to Sweet Talk was significantly correlated to the number of response messages received by participants (r = .521, P= .01). | Adherence measured by PDC via prescription claims, for the intervention group was significantly higher than the control group (intervention = 85%; control = 77%; p < 0.001). |
| Citation | Hardy, (2011)[20] | Harbig, (2012)[15] | Green, (2013)[52] | Glanz, (2012)[51] |
| Clinical Domain | HIV | Medications | Gastroenterology | Ophthalmology |
| Reminder Purpose/Technology Intervention | Medication adherence/Text message; One way beeper | Medication adherence/Portable electronic reminder service | Health screening/Automated telephone call; EHR linked mailings | Medication adherence; Appointment reminder/Automated interactive telephone call |
| Study Objective | Compared the effects and feasibility of a customized phone-based reminder system versus a one-way pager to motivate and track antiretroviral medication adherence. | Evaluated an electronic reminder system for medication non-adherence with elderly patients with complex health regimens. | Assessed the impact of interventions utilizing electronic health records, automated mailings, and stepped increases in support on colorectal screening adherence. | Evaluated the efficacy of an automated, interactive, telephone based health communication intervention on improvement of glaucoma treatment adherence. |
| Study n | 31 | 168 | 4675 | 312 |
| Study Design | Parallel | RCT | RCT | RCT |
| Setting | USA/Large teaching hospital | Denmark/Patients recruited from National Health Insurance Population Register | USA/21 primary care medical centers | USA/Hospital based ophthalmology clinics |
| Measurement | Medication adherence using multiple measures | Medication adherence monitoring | Proportion of patients current for screening | Medication adherence and appointment attendance rates |
| Results | Phase I resulted in intervention content development. Phase II mean percent adherence rates by pill count, self-report, and medication event monitoring system remained significantly higher in the mobile phone group at weeks 3 and week 6. | A significant difference in overall adherence was found between the automated electronic reminder service (Telesvar) 79% and (control) pill count 92% (p < 0.000), with the most reliable method of medication adherence monitoring was pill count. | The intervention group demonstrated overall significantly more current screenings, including increases by intensity (usual care: 26.3% [95% CI, 23.4–29.2%]; automated: 50.8% [CI, 47.3–54.4%]; assisted: 57.5% [CI, 54.5–60.6%]; navigated: 64.7% [CI, 62.5–67.0%]; p < 0.001). | All 6 adherence measures significantly improved from baseline in both the intervention and control group (p<0.01); participants in the intervention group did provide feedback reporting that the automated message system was easy to use, relevant, and recommended continuation. |
| Citation | LeBaron, (2004)[56] | Koshy, (2008)[55] | Homko, (2012)[54] | Henry, (2012)[53] |
| Clinical Domain | Immunization | Ophthalmology | Diabetes | HIV |
| Reminder Purpose/Technology Intervention | Immunization/Automated telephone call | Appointment reminder/Text message | Medical monitoring parameters documentation/Automated interactive telephone call | Appointment reminder/Automated telephone call |
| Study Objective | Evaluated the impact of registry-based, reminder-recall interventions on immunization rates. | Assessed the efficacy of text message appointment reminders to increase attendance at a hospital based ophthalmology clinic. | Evaluated enhanced telemedicine systems targeting glucose control and pregnancy outcomes for women with gestational diabetes. | Evaluated an automated telephone reminder that was added to the standard set of three HIV clinic appointment reminders to reduce no-shows for HIV primary care appointments. |
| Study n | 3050 | 9959 | 80 | 584 |
| Study Design | RCT | Observational | RCT | Quasi-experimental |
| Setting | USA/County clinics | UK/Hospital-based ophthalmology clinic | USA/Prenatal clinics | USA/VA HIV primary care clinic |
| Measurement | Completion of 24 month vaccination series | Appointment non-attendance rates | Blood glucose level, infant birth weight, communication between provider and patient | Appointment non-attendance rates |
| Results | Overall, all intervention groups resulted in somewhat higher vaccination rates, however only the auto dialer group results were significant for the entire vaccination series (p = 0.02). | The intervention group resulted in a 38% decrease in appointment non-attendance (relative risk of non-attendance = 0.62; 95% CI 0.48 – 0.80, p = 0.0002). | No significant differences were seen between telemedicine and control groups for maternal blood glucose levels (p = 0.53) and infant birth weight (p = 0.3). Data transfer between provider and patient increased significantly however among the telemedicine group (p<0.01) | The intervention did not reduce missed appointments among many of the patient subgroups, and the greatest effect was seen among the least vulnerable populations. Patients who weren’t homeless (OR= 0.77, CI = 0.61–0.98), non depressed patients (OR = 0.65, CI = 0.49–0.86), patients with 5> appointments in 6 months (OR = 0.66, CI = 0.47–0.92) had significantly fewer no-shows post intervention (p < .05). |
| Citation | Perry, (2011)[59] | Parker, (2012)[14] | Parikh, (2010)[58] | Lin, (2012)[57] |
| Clinical Domain | Dental | Medications | Outpatient multi-specialty clinics | Ophthalmology |
| Reminder Purpose/Technology Intervention | Appointment reminder/Text message | Medication adherence/Electronic personal response unit | Appointment reminder/Automated telephone call | Appointment reminder/Text message |
| Study Objective | Examined the use of automated text reminders to improve attendance rates for two dental practices | To determine the usability, acceptability, and effectiveness of an electronic medication reminder system on medication adherence. | Comparison of an automated appointment reminder system, a clinic staff reminder, and no reminder on clinic nonattendance rates. | Evaluated the impact of a text message service targeting improvement on follow-up adherence and procedures completion for parents of children with cataracts. |
