mHealth for Sexually Transmitted Infections
Recruiting in Palo Alto (17 mi)
Age: < 65
Sex: Any
Travel: May Be Covered
Time Reimbursement: Varies
Trial Phase: Academic
Recruiting
Sponsor: Children's National Research Institute
Must be taking: Antibiotics
Disqualifiers: Non-English, Critically ill, Cognitive impairment, others
No Placebo Group
Trial Summary
What is the purpose of this trial?
We will conduct a randomized trial to compare differences in sexually transmitted infection (STI) treatment adherence between patients receiving text messages versus those receiving usual care (e.g. no text messages). We hypothesize that STI treatment adherence will be 20% higher among patients randomized to receipt of two-way text messaging services.
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 mHealth Intervention treatment for sexually transmitted infections?
Research shows that mobile health (mHealth) interventions, like those using mobile phones, can improve sexual health outcomes by increasing STI testing and reducing risky behaviors, such as alcohol use, in young people. These interventions have been effective in promoting sexual health education and behavior change, which are crucial for preventing STIs.12345
Is mHealth for sexually transmitted infections safe for humans?
The research on mHealth interventions for sexually transmitted infections primarily focuses on their effectiveness in improving sexual health knowledge and behavior. There is no specific mention of safety concerns, suggesting that these digital interventions are generally considered safe for human use.36789
How is the mHealth Intervention treatment for sexually transmitted infections different from other treatments?
The mHealth Intervention is unique because it uses mobile phone technology to deliver educational content and promote safe sexual practices, making it more accessible and engaging, especially for young people. Unlike traditional treatments that focus on medication, this approach emphasizes prevention and behavior change through digital means.123610
Research Team
MG
Monika Goyal, MD
Principal Investigator
Children's National Research Institute
Eligibility Criteria
This trial is for adolescent patients who have tested positive for gonorrhea, chlamydia, or pelvic inflammatory disease in the Emergency Department and are prescribed outpatient antibiotics.Inclusion Criteria
I am a teenager treated for an STD with antibiotics after an ER visit.
Exclusion Criteria
Patients will be excluded if they are unable to understand English
Patients will be excluded if they are critically ill
Patients will be excluded if they have cognitive impairment
See 1 more
Trial Timeline
Screening
Participants are screened for eligibility to participate in the trial
2-4 weeks
Treatment
Participants receive STI treatment with adherence monitored through text messages or usual care
3 weeks
1 visit (in-person), ongoing text message interactions
Follow-up
Participants are monitored for STI treatment adherence and receipt after treatment
3 weeks
Treatment Details
Interventions
- mHealth Intervention (Behavioral Intervention)
Trial OverviewThe study is testing if sending text messages to these patients can help them follow their STI treatment better compared to those who just get the usual care without texts.
Participant Groups
2Treatment groups
Experimental Treatment
Active Control
Group I: mHealthExperimental Treatment1 Intervention
Adolescents enrolled in this arm will receive treatment-related text messages.
Group II: Usual careActive Control1 Intervention
Adolescents in this arm will receive usual care.
Find a Clinic Near You
Research Locations NearbySelect from list below to view details:
Children's National HospitalWashington, United States
Loading ...
Who Is Running the Clinical Trial?
Children's National Research Institute
Lead Sponsor
Trials
227
Patients Recruited
258,000+
References
Mobile health applications for improving the sexual health outcomes among adults with chronic diseases: A systematic review. [2022]Chronic diseases may affect sexual health as an important factor for well-being. Mobile health (m-health) interventions have the potential to improve sexual health in patients with chronic conditions. The aim of this systematic review was to summarise the published evidence on mobile interventions for sexual health in adults with chronic diseases.
A systematic review of randomised control trials of sexual health interventions delivered by mobile technologies. [2022]Sexually transmitted infections (STIs) pose a serious public health problem globally. The rapid spread of mobile technology creates an opportunity to use innovative methods to reduce the burden of STIs. This systematic review identified recent randomised controlled trials that employed mobile technology to improve sexual health outcomes.
Effectiveness of digital interventions based on mobile phones for the prevention of sexually transmitted infections: A systematic review protocol. [2022]Sexually transmitted infections, including HIV, are an important public health problem. Every day, over one million persons become infected with a sexually transmitted infection (STI). Health systems are searching for solutions to improve sex education and change the sexual behavior of people in order to prevent them. In public health, digital interventions based on mobile health technologies (M-health), especially those based on mobile phones, might be a crucial tool for the prevention of STIs and HIV. This systematic will review and summarize the evidence on the effectiveness of mobile phone-based interventions for the prevention of STIs and HIV.
