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Research ArticleOriginal Research

Randomized Controlled Trial of Text Message Reminders for Increasing Influenza Vaccination

Annette K. Regan, Lauren Bloomfield, Ian Peters and Paul V. Effler
The Annals of Family Medicine November 2017, 15 (6) 507-514; DOI: https://doi.org/10.1370/afm.2120
Annette K. Regan
1School of Public Health, Curtin University, Perth, Western Australia
2Wesfarmers Centre for Vaccines and Infectious Diseases, Telethon Kids Institute, Subiaco, Western Australia
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  • For correspondence: Annette.Regan@curtin.edu.au
Lauren Bloomfield
3Communicable Disease Control Directorate, Department of Health Western Australia, Perth, Western Australia
4School of Medical and Health Sciences, Edith Cowan University, Joondalup, Western Australia
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Ian Peters
5Datavation Pty Ltd, Western Australia
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Paul V. Effler
3Communicable Disease Control Directorate, Department of Health Western Australia, Perth, Western Australia
6School of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, University of Western Australia, Crawley, Western Australia
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Abstract

PURPOSE Seasonal influenza vaccine is recommended and funded for groups at higher risk of serious infection, but uptake is suboptimal. We conducted a randomized controlled trial of short message service (SMS) reminders for influenza vaccination.

METHODS Six weeks after seasonal influenza vaccinations began, we identified high-risk patients who had a mobile telephone number on record at 10 practices in Western Australia. Thirty-two percent of the selected patients had already been vaccinated in the current year and were ineligible. Of the remaining 12,354 eligible patients at each practice one-half were randomly assigned to receive a vaccination reminder by SMS (intervention) and the rest received no SMS (control). Approximately 3 months after the SMS was sent (the study period), vaccination data were extracted from the patients’ electronic medical records. Log-binomial regression models were used to calculate the relative risk (RR) of vaccination between the intervention and control group.

RESULTS Twelve-percent (769 of 6,177) of the intervention group and 9% (548 of 6,177) of the control group were vaccinated during the study period, a 39% relative increase attributable to the SMS (RR = 1.39; 95% CI, 1.26–1.54). For every 29 SMSs sent, costing $3.48, 1 additional high-risk patient was immunized. The greatest effect was observed for children younger than 5 years, whose parents were more than twice as likely to have their child vaccinated if they received a SMS reminder (RR = 2.43; 95% CI, 1.79–3.29).

CONCLUSION We found SMS reminders to be a modestly effective, low-cost means to increase seasonal influenza vaccine coverage among high-risk patients.

  • text messaging
  • influenza vaccines
  • health promotion
  • health services

Footnotes

  • Conflicts of interest: authors report none.

  • Funding support: This study was supported by operational funds provided by the Department of Health Western Australia.

  • Previous presentation: This work was presented in part at the 2017 World Congress on Public Health; April 3–7, 2017, Melbourne, Australia.

  • Received for publication March 6, 2017.
  • Revision received May 9, 2017.
  • Accepted for publication June 15, 2017.
  • © 2017 Annals of Family Medicine, Inc.
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The Annals of Family Medicine: 15 (6)
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Vol. 15, Issue 6
November/December 2017
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Randomized Controlled Trial of Text Message Reminders for Increasing Influenza Vaccination
Annette K. Regan, Lauren Bloomfield, Ian Peters, Paul V. Effler
The Annals of Family Medicine Nov 2017, 15 (6) 507-514; DOI: 10.1370/afm.2120

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Randomized Controlled Trial of Text Message Reminders for Increasing Influenza Vaccination
Annette K. Regan, Lauren Bloomfield, Ian Peters, Paul V. Effler
The Annals of Family Medicine Nov 2017, 15 (6) 507-514; DOI: 10.1370/afm.2120
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