SMS reminders improve re-screening in women and heterosexual men with chlamydia infection at sydney sexual health centre: A before-and-after study

Rebecca Guy*, Handan Wand, Vickie Knight, Aurelie Kenigsberg, Phillip Read, Anna M. McNulty

*Corresponding author for this work

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

47 Citations (Scopus)

Abstract

Background In 2009, Sydney Sexual Health Centre implemented a short message service (SMS) reminder system to improve re-screening after chlamydia infection. SMS reminders were sent at 3 months recommending the patient make an appointment for a re-screen. Methods Using a before-and-after study, the authors compared the proportion re-screened within 1e4 months of chlamydia infection in women and heterosexual men who were sent an SMS in January to December 2009 (intervention period) with a 18-month period before the SMS was introduced (before period). The authors used a c2 test and multivariate regression. Visitors and sex workers were excluded. Results In the intervention period, 141 of 343 (41%) patients were diagnosed with chlamydia and sent the SMS reminder. In the before period, 338 patients were diagnosed as having chlamydia and none received a reminder. The following baseline characteristics were significantly different between those sent the SMS in the intervention period and the before period: new patients (82% vs 72%, p1/40.02), aged <25 years (51% vs 33% p<0.01), three or more sexual partners in the last 3 months (31% vs 27%, p<0.01) and anogenital symptoms (52% vs 38%, p<0.01). The proportion rescreened 1e4 months after chlamydia infection was significantly higher in people sent the SMS (30%) than the before period (21%), p1/40.04, and after adjusting for baseline differences, the OR was 1.57 (95% CI 1.01 to 2.46). Conclusions SMS reminders increased re-screening in patients diagnosed as having chlamydia at a sexual health clinic. The clinic now plans to introduce electronic prompts to maximise the uptake of the initiative and consider strategies to further increase re-screening.

Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)11-15
Number of pages5
JournalSexually Transmitted Infections
Volume89
Issue number1
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - Feb 2013
Externally publishedYes

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