Love My Body: Pilot Study to Understand Reproductive Health Vulnerabilities in Adolescent Girls. [2020]Sexually transmitted infections (STIs) are on the rise in the United States, and adolescent girls (15-19 years old) are more susceptible to acquiring STIs than their male peers. The co-occurrence of alcohol use and sexual risk taking contribute significantly to STI acquisition. Mobile health (mHealth) interventions are ideally suited for our target population and have demonstrated increases in STI testing in young people, as well as reductions in alcohol use.
Short message service (SMS) interventions for the prevention and treatment of sexually transmitted infections: a systematic review protocol. [2021]Globally, the incidence of sexually transmitted infections (STI) is rising, posing a challenge to its control and appropriate management. Text messaging has become the most common mode of communication among almost six billion mobile phone users worldwide. Text messaging can be used to remind patients about clinic appointments, to notify patients that it is time for STI re-testing, and to facilitate patient communication with their health professionals with any questions and concerns they may have about their sexual health. While there are a handful of systematic reviews published on short message service (SMS) interventions in a variety of health settings and issues, none are related to sexual health. We plan to conduct a systematic review to examine the impact text messaging might have on interventions for the prevention and care of patients with STIs.
Development of a Mobile Phone App to Promote Safe Sex Practice Among Youth in Stockholm, Sweden: Qualitative Study. [2020]Mobile health (mHealth) has been shown to be effective in increasing knowledge of sexual health among youth. To date, evaluations mostly refer to interventions delivered via computer, email, and text messages. The possibility of downloading apps on mobile devices has opened up opportunities to develop engaging interventions on safe sexual health promotion. To attract young users and have them engage with a sexual health app, it is important to involve youth in intervention development.
The Men's Safer Sex (MenSS) trial: protocol for a pilot randomised controlled trial of an interactive digital intervention to increase condom use in men. [2022]Sexually transmitted infections (STI) are a major public health problem. Condoms provide effective protection but there are many barriers to use. Face-to-face health promotion interventions are resource-intensive and show mixed results. Interactive digital interventions may provide a suitable alternative, allowing private access to personally tailored behaviour change support. We have developed an interactive digital intervention (the Men's Safer Sex (MenSS) website) which aims to increase condom use in men. We describe the protocol for a pilot trial to assess the feasibility of a full-scale randomised controlled trial of the MenSS website in addition to usual sexual health clinical care.
A systematic review of eHealth modes in preventing sexually transmitted infections. [2023]Prevention of sexually transmitted diseases (STDs) is critical. Despite developing treatment and prevention programs, sexually transmitted infections (STIs) are essential in developing acute and chronic diseases. Because "eHealth" (electronic-Health) has excellent potential for disseminating health information to the public regarding STDs, we aimed to identify and review all published articles focusing on preventing STIs. After constructing the design and answering population, intervention, comparison, and outcome questions, two authors conducted a systematic literature search in four online databases in January 2022. The screening process and data extraction were conducted by two authors independently, and then, a quality assessment was performed. After removing duplicates, and two rounds of shortlisting, 16 articles were included for data extraction out of 5113 entries. Included studies were of different designs and assessed six preventive outcomes categories, with condom use being the most frequent result among studies. We also extracted implementation outcomes and reviewed them. Included studies with 13,137 participants have provided reasonable evidence of the effectiveness of different types of eHealth in improving STI prevention interventions. Although this systematic review was not without limitations, it can no longer be ignored that eHealth modes offer many opportunities to prevent STDs, especially among the young population.
Redeveloping a Digital Sexual Health Intervention for Adolescents to Allow for Broader Dissemination: Implications for HIV and STD Prevention. [2021]HIV/STDs and unintended pregnancy persist among adolescents in the United States; thus, effective sexual health interventions that can be broadly disseminated are necessary. Digital health interventions are highly promising because they allow for customization and widespread reach. The current project involved redeveloping and expanding HEART (Health Education and Relationship Training)-a brief, digital sexual health intervention efficacious at improving safer sex knowledge, self-efficacy, and behavior-onto an open-source platform to allow for greater interactivity and accessibility while reducing long-term program costs. The authors describe the process of adapting, reprogramming, and evaluating the new program, which may serve as a guide for investigators seeking to adapt behavioral interventions onto digital platforms. The final product is an open-source intervention that can be easily adapted for new populations. Among 233 adolescents (Mage = 15.06; 64% girls), HEART was highly acceptable and generally feasible to administer, with no differences in acceptability by gender or sexual identity.
Mobile health interventions for HIV/STI prevention among youth in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs): a systematic review of studies reporting implementation outcomes. [2021]Advances and proliferation of technologies such as mobile phones may provide opportunities to improve access to HIV/STI services and reach young people with high risk for HIV and STI. However, the reach, uptake, and sustainability of mobile health (mHealth) HIV/STI interventions targeting young people aged 10-24 years in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) are largely unknown. To address this gap and to inform implementation science research, a review was conducted to summarize what is known, and what we need to know about implementing mhealth interventions for HIV/STI prevention targeting young people in LMICs.