Implementation of the Florida STD Texting Project 24 Neither the Peoria nor Clay CHD texting projects have been rigorously evaluated.
23 Starting in December 2010, Clay CHD in Florida implemented Peoria CHD’s coded texting project and also documented similar outcomes to Peoria. They reported a decrease in the time required for follow-up with clients and lowered program costs, as a result of less time spent by staff locating clients. In 2009, Peoria CHD in Illinois began delivering gonorrhea and chlamydia results using coded texts. Some US STD programs have drafted policies and protocols for the use of texting to facilitate client-provider communication in STD intervention, 20–22 but no state STD programs have. 15 Texting has increased client-provider communication in chronic disease management 16 and improved operational efficiencies in STD notification efforts in UK clinics. 3,5–7 Texting has been used to send health education messages to clients, 8–10 prompt clients to take their medication, 11–14 and remind clients of appointment dates and times. 3,4 It also has the potential to address racial/ethnic disparities, as mobile phone ownership and the use of texting has been found to be very high among racial/ethnic minorities. 2 Texting is a potentially viable method of communicating health information because of its wide use for general communications. Innovative methods are needed to intervene in the spread of disease and to use staff time effectively. Significant staff time is spent in locating positive clients for follow-up therefore, presumptively treated positive clients and clients who test negative are not contacted by field staff. If staff are not able to reach positive clients in a timely manner, there may be delays in notification and treatment and consequently possible ongoing spread of STDs. Prompt notification of positive test results and treatment could slow the spread of STDs.įlorida STD staff in county health departments (CHDs) primarily use “traditional methods” of telephone calls and home visits to encourage clients to return to the clinic for treatment. 1 From 2007 to 2011, reported STD cases in Florida increased by 18%, exceeding 99,000 cases in 2011, and setting a record for the highest STD total ever recorded in the state. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimates that 19 million new STDs occur every year in this country. Sexually transmitted diseases (STDs) are a significant and increasing health risk in the United States.
In addition, it can be integrated within an existing surveillance database to minimize the burden of the new process. Texting offers STD programs an alternative to traditional notification procedures and may be a viable option for STD programs to reduce the use of staff resources and increase timely treatment for clients. Texters who called back received treatment 3 days sooner than texters who did not call back ( P < 0.001).
Texters received treatment in 5.1 days and nontexters received treatment in 6.7 days ( P = 0.036). Among texters who were positive and had not been treated (n = 345), 57% called back. Resultsįrom February 2012 to January 2013, 10,272 clients were offered texting in Clay, Duval, and Seminole counties. Evaluation data on clients who opted in (texters) and clients who did not opt in (nontexters) were retrieved from Patient Reporting Investigation Surveillance Manager and descriptively analyzed. Texting was conducted through the state’s surveillance application, Patient Reporting Investigation Surveillance Manager (PRISM).
Std prank text code#
A positive code prompted clients to call back for treatment information. MethodsĬlients screened for STDs at clinics in 3 Florida counties were offered the option to receive test results through coded texts. The aims of the evaluation of the first year of the project were to assess (1) client uptake and completion of texting and (2) whether texting was associated with a shorter treatment time frame. In response to increasing sexually transmitted diseases (STDs), diminishing resources, and delays in prompt treatment, the Florida STD Program began providing test results through text message in 2011.
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