Effectiveness of SMS appointment reminder and defaulter tracking system in Lagos State, Nigeria

ISRCTN ISRCTN13178993
DOI https://doi.org/10.1186/ISRCTN13178993
Secondary identifying numbers LSMH/4168/VII
Submission date
03/05/2020
Registration date
19/05/2020
Last edited
02/12/2020
Recruitment status
No longer recruiting
Overall study status
Completed
Condition category
Other
Prospectively registered
Protocol
Statistical analysis plan
Results
Individual participant data

Plain English summary of protocol

Background and study aims
Most of the essential health services are not one-time services but required regular follow-ups. These follow-ups have been a major issue affecting the coverages of some health services in the Lagos State, Nigeria.
The Primary Health Care Board (PHCB) under the auspices of Lagos State Ministry of Health collaborated with Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) developed an SMS reminder system to the clients who are required to return health facility and to complete a full course of service/regimen.
The purpose of this study is to assess the effectiveness of short text reminder messages (SMSs) to clients through mobile technology in their continuous return for ANC, FP and child immunization including routine Vitamin A supplementation.

Who can participate?
All clients who have appointments at the 33 PHCs in Lagos state for antenatal care (ANC), family planning, and child immunization including routine Vitamin A supplementation during the study period.

What does the study involve?
All clients who visited the 33 PHCs for antenatal care (ANC), family planning, and child immunization including routine Vitamin A supplementation are registered for the study with verbal consent. They are randomly allocated to intervention and control groups. The intervention group receives a short text reminder message two days before their appointment while the control group do not receive an SMS reminder message. If clients in the intervention group do not return to the health facility, they receive another reminder message seven days after the appointment day. As part of the standard of care, nurses will inform the clients in both intervention and control groups of the next appointment dates.

What are the possible benefits and risks of participating?
The benefit of participating in this study is receiving the SMS reminder on their appointments only. There is no risk of participating in this study since as part of the standard of care, nurses informed the clients in both intervention and control groups of the next appointment dates at the service provision

Where is the study run from?
Lagos State (Nigeria)

When is the study starting and how long is it expected to run for?
October 2018 to November 2019

Who is funding the study?
Japan International Cooperation Agency

Who is the main contact?
Dr Hirotsugu Aiga, hirotsugu.aiga@nagasaki-u.ac.jp
Mr Yoshito Kawakatsu, yoshitok@uw.edu

Contact information

Dr Hirotsugu Aiga
Scientific

1-12-4
Sakamoto
Nagasaki
852-8523
Japan

Phone +81-95-819-7949
Email hirotsugu.aiga@nagasaki-u.ac.jp
Mr Yoshito Kawakatsu
Scientific

1959 NE Pacific Street
Seattle, WA
98195
United States of America

ORCiD logoORCID ID 0000-0003-1853-533X
Phone +1-206-221-4970
Email yoshitok@uw.edu

Study information

Study designRandomized controlled trial
Primary study designInterventional
Secondary study designRandomised controlled trial
Study setting(s)Hospital
Study typeOther
Participant information sheet Not available in web format, please use contact details to request a participant information sheet.
Scientific titleEffectiveness of SMS appointment reminder and defaulter tracking system in Lagos State, Nigeria: A randomized controlled trial
Study objectivesSMS reminder would improve health facility attendance by reminding the appointments of vaccines, antenatal care, and family planning
Ethics approval(s)Approved 13/12/2016, Health Research and Ethics Committee at Lagos State University Teaching hospital (1-5, OBA AKINJOBI ROAD, IKEJA, LAGOS, P.M.B. 21005, NIgeria; +234 - 1 - 471-0670; dcst@lasuth.org), ref: LREC /06/10/766
Health condition(s) or problem(s) studiedAttendance at appointments at local health centre for vaccination, ANC, and family planning
InterventionA client in the intervention group received a short text reminder message two days before the scheduled appointment day (appointment reminder) while a client with an appointment under the control group (service as usual) did not receive an SMS reminder message. Clients in the intervention group who did not show up for their appointments received another reminder message seven days after the appointment day (patient-tracking message). As part of the standard of care, nurses informed the clients in both intervention and control groups of the next appointment dates.

The duration of the intervention was 6 months, with 4 months of follow up.

