11 Reasons Your Clinical Research Study Needs a Texting Line
Text messaging: Where would we be without it? There is no doubt that almost everyone uses text messaging to communicate with customers and coworkers these days so, as a result, texting should be your number one communication tool. Just like you wouldn’t go without using a phone or email for your study, you shouldn’t perform research without a dedicated texting line. Here are all the reasons you needed a dedicated texting line yesterday.
Most of email is spam. Sadly, even with the best spam filters, our inboxes are still sometimes flooded with junk mail.
More calls are going to voicemail Most people these days will send a call from an unknown number straight to voicemail. Studies from a few years ago showed that 23% of voicemails lingered for 3 days or longer.
Participants prefer to communicate via text message. Phone calls and in-person visits are an inconvenience for patients, and eventually, these modes of communication will become as outdated as the newspaper.
Texting is short, to the point, and on the go. The widespread usage of text messaging is due to its simplicity.
Keys, Wallet, and Phone – The three things we never leave home without. Regardless of where we are or what we are doing, most people can quickly be reached by text message because we take our mobile phones everywhere.
Texting is interactive, engaging, and personal. Texting is the new talking, and study participants like it this way.
Text messaging software doesn’t require a mobile phone for you to use it. Save your thumbs! With the right text messaging platform, you do not need a mobile phone to engage with two-way chat with participants.
A texting line is as affordable as a mobile phone plan but with dozens more features. Because a texting line is now more affordable than ever, there is simply no reason why you shouldn’t be using this technological feature in your study.
Texting isn’t going away anytime soon. Mobile messaging is here for good. Text messaging has been referred to as the digital health tool of the century, so it’s safe to say that it isn’t going anywhere.
A texting line can be integrated with REDCap to make it even more powerful for data collection. After sending a text message survey to the participants, the data will be automatically imported into REDCap.
Depending on which solution that you use (hint, hint), you can use a texting line to:
- Collect data with text message surveys.
- Preschedule automated appointment reminders.
- Ensure study compliance by encouraging participants to complete study-related tasks.
- Improve medication adherence.
- Schedule automated check-ins so that you don’t have to remember to contact participants.
- Send text-based interventions, automatically.
- Receive mobile photos and use emojis.
- Deliver gift codes as incentives for completed actions.
- Send up to 600 characters worth of words/sentences to get your point across.
Are you looking to improve engagement, adherence, and data collection efforts? Get a texting line for your study.
