Leveraging Interactive Text Messaging to Monitor and Support Maternal Health in Kenya

NCT05369806 | Completed Results

• 2 other identifiers: STUDY00014447K18MH122978
• Study Type: interventional
• Target: 80
• Locations: 1 country
• Sites: 2

Brief Summary

Mobile health (mHealth) interventions such as interactive short message service (SMS) text messaging with healthcare workers (HCWs) have been proposed as efficient, accessible additions to traditional health care in resource-limited settings. Realizing the full public health potential of mHealth for maternal health requires use of new technological tools that dynamically adapt to user needs. This study will test use of a natural language processing computer algorithm on incoming SMS messages with pregnant people and new mothers in Kenya to see if it can help to identify urgent messages.

Conditions

Neonatal Death; Perinatal Death; Depression

Keywords

Kenya; SMS; Natural Language Processing; NLP; mHealth

Outcome Measures

Primary Outcomes (2)

• Acceptability

  AIM (Acceptability of Intervention Measure) score (Weiner et al instrument. Score range 1-5; higher score indicates higher acceptability)

  Enrollment through 4 weeks postpartum

• Nurse Response Time

  Minutes from urgent participant message to nurse response

  Enrollment through 4 weeks postpartum

Study Arms (1)

Interactive two-way SMS dialogue

EXPERIMENTAL

Participants will receive automated SMS messages with prompts to reply. They will have the ability to both respond to and initiate SMS dialogue. Trained Study Nurses will monitor and respond to participant messages. The NLP model will be applied to messages and will highlight those determined to be urgent.

Behavioral: Interactive two-way SMS dialogue

Interventions

Interactive two-way SMS dialogue BEHAVIORAL

This study uses Mobile WACh, a human-computer hybrid system that enables two-way SMS communication and patient tracking, to provide consistent support to women and their infants during the peripartum period and 6 weeks into the baby's life. Women will receive automated SMS messages targeting the appropriate peripartum period and will have the capability to respond and spontaneously message a nurse based at the clinic. During pregnancy, automated SMS will be delivered weekly. Two weeks prior to the participant's estimated due date (EDD), daily messaging will begin, and will continue for two weeks after delivery is ascertained. Thereafter, SMS will be delivered every other day. Women who experience pregnancy or infant loss will be enrolled into an infant loss track. The NLP model will be applied to incoming participant messages. Those flagged as urgent by the model will be flagged within the SMS system, allowing study nurses to triage and appropriately respond to those messages.

Interactive two-way SMS dialogue

Eligibility Criteria

• Age: 14 Years+
• Healthy Volunteers: Yes
• Age Groups: Child (0-17), Adult (18-64), Older Adult (65+)

You may qualify if:

• Pregnant
• ≥28 weeks gestation
• Daily access to a mobile phone (own or shared) on the Safaricom network
• Willing to receive SMS
• Age ≥14 years
• Able to read and respond to text messages in English, Kiswahili or Luo, or have someone in the household who can help

You may not qualify if:

• Currently enrolled in another research study

Sponsors & Collaborators

• University of Washington: lead
• National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH): collaborator

Study Sites (2)

Ahero Sub-District Hospital

Ahero, Kisumu County, Kenya

Location

Kisumu County Hospital

Kisumu, Kenya

Location

MeSH Terms

Conditions

Perinatal Death; Depression

Condition Hierarchy (Ancestors)

Pregnancy Complications; Female Urogenital Diseases and Pregnancy Complications; Urogenital Diseases; Death; Pathologic Processes; Pathological Conditions, Signs and Symptoms; Behavioral Symptoms; Behavior

Results Point of Contact

• Title: Keshet Ronen
• Organization: University of Washington

keshet@uw.edu

2065854363

Study Officials

• Keshet Ronen, PhD

  University of Washington

  PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR

Publication Agreements

• PI is Sponsor Employee: Yes

Study Design

• Study Type: interventional
• Phase: not applicable
• Allocation: NA
• Masking: NONE
• Purpose: HEALTH SERVICES RESEARCH
• Intervention Model: SINGLE GROUP
• Sponsor Type: OTHER
• Responsible Party: PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR
• PI Title: Acting Assistant Professor, School of Public Health: Global Health

Model Details: All participants are enrolled into the MWACh SMS system

Study Record Dates

• First Submitted: April 11, 2022
• First Posted: May 11, 2022
• Study Start: May 4, 2022
• Primary Completion: October 31, 2022
• Study Completion: October 31, 2022
• Last Updated: December 29, 2023
• Results First Posted: December 29, 2023

Record last verified: 2023-12

Data Sharing

• IPD Sharing: Will share
• Time Frame: End of project

Locations

KE (2)