A randomized trial to evaluate the use of text messaging, letter, and telephone call reminders to improve return of blood donors with reactive serologic tests

Porto‐Ferreira, Francisco Augusto; Almeida‐Neto, Cesar de; Murphy, Edward L.; Montebello, Sandra; Nogueira, Fátima Aparecida Hangai; Silva, Edina Mariko Koga da; MacFarland, W.; Custer, Brian

doi:10.1111/trf.13882

Cited by 13 publications

(16 citation statements)

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“…Fourth, our findings underscore the potential benefits of effective communication with blood donors about making and keeping donation appointments. Indeed, we found that gains in blood collection achieved through comprehensive reminders were similar to those obtained by reducing inter-donation intervals 36 , 37 (although part of this gain is likely to have been due to the effects of participating in a research study 38 ). Finally, as this trial has identified subsets of donors with readily measured characteristics (eg, those with higher than average ferritin concentrations) who have greater capacity than other donors to give blood more frequently, our study contributes to the possibility of increased personalisation of blood donation.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 54%

Efficiency and safety of varying the frequency of whole blood donation (INTERVAL): a randomised trial of 45 000 donors

Angelantonio¹,

Thompson²,

Kaptoge³

et al. 2017

The Lancet

242

327

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SummaryBackgroundLimits on the frequency of whole blood donation exist primarily to safeguard donor health. However, there is substantial variation across blood services in the maximum frequency of donations allowed. We compared standard practice in the UK with shorter inter-donation intervals used in other countries.MethodsIn this parallel group, pragmatic, randomised trial, we recruited whole blood donors aged 18 years or older from 25 centres across England, UK. By use of a computer-based algorithm, men were randomly assigned (1:1:1) to 12-week (standard) versus 10-week versus 8-week inter-donation intervals, and women were randomly assigned (1:1:1) to 16-week (standard) versus 14-week versus 12-week intervals. Participants were not masked to their allocated intervention group. The primary outcome was the number of donations over 2 years. Secondary outcomes related to safety were quality of life, symptoms potentially related to donation, physical activity, cognitive function, haemoglobin and ferritin concentrations, and deferrals because of low haemoglobin. This trial is registered with ISRCTN, number ISRCTN24760606, and is ongoing but no longer recruiting participants.Findings45 263 whole blood donors (22 466 men, 22 797 women) were recruited between June 11, 2012, and June 15, 2014. Data were analysed for 45 042 (99·5%) participants. Men were randomly assigned to the 12-week (n=7452) versus 10-week (n=7449) versus 8-week (n=7456) groups; and women to the 16-week (n=7550) versus 14-week (n=7567) versus 12-week (n=7568) groups. In men, compared with the 12-week group, the mean amount of blood collected per donor over 2 years increased by 1·69 units (95% CI 1·59–1·80; approximately 795 mL) in the 8-week group and by 0·79 units (0·69–0·88; approximately 370 mL) in the 10-week group (p<0·0001 for both). In women, compared with the 16-week group, it increased by 0·84 units (95% CI 0·76–0·91; approximately 395 mL) in the 12-week group and by 0·46 units (0·39–0·53; approximately 215 mL) in the 14-week group (p<0·0001 for both). No significant differences were observed in quality of life, physical activity, or cognitive function across randomised groups. However, more frequent donation resulted in more donation-related symptoms (eg, tiredness, breathlessness, feeling faint, dizziness, and restless legs, especially among men [for all listed symptoms]), lower mean haemoglobin and ferritin concentrations, and more deferrals for low haemoglobin (p<0·0001 for each) than those observed in the standard frequency groups.InterpretationOver 2 years, more frequent donation than is standard practice in the UK collected substantially more blood without having a major effect on donors' quality of life, physical activity, or cognitive function, but resulted in more donation-related symptoms, deferrals, and iron deficiency.FundingNHS Blood and Transplant, National Institute for Health Research, UK Medical Research Council, and British Heart Foundation.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 54%

Efficiency and safety of varying the frequency of whole blood donation (INTERVAL): a randomised trial of 45 000 donors

Angelantonio¹,

Thompson²,

Kaptoge³

et al. 2017

The Lancet

242

327

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

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“…One study reported most of their control group used their own reminder, potentially confounding the non-significant outcomes ( Hou et al, 2010 ), and a second study hypothesized that many participants in the control group used their own reminder (although this was not formally assessed) ( Mbuagbaw et al, 2012 ). Another study found that a phone call reminder was more effective than a SMS reminder at increasing treatment follow-up appointment completion ( Porto-Ferreira et al, 2017 ). Two studies found both the treatment and control group had a significantly higher medication adherence and appointment attendance rate than typical ( Burton et al, 2014 ; Goldstein et al, 2014 ); and another hypothesized that due to the length of their study, the novelty and benefit of a medication reminder may have worn off ( Ting et al, 2012 ).…”

Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Using text message reminders in health care services: A narrative literature review