| Study n | 150 | 31 | 9835 | 135 |
| Study Design | Retrospective review | Prospective | Prospective, randomized, parallel clinical trial | RCT |
| Setting | Scotland/Dental clinic | New Zealand/GP practices | USA/Academic outpatient clinic | China/Ophthalmic center |
| Measurement | Appointment non-attendance rates | Patient compliance, perception of the service, and health-related quality of life measures. | Appointment non-attendance rates | Appointment attendance rates |
| Results | The non-attendance rate significantly decreased overall (p = 0.001) from 31% (46/150) to 14% (21/150). Both practices individually had significantly reduced non-attendance rates (practitioner A, p = 0.04; practitioner B, p = 0.01). | Rate of self-assessed medication compliance significantly improved from pre (52%) and post (81%) implementation (p = 0.012). There was a significant improvement in perceived self-care at home ability (p = 0.001). The percentage of participants who rated their self-care at home ability as excellent increased from 42% to 68%. | The most effective intervention was a clinic staff reminder followed by an automated reminder; no reminder was least effective (non-attendance rates = 13.6%, 17.3%, and 23.1%, respectively; p=0.004). | Attendance rates for the intervention group were significantly higher than those for the control group (91.3% vs 62.0%, p = 0.005). |
| Citation | Suffoletto, (2012)[63] | Solomon, (2007)[62] | Sims, (2012)[61] | Pop-Eleches, (2011)[60] |
| Clinical Domain | Medications | Osteoporosis | Mental health | HIV |
| Reminder Purpose/Technology Intervention | Medication adherence/Text message | Health screening/Automated telephone call | Appointment reminder/Text message | Medication adherence/Text message |
| Study Objective | Assessed the impact of an automated text messaging system on adherence to post-discharge antibiotic prescriptions. | Tested mailed letters and automated telephone calls designed to improve osteoporosis management among primary care physicians. | Examined the effect of text message reminders on the attendance of appointments at four community mental health clinics. | Examined the impact of text message reminders on anti-retroviral therapy adherence. |
| Study n | 144 | 2407 | 2817 | 431 |
| Study Design | RCT | RCT | Nonrandomized pilot | RCT |
| Setting | USA/Emergency department | USA/Primary care practices | UK/Outpatient mental health clinic | Kenya/Rural clinic |
| Measurement | Patient self-report adherence questionnaire | Undergoing a bone mineral density (BMD) testing or filling a prescription for a boneactive medication during the 10 months of follow-up. | Appointment attendance rates | Medication adherence |
| Results | Adherence rates were not significant between intervention and control groups (57% vs. 45%; p = 0.1). | A statistically significant 4% absolute increase and a 45% relative increase (95% confidence interval 9–93%, p = 0.01) in osteoporosis management was found between groups. | The text message reminder intervention significantly increased appointment attendance (p < .001). | 53% of the weekly SMS reminders group achieved adherence of at least 90%, compared with 40% of participants in the control group (p = 0.03). The weekly reminders group were significantly less likely to experience treatment interruptions exceeding 48h than participants in the control group (81 vs. 90%, p = 0.03). |
| Citation | Suh, (2012)[64] | Suffoletto, (2012)[63] | Solomon, (2007)[62] | Sims, (2012)[61] | Pop-Eleches, (2011)[60] |
| Clinical Domain | Immunization | Medications | Osteoporosis | Mental health | HIV |
| Reminder Purpose/Technology Intervention | Immunization/Automated telephone call | Medication adherence/Text message | Health screening/Automated telephone call | Appointment reminder/Text message | Medication adherence/Text message |
| Study Objective | Assessed the impact of an immunization reminder/recall notification via letter or auto-dialer on increasing immunization rates for TdaP, MCV4, and first dsoe HPV. | Assessed the impact of an automated text messaging system on adherence to post-discharge antibiotic prescriptions. | Tested mailed letters and automated telephone calls designed to improve osteoporosis management among primary care physicians. | Examined the effect of text message reminders on the attendance of appointments at four community mental health clinics. | Examined the impact of text message reminders on anti-retroviral therapy adherence. |
| Study n | 1596 | 144 | 2407 | 2817 | 431 |
| Study Design | RCT | RCT | RCT | Nonrandomized pilot | RCT |
| Setting | USA/Private pediatric practices | USA/Emergency department | USA/Primary care practices | UK/Outpatient mental health clinic | Kenya/Rural clinic |
| Measurement | Receipt of > 1 targeted vaccines and receipt of all targeted vaccines 6 months postintervention. | Patient self-report adherence questionnaire | Undergoing a bone mineral density (BMD) testing or filling a prescription for a boneactive medication during the 10 months of follow-up. | Appointment attendance rates | Medication adherence |
| Results | The intervention group received significantly higher vaccine rates that the control for a minimum of one vaccine (47.1% versus 34.6%, p < 0.0001) and receipt of all vaccines (36.2% versus 25.2%, p < 0.0001). | Adherence rates were not significant between intervention and control groups (57% vs. 45%; p = 0.1). | A statistically significant 4% absolute increase and a 45% relative increase (95% confidence interval 9–93%, p = 0.01) in osteoporosis management was found between groups. | The text message reminder intervention significantly increased appointment attendance (p < .001). | 53% of the weekly SMS reminders group achieved adherence of at least 90%, compared with 40% of participants in the control group (p = 0.03). The weekly reminders group were significantly less likely to experience treatment interruptions exceeding 48h than participants in the control group (81 vs. 90%, p = 0.03). |