The effect of short messaging service (sms) reminder on the immunization rates of patients at Barangay Pinyahan Health Center, a randomized controlled double blind field trial.
- Author:
Jason E. Abello
;
Michael Resurreccion
;
Soraya Alvarado
- Publication Type:Journal Article
- From:
The Philippine Children’s Medical Center Journal
2017;13(1):1-13
- CountryPhilippines
- Language:English
-
Abstract:
INTRODUCTION:There is an increasing interest and funding for the use of
Information and Communication Technologies in the field of health. However, studies
have shown conflicting results of Short Messaging Service (SMS) or Text reminder in the
improvement of health care services such as immunization. This paper aims to determine
the effect of SMS reminder on the immunization rate, which includes the dropout,
delayed and prompt immunization rate.
METHODS:Newly registered children for immunization at Barangay Pinyahan Health
Center were enrolled in randomized controlled double blind field trial. 144 subjects were
exposed to treatment 1 (regular follow-up with no SMS reminder; treatment 2 (with SMS
reminder); and treatment 3 (with blank SMS reminder). Immunization rate which
included dropout, delayed and prompt immunization rates were determined. The effects
of the confounding factors such as family income, barangay location, and number of
children, parental education and immunization status of siblings were also determined.
RESULTS:The prompt immunization rate is inversely proportional to the dropout and
delayed immunization rates. As the subjects progress to the third dose of the
immunization, the dropout rate increases. The dropout rate is highest on the third dose of
Hepatitis B and Measles vaccination which are given at a later age of a child. Only 6% of
the total subjects were classified as Fully Immunized Child. This data is in contrast to the
national data of Fully Immunized Child coverage at 80%. SMS reminder has no
significant effect on the immunization rate for DPT, OPV, HPV and Measles in Barangay
Pinyahan Health Center in comparison to the regular follow-up. However, in Treatment
Group 3 (SMS Reminder), the dropout rates per type of vaccine are significantly different
from each other. The dropout of DPT and OPV which is expected to be equal or higher
than Hepatitis B and Measles vaccine is lower.
Variation in immunization rates among different income groups and geographic barangay
location is particularly evident. Low income families and living distant from the health
center have a significant propensity to dropout from immunization.
CONCLUSION:SMS reminder and regular follow-up have no significant difference on
the immunization rate. Information communications technologies such as SMS reminder
are more likely to affect immunization rate when health systems offer a supportive
environment of consistently available vaccine such as DPT and OPV, and confounding
barriers such as low family income, which affects HPV immunization rate, and distance
to the health center, which affects measles immunization rate, are at the minimum.
- Full text:THE EFFECT OF SHORT MESSAGING SERVICE (SMS) REMINDER ON THE (1).pdf
