Motivational Texting for Heart Attack Care
Recruiting in Palo Alto (17 mi)
Overseen byDennis Ko, MD
Age: 18+
Sex: Any
Travel: May Be Covered
Time Reimbursement: Varies
Trial Phase: Academic
Recruiting
Sponsor: Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre
Disqualifiers: Inability to consent, others
Trial Summary
What is the purpose of this trial?
Although there have been substantial advances in the treatment of heart disease, heart attacks remain one of the leading causes of death and suffering around the world. Each year, more than 80,000 patients are hospitalized with heart attacks or related conditions in Canada. Even after discharge, patients are at high risk of having complications such that almost one in two patients after a heart attack will be readmitted to hospitals within the first year. Given the shortage of doctors and allied health care professionals, there is an emerging focus of digital health as a way to improve the care and outcomes after heart attacks. With more than 30 million cell phone users across Canada and almost all are already using text message services, the goal of this study is to conduct a pilot test using an innovative clinical trial design to see if the care and outlook of heart attack patients using mobile text messages can be improved.
Will I have to stop taking my current medications?
The trial information does not specify whether you need to stop taking your current medications.
What data supports the effectiveness of the treatment Motivational Texting for Heart Attack Care?
Research shows that text messaging interventions can improve health outcomes by increasing appointment attendance, adherence to treatment, and better self-management. In cardiovascular disease prevention, text messaging has been effective in promoting healthy lifestyle behaviors and improving clinical outcomes.12345
Is motivational texting safe for use in humans?
How is motivational texting different from other treatments for heart attack care?
Motivational texting is unique because it uses mobile phone text messages to support self-management and lifestyle changes, making it more accessible and cost-effective than traditional treatments. It provides personalized, frequent messages that engage patients in their care, which can lead to better health outcomes.1391011
Eligibility Criteria
This trial is for heart attack patients over 18 who were treated at Sunnybrook Hospital, have a cellphone with texting, and can read and respond to English texts. It's not for those who can't consent in English or lack SMS-capable phones.Inclusion Criteria
I was admitted to Sunnybrook Hospital with a heart attack or related condition.
I am older than 18 years.
Access to a cellphone that can receive text messages
Exclusion Criteria
I cannot give consent in English.
You don't have a cellphone that can send and receive text messages.
Inability to read or answer English texts
Trial Timeline
Screening
Participants are screened for eligibility to participate in the trial
2-4 weeks
Treatment
Participants receive mobile text message-based interventions to improve care transitions after hospitalization with heart attack
12 months
Ongoing virtual interactions via text messages
Follow-up
Participants are monitored for medication compliance, re-hospitalization, and emergency department presentations
12 months
Data collection through existing registries and databases
Treatment Details
Interventions
- Control ()
- Motivational texting (Behavioural Intervention)
- Texting intervention (Behavioural Intervention)
Trial OverviewThe TEACH pilot trial tests if motivational text messages after hospital discharge can improve care for heart attack patients. Participants are randomly assigned to receive these texts or be in a control group without them.
Participant Groups
2Treatment groups
Experimental Treatment
Placebo Group
Group I: Texting intervention groupExperimental Treatment1 Intervention
Subjects will receive specific health-related texts
Group II: Control groupPlacebo Group1 Intervention
Subjects will receive general text messages without health information
Find a Clinic Near You
Research Locations NearbySelect from list below to view details:
Sunnybrook Health Sciences CentreToronto, Canada
Loading ...
Who Is Running the Clinical Trial?
Sunnybrook Health Sciences CentreLead Sponsor
References
A Research Protocol to Test the Effectiveness of Text Messaging and Reminder Calls to Increase Service Use Referrals in a Community Engagement Program. [2020]Mobile phoned-based interventions have been increasingly used in clinical populations to improve health and health care delivery. The literature has shown that mobile phone-based text messages (short message service, SMS) are instantaneous, cost effective, and have less chance of being misplaced. Studies using mobile phone based-text messages have reported text messages as effective reminders that have resulted in increased appointment attendance, adherence to treatment, and better self-management. There have been no reports of adverse events when using text messaging in terms of misreading or misinterpreting data, transmitting inaccurate data, losing verbal or nonverbal communication cues, privacy issues, or failure or delay in message delivery. However, the literature has cited a need for personalized messages that are more responsive to individual needs. In addition, there has been a dearth of information on the use of reminders in nonclinical populations.
A review of the use of mobile phone text messaging in clinical and healthy behaviour interventions. [2022]We reviewed the literature on the use of text messaging for clinical and healthy behaviour interventions. Electronic databases were searched in December 2009 using keywords related to text messaging and health interventions. The final review included 24 articles. Of those, seven covered medication adherence, eight discussed clinical management and nine reported on health-related behaviour modification. Sixteen were randomized controlled trials (RCT), five were non-controlled pre-post comparison studies and three were feasibility pilots not reporting a behavioural outcome. The frequency of messaging ranged from multiple messages daily to one message per month. Among the 16 RCTs, 10 reported significant improvement with interventions and six reported differences suggesting positive trends. Text messaging received good acceptance and showed early efficacy in most studies. However, the evidence base is compromised by methodological limitations and is not yet conclusive.