Randomization of participants was performed daily for all appointments two days hence, with groups matched in terms of the dates that the appointments were created.
Intervention typeBehavioural
Primary outcome measureThe return status of the appointments for the three health services (i.e. ANC, FP, and child immunization including routine Vitamin A supplementation) measured for the duration of the study using patient records. If a client returns to a health facility for her appointment, they were categorized as returned cases, while if do not return, they were categorized as a defaulter
Secondary outcome measuresTiming of receiving vaccination, ANC and FP measured for the duration of the study using patient records
Overall study start date01/10/2018
Completion date30/11/2019

Eligibility

Participant type(s)Patient
Age groupAdult
SexBoth
Target number of participantsSince we planned to conduct a stratified analysis for each service, the target sample size for ANC, FP and child immunization were 2,492, 580, and 7,630 respectively. Assumptions used for the sample size calculation were power at 0.9, an alpha error at .05, and the increased return rate from 70% to 75% in ANC, from 70% to 80% in FP and from 80% to 82.5% in immunization.
Total final enrolment9368
Key inclusion criteria1. All clients who visited the 33 PHCs in Lagos state for antenatal care (ANC), family planning, and child immunization including routine Vitamin A supplementation
Key exclusion criteria1. Clients with the appointments of other services (e.g., HIV/TB care)
2. Clients without a mobile phone or accessible phone number
Date of first enrolment14/01/2019
Date of final enrolment30/06/2019

Locations

Countries of recruitment

  • Nigeria

Study participating centres

Adeniyi Jones PHC
Lagos
N/A
Nigeria
Ajeabo PHC
Lagos
N/A
Nigeria
Ajibulu / Mafoluku PHC
Lagos
N/A
Nigeria
Akinwunmi Ambode PHC
Lagos
N/A
Nigeria
Akowonjo PHC
Lagos
N/A
Nigeria
Alapere PHC
Lagos
N/A
Nigeria
Alausa PHC
Lagos
N/A
Nigeria
Ashogbon PHC
Lagos
N/A
Nigeria
Ayantuga PHC
Lagos
N/A
Nigeria
Ejire Phc 
Lagos
N/A
Nigeria
Festac PHC
Lagos
N/A
Nigeria
Ifako Ijaye PHC
Lagos
N/A
Nigeria
Ijora Oloye PHC
Lagos
N/A
Nigeria
Ikate PHC
Lagos
N/A
Nigeria
Ikosi PHC
Lagos
N/A
Nigeria
Ilasa PHC
Lagos
N/A
Nigeria
Ipaja PHC
Lagos
N/A
Nigeria
Ipinlerere PHC
Lagos
N/A
Nigeria
Iwaya PHC
Lagos
N/A
Nigeria
IYANA EJIGBO PHC
Lagos
N/A
Nigeria
Ketu (Mascara) PHC
Lagos
N/A
Nigeria
Layeni PHC
Lagos
N/A
Nigeria
Ogudu PHC
Lagos
N/A
Nigeria
Ojodu PHC
Lagos
N/A
Nigeria
Ojokoro PHC
Lagos
N/A
Nigeria
Ondo St West PHC
Lagos
N/A
Nigeria
Orisunbare PHC
Lagos
N/A
Nigeria
Palm Avenue PHC
Lagos
N/A
Nigeria
Rauf Aregbesola PHC
Lagos
N/A
Nigeria
Simpson PHC
Lagos
N/A
Nigeria
Sura PHC
Lagos
N/A
Nigeria
Ogba PHC
Lagos
N/A
Nigeria
Ohekenu PHC
Lagos
N/A
Nigeria

Sponsor information

Japan International Cooperation Agency
Government

1F–6F Ninbancho Building Center
Chiyoda
Tokyo
102-0084
Japan

Phone +81 (0)3-5226-6660
Email mptpr@jica.go.jp
Website http://www.jica.go.jp/english/
ROR logo "ROR" https://ror.org/022es3t03

Funders

Funder type

Government

Japan International Cooperation Agency
Government organisation / Local government
Alternative name(s)
Agence Japonaise de Coopération Internationale, Agencia de Cooperación Internacional del Japón, JICA
Location
Japan

Results and Publications

Intention to publish date01/08/2020
Individual participant data (IPD) Intention to shareYes
IPD sharing plan summaryAvailable on request
Publication and dissemination planWe will publish this research in an international journal with close collaboration with PHCB.
IPD sharing planThe datasets generated during and/or analysed during the current study are not expected to be made available due to the ownership of the data. The dataset used in this study belongs to the Lagos State Ministry of Health. Without permission from the Ministry, we cannot share raw data with anybody.

Study outputs

Output type Details Date created Date added Peer reviewed? Patient-facing?
Results article results 29/09/2020 02/12/2020 Yes No

Editorial Notes

02/12/2020: The following changes were made to the trial record:
1. Publication reference added.
2. The total final enrolment was added.
18/05/2020: Trial’s existence confirmed by Lagos State Government.