Use of Low-cost mHealth Intervention to Enhance Outcomes of Noncommunicable Diseases Care in Rural and Refugee Settings

NCT03580330 | Completed DMC

• 1 other identifier: FHS.SS.11
• Study Type: interventional
• Target: 2,359
• Locations: 0 countries
• Sites: N/A

Brief Summary

Rural areas and refugee camps are characterized by poor access of patients to needed noncommunicable disease (NCD)-related health services, including diabetes and hypertension. This community trial study aims to assess the effect of employing low-cost mHealth tools on the accessibility to health services and improvement of health indicators of individuals with NCDs in rural areas and refugee camps in Lebanon.

Conditions

Diabetes Mellitus; Hypertension

Keywords

noncommunicable diseases; hypertension; diabetes mellitus; telemedicine; mobile health; rural health; refugees

Outcome Measures

Primary Outcomes (2)

• Blood Pressure Control (blood pressure (SBP/DBP) <140/90 mmHg))

  blood pressure (SBP/DBP) \<140/90 mmHg

  At 1 year from the time of initiation of the intervention

• Mean HbA1c

  HbA1c level assessed for each patient

  At 1 year from the time of initiation of the intervention

Study Arms (2)

Intervention Group

EXPERIMENTAL

Other: mHealth intervention

Control Group

NO INTERVENTION

Interventions

mHealth intervention OTHER

Individual in the intervention group receive a weekly educational health SMS for the intervention period of 1 year. SMS content covered different health themes providing health information on lifestyle, dietary habits, body weight, smoking, medications, importance of compliance, as well as symptoms and self-management of HTN and diabetes. Community individuals who were diagnosed and were receiving necessary care previous to the investigator's intervention were sent weekly informative health SMS, as well as customized SMSs reminders to follow up on their scheduled medical appointments (eg, to check their HbA1c levels and have their annual foot or eye exams).

Intervention Group

Eligibility Criteria

• Age: 40 Years+
• Sex: all
• Healthy Volunteers: Yes
• Age Groups: Adult (18-64), Older Adult (65+)

You may qualify if:

• Registered at the Primary Healthcare Center as diabetics and/or hypertensive or diagnosed with or suspected to have diabetes and/or hypertension
• Aged 40 years or more
• Lebanese or Palestinian nationality

You may not qualify if:

• aged less than 40 years
• Non-Lebanese / Non-Palestinian

Sponsors & Collaborators

• American University of Beirut Medical Center: lead
• International Development Research Centre, Canada: collaborator
• Ministry of Public Health (MOPH), Lebanon: collaborator
• United Nations Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA): collaborator

Related Publications (2)

• Palmer MJ, Machiyama K, Woodd S, Gubijev A, Barnard S, Russell S, Perel P, Free C. Mobile phone-based interventions for improving adherence to medication prescribed for the primary prevention of cardiovascular disease in adults. Cochrane Database Syst Rev. 2021 Mar 26;3(3):CD012675. doi: 10.1002/14651858.CD012675.pub3.

  PMID: 33769555 DERIVED

• Saleh S, Farah A, Dimassi H, El Arnaout N, Constantin J, Osman M, El Morr C, Alameddine M. Using Mobile Health to Enhance Outcomes of Noncommunicable Diseases Care in Rural Settings and Refugee Camps: Randomized Controlled Trial. JMIR Mhealth Uhealth. 2018 Jul 13;6(7):e137. doi: 10.2196/mhealth.8146.

  PMID: 30006326 DERIVED

MeSH Terms

Conditions

Diabetes Mellitus; Hypertension; Noncommunicable Diseases

Condition Hierarchy (Ancestors)

Glucose Metabolism Disorders; Metabolic Diseases; Nutritional and Metabolic Diseases; Endocrine System Diseases; Vascular Diseases; Cardiovascular Diseases; Disease Attributes; Pathologic Processes; Pathological Conditions, Signs and Symptoms

Study Design

• Study Type: interventional
• Phase: not applicable
• Allocation: RANDOMIZED
• Masking: NONE
• Purpose: HEALTH SERVICES RESEARCH
• Intervention Model: PARALLEL
• Sponsor Type: OTHER
• Responsible Party: PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR
• PI Title: Director, Global Health Institute

Model Details: This study reports on a community trial in which PHC centers, along their respective catchment areas, were randomly allocated into control and intervention sites with the aim of assessing the change in selected NCD care quality indicators (QIs) among community individuals and patients. Patients in the intervention sites received a 1-year mHealth intervention, and their pre- and postintervention outcomes were assessed through measurement of QIs. Patients in the control sites received no intervention.

Study Record Dates

• First Submitted: June 1, 2018
• First Posted: July 9, 2018
• Study Start: April 17, 2014
• Primary Completion: April 1, 2018
• Study Completion: April 1, 2018
• Last Updated: July 9, 2018

Record last verified: 2018-06