As any researcher knows, asking the right questions is critical for reaching the right conclusions. When thinking about using text messaging in your studies, asking these three questions can help you determine your exact needs and goals.
1. Is Text Messaging Going to Make Us More Efficient in Our Communications?
While you will never be able to eliminate every manual task in your study, texting is a great way to automate recurring tasks like:
- Surveys
- Text-based Interventions
- Ongoing Study Communications
- Adherence Alerts (Medication, ePRO, Journal Completion, etc)
- Appointment Reminders
Additionally, you can draft your messages at your convenience and choose your desired delivery time.
Phone calls often go unanswered, and emails tend to get lost among mountains of spam and advertising. On the other hand, many texts are read within minutes or even seconds of being received, so text messaging gives you a nearly direct line of communication with your participants.
2. Do We Have the Proper Plan for How to Go About Using Text Messaging?
Before incorporating a text messaging service, you’ll need to give your institutional review board accurate information regarding text messaging and obtain their permission to use it. If you need help with this, click the link to get our phrasing suggestions to make your task of creating a report or presentation a little easier.
Text messaging has the potential to make a significant impact on your study’s participant adherence and medication compliance, but every team member needs to be on board to ensure success. Spend time talking with your team to identify and address any questions or concerns.
Finally, your overall study goals and time frame can assist you in planning both the contents of your messages and your ideal delivery schedule.
“Many texts are read within minutes or even seconds of being received, so text messaging gives you a nearly direct line of communication with your participants.”
3. Is There a Texting Vendor That Does Everything We Need? Does it Help Us Automate Communications and Does it Meet Our Privacy and Data Security Needs?
Many texting services market to a broad audience under the name “business texting.” That’s fine and well, but our clients tell us they lack the specific functions, privacy, and data security requirements for their organizations. If you don’t mind a little humble brag: Mosio specializes in text messaging solutions for research. We understand that your priorities include participant retention, adherence, data collection, and protecting sensitive health information, so we’ve designed our solutions with your needs in mind.
Being willing to sign a business associate agreement (BAA) isn’t enough, broad software systems may fall short of truly automating the communication tasks that are unique to clinical trials, behavioral and medical research. Be on the lookout for solutions that focus on adherence and engagement in research, as well as reminders and follow-up messages, backed by a software experience that caters to your research team’s workflow. Two-way text capability also provides a valuable communication channel for both you and your participants.
Let these questions be your guide in determining how text messaging can enhance your research communications, how you can implement text successfully, and what to look for in your ideal text messaging software provider.
