Schmidtke, Kelly, Vlaev, Ivo, Kabbani, S., Klauznicer, H., Baasiri, A., Osseiran, A., El Rifai, G., Fares, H., Saleh, N. and Makki, F. (2020) An exploratory randomized controlled trial evaluating text prompts in Lebanon to encourage health‐seeking behavior for hypertension. International Journal of Clinical Practice . doi:10.1111/ijcp.13669

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Abstract

Aims of the study
The current study evaluates the effectiveness of an opportunistic mobile screening on the percentage of people who are aware of whether they may be hypertensive (in an observational study) and the effectiveness of reminder prompts on the percentage of people who seek further medical attention (in a randomized controlled trial).

Methods used to conduct the study
The screening of 1227 participants (529 female) was conducted during the registration period of the 2018 Beirut International Marathon in Lebanon. Next, 266 participants whose screening indicated hypertension (64 Female) were randomly allocated to a treatment group or a control group in a 1:1 fashion. The treatment group received a reminder prompt to seek further medical attention for their potential hypertension and the control group did not. The overt nature of the text message meant that participants in the treatment group could not be blinded to their group allocation. The primary outcome is participants’ self‐reports of whether they sought further medical attention.

Results of the study
For the opportunistic screening, a 25% prevalence rate and a 24% awareness rate of hypertension was indicated. A McNemar analysis suggested that the screening increased participant awareness (X2 (N =1227)=72.16, p <0.001). For the randomized controlled trial, 219 participants provided follow‐up data via a phone call (82% retention). A Chi‐squared analysis suggested that the reminder prompt successfully encouraged more participants to seek further medical attention, 45.5% treatment group vs. 28.0% control group (X 2(1, N =219)=7.19, p =0.007, φ =0.18).

Conclusions drawn and clinical implications
Extra support in the form of a brief reminder message can increase the percentage of people who seek further medical attention after attending an opportunistic screening at a marathon event. The discussion reviews how the results align with previous research, strengths and limitations of the current study, and implications for future research and practice.

Item Type:	Journal Article
Subjects:	R Medicine > R Medicine (General) R Medicine > RC Internal medicine T Technology > TK Electrical engineering. Electronics Nuclear engineering
Divisions:	Faculty of Social Sciences > Warwick Business School > Behavioural Science Faculty of Medicine > Warwick Medical School > Health Sciences Faculty of Social Sciences > Warwick Business School Faculty of Medicine > Warwick Medical School
Library of Congress Subject Headings (LCSH):	Hypertension, Hypertension -- Prevention -- Lebanon, Text messages (Cell phone systems) , Clinical trials, Communication in medicine -- Lebanon
Journal or Publication Title:	International Journal of Clinical Practice
Publisher:	Wiley-Blackwell Publishing, Inc
ISSN:	1368-5031
Official Date:	2020
Dates:	Date Event 2020 Published 8 August 2020 Available 6 August 2020 Accepted
Date of first compliant deposit:	13 August 2020
DOI:	10.1111/ijcp.13669
Status:	Peer Reviewed
Publication Status:	Published
Publisher Statement:	"This is the peer reviewed version of the following article: Schmidtke, K., Vlaev, I., Kabbani, S., Klauznicer, H., Baasiri, A., Osseiran, A., El Rifai, G., Fares, H., Saleh, N. and Makki, F. (2020), An exploratory randomized controlled trial evaluating text prompts in Lebanon to encourage health‐seeking behavior for hypertension. Int J Clin Pract. Accepted Author Manuscript. which has been published in final form at http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/ijcp.13669 This article may be used for non-commercial purposes in accordance with Wiley Terms and Conditions for Use of Self-Archived Versions.
Access rights to Published version:	Restricted or Subscription Access

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