A Pilot Study Using Text Messaging to Communicate With Adolescent Females in the Pediatric Emergency Department

Not Applicable

Completed

• Conditions: Pregnancy
• Interventions: Other: Text Messaging Intervention; Other: Standard Referral

• Registration Number: NCT02093884
• Lead Sponsor: Columbia University

Brief Summary

The objective of this study is to develop and test an emergency department (ED)-based intervention which uses text messages to facilitate contraception initiation.

Detailed Description

Our hypothesis is that adolescent females at high pregnancy risk who receive text message reminders and motivational messages that promote contraception and referral to the Family Planning Clinic are more likely to start effective contraception than those who receive standard paper-based referral to the Family Planning Clinic alone.

Study Timeline

• Study Start: 2014-01
• Study First Submitted: 2014-03-19
• Study First Submitted QC: 2014-03-19
• Study First Posted: 2014-03-21
• Primary Completion: 2015-03
• Study Completion: 2015-03
• Status Verified: 2017-01
• Last Update Submitted: 2017-01-18
• Last Update Posted: 2017-01-20

Recruitment & Eligibility

• Status: COMPLETED
• Sex: Female
• Target Recruitment: 100

Inclusion Criteria

• Aged 14-19 years
• Sexually active with males in the past three months
• Presenting to the ED for a reproductive health complaint.

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Exclusion Criteria

• Presently pregnant
• Too ill for participation per the attending physician
• Cognitively impaired
• In foster care or a ward of the state
• Does not speak English or Spanish
• Does not own a cellular or mobile phone with text messaging capabilities
• Used contraception at last intercourse and/or is currently using any "highly effective" or "effective" form of contraception (as defined by the World Health Organization)
• Does not live in Manhattan or the Bronx

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Study & Design

• Study Type: INTERVENTIONAL
• Study Design: PARALLEL

Arm && Interventions

Group	Intervention	Description
Text Messaging Intervention	Text Messaging Intervention	Patients in the text messaging group will receive educational and motivational text messages.
Standard Referral	Standard Referral	Patients in the standard referral arm will receive paper based information about the Family Planning Clinic.

Primary Outcome Measures

Name	Time	Method
Initiation of highly effective contraception, as defined by the World Health Organization.	3 months after initial enrollment	We will be assessing contraception initiation rates based on electronic medical record review and telephone call follow up.

Secondary Outcome Measures

Name	Time	Method
Patient visits to Family Planning Clinic	3 months after initial enrollment	We assess Family Planning Clinic visits using our electronic medical records.
Change in pregnancy intentions	3 months after initial enrollment	We will compare pregnancy intentions elicited from the answers provided in the baseline questionnaire to those reported on the telephone follow up for both study arms.
Follow up for contraceptive counseling to a doctor or nurse	3 months after initial enrollment	We will be asking patients during our phone call follow if they have had contraceptive counseling with any healthcare professional. We will also be looking through electronic medical records for documentation of contraceptive counseling such as by ICD-9 coding or a physician's/nurse's note.

Trial Locations

Locations (1)

Morgan Stanley Children's Hospital Emergency Department; 🇺🇸 Manhattan, New York, United States