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Summits - SBCC and C4D
After nearly 28 years, The Communication Initiative (The CI) Global is entering a new chapter. Following a period of transition, the global website has been transferred to the University of the Witwatersrand (Wits) in South Africa, where it will be administered by the Social and Behaviour Change Communication Division. Wits' commitment to social change and justice makes it a trusted steward for The CI's legacy and future.
 
Co-founder Victoria Martin is pleased to see this work continue under Wits' leadership. Victoria knows that co-founder Warren Feek (1953–2024) would have felt deep pride in The CI Global's Africa-led direction.
 
We honour the team and partners who sustained The CI for decades. Meanwhile, La Iniciativa de Comunicación (CILA) continues independently at cila.comminitcila.com and is linked with The CI Global site.
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The impact of short message service text messages sent as appointment reminders to patients’ cell phones at outpatient clinics in Sao Paulo, Brazil

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da Costa, T.M., Salomão, P.L., Martha, A.S., Pisa, I.T., & Sigulem, D. (2010). The impact of short message service text messages sent as appointment reminders to patients’ cell phones at outpatient clinics in Sao Paulo, Brazil. International Journal of Medical Informatics, 79, 65-70.

ABSTRACT

OBJECTIVE: Nonattendance for appointments remains a challenge to health care managers and providers. The objective of this article is to present the results of a study on the impact of appointment reminders sent as short message service text messages to patients' cell phones on nonattendance rates at outpatient clinics in São Paulo, Brazil.

DESIGN: Data were collected on scheduled appointments in four medical clinics using Clinic Manager or Clinic Web systems that can send automated messages to patients. Data on appointment attendance were collected from these systems.

MEASUREMENTS: More than 29,000 appointments were scheduled between July 1, 2007, and May 31, 2008, and for 7890 of them a text message reminder was sent to the patient's cell phone. The rates of nonattendance were compared between those who were sent and those who were not sent a text message as an appointment reminder.

RESULTS: The nonattendance reduction rates for appointments at the four outpatient clinics studied were 0.82% (p=.590), 3.55% (p=.009), 5.75% (p=.022), and 14.49% (p= <.001).

CONCLUSION: The study results indicate that sending appointment reminders as text messages to patients' cell phones is an effective strategy to reduce nonattendance rates. When patients attend their appointments, the facility providing care and the patients receiving uninterrupted care benefit.nattendance for appointments remains a challenge to health care managers and providers. The objective of this article is to present the results of a study on the impact of appointment reminders sent as short message service text messages to patients' cell phones on nonattendance rates at outpatient clinics in São Paulo, Brazil.