Mobile Phone Interventions for the Secondary Prevention of Cardiovascular Disease. [2022]Mobile health in the form of text messaging and mobile applications provides an innovative and effective approach to promote prevention and management of cardiovascular disease (CVD); however, the magnitude of these effects is unclear. Through a comprehensive search of databases from 2002-2016, we conducted a quantitative systematic review. The selected studies were critically evaluated to extract and summarize pertinent characteristics and outcomes. A large majority of studies (22 of 28, 79%) demonstrated text messaging, mobile applications, and telemonitoring via mobile phones were effective in improving outcomes. Some key factors associated with successful interventions included personalized messages with tailored advice, greater engagement (2-way text messaging, higher frequency of messages), and use of multiple modalities. Overall, text messaging appears more effective than smartphone-based interventions. Incorporating principles of behavioral activation will help promote and sustain healthy lifestyle behaviors in patients with CVD that result in improved clinical outcomes.
TextWithSurgeryPatients - A Research Hypothesis in Enhancing Education and Physical Assessment for Abdominal Surgical Patients. [2018]Medical surgical nurses may not have the time or resources to provide effective pre- and post-operative instructions for patients in today's healthcare system. And, making timely physical assessments following discharge from the hospital is not always straightforward. Therefore, the risk for readmission associated with post-surgical complications is a concern. At present, mobile healthcare technologies and patient care are precipitously evolving and may serve as a resource to enhance communication between the healthcare provider and patient. A mobile telephone text message (short message service [SMS]) intervention for abdominal surgical patients may foster effective education (communication) and timely self-reported physical assessment in the home environment hence preventing deleterious outcomes. The aim of this research proposal is to identify the feasibility of using a SMS intervention via smart phones to improve health outcomes via timely communication, reach large numbers of at-risk surgical patients and, establish and sustain uniform protocols in a cost-efficient manner.
Developing Messaging Content for a Physical Activity Smartphone App Tailored to Low-Income Patients: User-Centered Design and Crowdsourcing Approach. [2021]Text messaging interventions can be an effective and efficient way to improve health behavioral changes. However, most texting interventions are neither tested nor designed with diverse end users, which could reduce their impact, and there is limited evidence regarding the optimal design methodology of health text messages tailored to low-income, low-health literacy populations and non-English speakers.
Use of a Machine Learning Program to Correctly Triage Incoming Text Messaging Replies From a Cardiovascular Text-Based Secondary Prevention Program: Feasibility Study. [2021]SMS text messaging programs are increasingly being used for secondary prevention, and have been shown to be effective in a number of health conditions including cardiovascular disease. SMS text messaging programs have the potential to increase the reach of an intervention, at a reduced cost, to larger numbers of people who may not access traditional programs. However, patients regularly reply to the SMS text messages, leading to additional staffing requirements to monitor and moderate the patients' SMS text messaging replies. This additional staff requirement directly impacts the cost-effectiveness and scalability of SMS text messaging interventions.
Mobile phone text-messaging interventions aimed to prevent cardiovascular diseases (Text2PreventCVD): systematic review and individual patient data meta-analysis. [2021]A variety of small mobile phone text-messaging interventions have indicated improvement in risk factors for cardiovascular disease (CVD). Yet the extent of this improvement and whether it impacts multiple risk factors together is uncertain. We aimed to conduct a systematic review and individual patient data (IPD) meta-analysis to investigate the effects of text-messaging interventions for CVD prevention.
Text messaging as a tool for behavior change in disease prevention and management. [2022]Mobile phone text messaging is a potentially powerful tool for behavior change because it is widely available, inexpensive, and instant. This systematic review provides an overview of behavior change interventions for disease management and prevention delivered through text messaging. Evidence on behavior change and clinical outcomes was compiled from randomized or quasi-experimental controlled trials of text message interventions published in peer-reviewed journals by June 2009. Only those interventions using text message as the primary mode of communication were included. Study quality was assessed by using a standardized measure. Seventeen articles representing 12 studies (5 disease prevention and 7 disease management) were included. Intervention length ranged from 3 months to 12 months, none had long-term follow-up, and message frequency varied. Of 9 sufficiently powered studies, 8 found evidence to support text messaging as a tool for behavior change. Effects exist across age, minority status, and nationality. Nine countries are represented in this review, but it is problematic that only one is a developing country, given potential benefits of such a widely accessible, relatively inexpensive tool for health behavior change. Methodological issues and gaps in the literature are highlighted, and recommendations for future studies are provided.
The Impact of Text Message On Self-Management for Coronary Heart Disease: A Meta-Analysis of Randomized Controlled Trials. [2020]The influence of text message on self-management for coronary heart disease remains controversial. We conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis to explore the impact of text message versus usual care on self-management for coronary heart disease.
Effect of lifestyle focused text messaging on risk factor modification in patients with diabetes and coronary heart disease: A sub-analysis of the TEXT ME study. [2019]There is potential to provide public health interventions through text messaging for patients with Type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM). Our objective was to ascertain if lifestyle focused text messaging addressing cardiovascular risk factors in patients with coronary heart disease (CHD) and T2DM, was more effective than usual care.
mHealth Interventions for Lifestyle and Risk Factor Modification in Coronary Heart Disease: Randomized Controlled Trial. [2021]Self-management of lifestyle and cardiovascular disease risk factors is challenging in older patients with coronary heart disease (CHD). SMS text messaging could be a potential support tool for self-management and the most affordable and accessible method through a mobile phone. High-quality evidence had been lacking, and previous studies evaluated the effects of SMS text messaging on the subjective measures of short-term outcomes. Recently, a large-sized randomized controlled trial in Australia reported promising findings on the objective measures upon 6-month follow-up. However, an examination of the effectiveness of such interventions in an Asian population with unique demographic characteristics would be worthwhile.