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Randomized Controlled Trial
. 2008 Jan;9(1):34-8.
doi: 10.1631/jzus.B071464.

Comparison of an SMS text messaging and phone reminder to improve attendance at a health promotion center: a randomized controlled trial

Zhou-Wen Chen  1 , Li-Zheng Fang, Li-Ying Chen, Hong-Lei Dai
Affiliations
Randomized Controlled Trial

Comparison of an SMS text messaging and phone reminder to improve attendance at a health promotion center: a randomized controlled trial

Zhou-Wen Chen et al. J Zhejiang Univ Sci B. 2008 Jan.

Abstract

Objective: To compare the efficacy of a short messaging service (SMS) text messaging and phone reminder to improve attendance rates at a health promotion center.

Methods: A total of 1 859 participants who had scheduled appointments in the health promotion center of our hospital from April 2007 to May 2007 were enrolled in the study and randomly assigned into 3 groups: control (no reminder) group, SMS text messaging reminder group and telephone reminder group. Attendance rates and costs of interventions were collected.

Results: A total of 1848 participants were eligible for analysis. Attendance rates of control, SMS and telephone groups were 80.5%, 87.5% and 88.3%, respectively. The attendance rates were significantly higher in SMS and telephone groups than that in the control group, with odds ratio 1.698, 95% confidence interval 1.224 to 2.316, P=0.001 in the SMS group, and odds ratio 1.829, 95% confidence interval 1.333 to 2.509, P<0.001 in the telephone group. However, there was no difference between the SMS group and the telephone group (P=0.670). The cost effectiveness analysis showed that the cost per attendance for the SMS group (0.31 Yuan) was significantly lower than that for the telephone group (0.48 Yuan).

Conclusion: SMS and telephone are effective reminders for improving attendance rate at a health promotion center. SMS reminder may be more cost-effective compared with the telephone reminder.

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Figures

Fig. 1
Fig. 1
Study population flowchart
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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