Schwebel

Larimer

2018

Internet Interventions

173

134

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IntroductionDespite the extensive use of mHealth behavior change interventions, questions remain about the use of technology-based reminders in delivering health care services. Text messaging, or short message service (SMS), is one reminder method that has been extensively researched. Most SMS-reminder research is distributed across a range of health care outcomes. The aim of this article is to systematically review the aggregate impact of these reminders on overall health care outcomes.MethodsA systematic literature review was conducted and yielded 2316 articles. Studies were included if they used SMS reminders to support patient health care outcomes. Study methodology was aligned with the PRISMA guidelines for systematic reviews.ResultsFollowing screening, 162 articles met inclusion criteria. Of these studies, 93 investigated medical compliance reminders and 56 investigated appointment reminders. The review found that nearly all the SMS-reminder studies helped improve patient medical compliance and appointment reminders. Additionally, researchers reported numerous benefits from using SMS reminders, including ease of use, relative inexpensiveness, and rapid and automated message delivery. Minimal risks were reported and most participants found the reminders to be acceptable.DiscussionText messages appear to be an effective reminder mechanism to promote improved patient appointment and medical compliance. Reminders should continue to be evaluated and improved to determine the most effective timing and frequency of messages for improving outcomes.

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“…It would be useful to extend the economic analysis undertaken here to examine whether or not the more intensive reminder system undertaken as part of the original INTERVAL trial was in itself cost-effective. 56,57 A strength of the CEA is that it used data from a large, well-conducted RCT with complete follow-up data for the main end points of interest, and included as a control arm the current minimum donation interval in England. The large sample size meant that it was possible to report both the overall effect of alternative minimum donation intervals (on frequency of attendance to donate whole blood and deferrals) and the effect according to subgroups of key policy relevance.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Options for possible changes to the blood donation service: health economics modelling

Grieve

Willis

Corte

et al. 2018

Health Serv Deliv Res

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BackgroundEvidence is required on the cost-effectiveness of alternative changes to the blood collection service.Objectives(1) To estimate the cost-effectiveness of alternative minimum interdonation intervals between whole-blood donations. (2) To investigate donors’ frequency of whole-blood donation according to alternative changes to the blood collection service. (3) To estimate the cost-effectiveness of alternative strategies for maintaining the supply of whole blood.MethodsWe undertook a within-trial cost-effectiveness analysis (CEA) of the INTERVAL trial, stated preference (SP) surveys to elicit donor preferences and a CEA of different strategies for blood collection. The strategies considered were reduced minimum intervals between whole-blood donations, introduction of a donor health report and changes to appointment availability and opening times at blood collection venues. The within-trial CEA included 44,863 donors, with men randomly assigned to 12- versus 10- versus 8-week interdonation intervals, and women to 16- versus 14- versus 12-week interdonation intervals. We undertook a SP survey of non-INTERVAL donors (100,000 invitees). We asked donors to state the frequency with which they would be willing to donate blood, according to the service attribute and level. The CEA compared changes to the blood service with current practice by combining the survey estimates with information from the NHS Blood and Transpant database (PULSE) and cost data. The target population was existing whole-blood donors in England, of whom approximately 85% currently donate whole blood at mobile (temporary) blood collection venues, with the remainder donating at static (permanent) blood collection centres. We reported the effects of the alternative strategies on the number of whole-blood donations, costs and cost-effectiveness.ResultsThe reduced donation interval strategies had higher deferral rates caused by low haemoglobin (Hb), but increased frequency of successful donation. For men in the 8- versus 12-week arm of the INTERVAL trial [Di Angelantonio E, Thompson SG, Kaptoge S, Moore C, Walker M, Armitage J,et al.Efficiency and safety of varying the frequency of whole blood donation (INTERVAL): a randomised trial of 45 000 donors.Lancet2017;390:2360–71], the Hb-related deferral rate was 5.7% per session versus 2.6% per session, but the average number of donations over 2 years increased by 1.71 (95% confidence interval 1.60 to 1.80). A total of 25,187 (25%) donors responded to the SP survey. For static donor centres, extending appointment availability to weekday evenings or weekends, or reduced intervals between blood donations, increased stated donation frequency by, on average, 0.5 donations per year. The CEA found that reducing the minimum interval, extending opening times to weekday evenings and extending opening times to weekends in all static donor centres would provide additional whole blood at a cost per additional unit of £10, £23 and £29, respectively, with similar results for donors with high-demand blood types.LimitationsThe study did not consider the long-term rates at which donors will leave the donation register, for example following higher rates of Hb-related deferral.ConclusionsExtending opening hours for blood donation to weekday evenings or weekends for all static donor centres are cost-effective ways of increasing the supply of high-demand blood types.Future workTo monitor the effects of new strategies on long-term donation frequency.FundingThe National Institute for Health Research Health Services and Delivery Research programme.

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A randomized trial to evaluate the use of text messaging, letter, and telephone call reminders to improve return of blood donors with reactive serologic tests

Cited by 13 publications

References 11 publications

Efficiency and safety of varying the frequency of whole blood donation (INTERVAL): a randomised trial of 45 000 donors

Efficiency and safety of varying the frequency of whole blood donation (INTERVAL): a randomised trial of 45 000 donors

Using text message reminders in health care services: A narrative literature review

Options for possible changes to the blood donation service: health economics modelling

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