Can mobile phone multimedia messages and text messages improve clinic attendance for Aboriginal children with chronic otitis media? A randomised controlled trial.

Abstract

AIM:

Does phone multimedia messages (MMS) to families of Indigenous children with tympanic membrane perforation (TMP): (i) increase clinic attendance; (ii) improve ear health; and (iii) provide a culturally appropriate method of health promotion?

METHODS:

Fifty-three Australian Aboriginal children with a TMP living in remote community households with a mobile phone were randomised into intervention (n = 30) and control (n = 23) groups. MMS health messages in local languages were sent to the intervention group over 6 weeks.

RESULTS:

PRIMARY OUTCOME:

there was no significant difference in clinic attendance, with 1.3 clinic visits per child in both groups (mean difference -0.1; 95% confidence interval (CI) -1.1, 0.9; P = 0.9).

SECONDARY OUTCOMES:

(i) there was no significant change in healed perforation (risk difference 6%; 95% CI -10, 20; P = 0.6), middle ear discharge (risk difference -1%; 95% CI -30, 30; P = 1.0) or perforation size (mean difference 3%; 95% CI -11, 17; P = 0.7) between the groups; (ii) 84% (95% CI 60, 90) in the control and 70% (95% CI 50, 80) in the intervention group were happy to receive MMS health messages in the future. The difference was not significant (risk difference -14%; 95% CI -37, 8; P = 0.3).

CONCLUSIONS:

Although there was no improvement in clinic attendance or ear health, this randomised controlled trial of MMS in Indigenous languages demonstrated that MMS is a culturally appropriate form of health promotion. Mobile phones may enhance management of chronic disease in remote and disadvantaged populations.

• Authors: James H Phillips, Christine Wigger, Jemima Beissbarth, Gabrielle B McCallum, Amanda Leach, Peter S Morris
• Journal: Journal of paediatrics and child health (J Paediatr Child Health) Vol. 50 Issue 5 Pg. 362-7 (May 2014) ISSN: 1440-1754 [Electronic] Australia
• PMID: 24612007 (Publication Type: Journal Article, Multicenter Study, Randomized Controlled Trial, Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't)
• Copyright: © 2014 The Authors. Journal of Paediatrics and Child Health © 2014 Paediatrics and Child Health Division (Royal Australasian College of Physicians).

Topics

• Adolescent
• Australia
• Cell Phone
• Child
• Child, Preschool
• Chronic Disease
• Cultural Competency
• Female
• Follow-Up Studies
• Health Promotion (methods)
• Humans
• Infant
• Infant, Newborn
• Intention to Treat Analysis
• Language
• Male
• Multimedia
• Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islander
• Otitis Media (complications, diagnosis, ethnology, therapy)
• Patient Compliance (ethnology, statistics & numerical data)
• Pilot Projects
• Rural Health (ethnology)
• Rural Health Services (statistics & numerical data)
• Text Messaging
• Treatment Outcome
• Tympanic Membrane Perforation (etiology, therapy)