Preserving ACTs - Text Reminders to Increase Adherence to ACT Treatment

Not Applicable

Completed

• Conditions: Malaria
• Interventions: Behavioral: Text message reminders

• Registration Number: NCT01722734
• Lead Sponsor: Harvard School of Public Health (HSPH)

Brief Summary

A randomized controlled trial was conducted to assess the effectiveness of text reminders sent to ACT users through an automated text messaging system short-message-system.

Study hypothesis: text message reminders increase adherence

Detailed Description

A randomized controlled trial was conducted to assess the effectiveness of text reminders sent to ACT users through an automated text messaging system short-message-system. Patients were enrolled at clinics and pharmacies upon receipt of ACTs and enrolled in the automated system for 3 days.

Study Timeline

• Study Start: 2011-06
• Primary Completion: 2011-12
• Study First Submitted: 2012-11-02
• Study First Submitted QC: 2012-11-05
• Study First Posted: 2012-11-07
• Study Completion: 2013-01
• Results First Submitted: 2013-10-23
• Status Verified: 2014-02
• Results First Submitted QC: 2014-02-03
• Last Update Submitted: 2014-02-03
• Results First Posted: 2014-03-21
• Last Update Posted: 2014-03-21

Recruitment & Eligibility

• Status: COMPLETED
• Sex: All
• Target Recruitment: 1140

Inclusion Criteria

-subjects acquiring ACTs in Tamale, Ghana

Exclusion Criteria

• subjects acquiring ACTs for non household members
• subjects under the age of 18
• subjects without access to cell phones
• subjects living more than 30 minutes from pickup location

Study & Design

• Study Type: INTERVENTIONAL
• Study Design: PARALLEL

Arm && Interventions

Group	Intervention	Description
Short Message	Text message reminders	Patients in this arm receive six short text message reminders within 60 hours of treatment initiation at 12 hour intervals.
Long message	Text message reminders	Patients in this arm receive six long text message reminders (reminders including justification for why patients should finish medication) within 60 hours of treatment initiation at 12 hour intervals.

Primary Outcome Measures

Name	Time	Method
Self-reported Adherence to Artemisinin-combination Therapy (ACT) Treatment	70 hours	Percentage of participants completing full ACT treatment regimen 70 hours after treatment initiation. Subjects were visited at home, and asked to report when each of the prescribed six doses were taken. Adherence was defined as the (self-reported) completion of all six doses.

Trial Locations

Locations (1)

Study site; 🇬🇭 Tamale, Northern Region, Ghana