A SIMPLE text message to remind parents of upcoming vaccinations could potentially see an additional 35,000 kids getting their 18-month and four-year-old shots on time, according to Australian research published in Lancet Regional Health today.
The team from the Kids Research Institute Australia conducted a trial of automated text messages sent from GP clinics in 10,000 families, testing a range of different message types and timings.
SMS reminders improved the timeliness of routine childhood vaccination by 2-11% relative to no SMS, with neutrally framed reminders less effective than reminders with a positive, risk-based or social benefit framing.
Timing did not appear to affect message effectiveness.
Professor Tom Snelling of the University of Sydney said that about 20% of Australian children are late to receive critical vaccinations.
"Previous research has shown us that parents are very supportive of vaccination and are most likely to complete the schedule on time through to 12 months old, but by 18 months and four years, many children begin to fall behind," Professor Snelling said.
"These results also suggest potential for using SMS reminders to improve health behaviours for other GP-led public health programs, like reminding people to undergo blood pressure checks or cancer screening," he added.
Read the paper HERE.
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