Efficacy of Mobile Phone Short Message Service (SMS) Reminders on Malaria Treatment Adherence and Day 3 Post-Treatment Reviews (SMS-RES-MAL) in Kenya: A Study Protocol

Overview

Journal J Clin Trials

Date 2019 Jul 10

PMID 31285980

Citations 6

Authors

Ambrose O Talisuna

Dejan Zurovac

Sophie Githinji

Amos Oburu

Josephine Malinga

Andrew Nyandigisi

Caroline Oh Jones

Robert W Snow

Affiliations

Soon will be listed here.

Abstract

Background: Mobile phone short messaging services (SMS) have been investigated in health information reporting, provider performance, drug and diagnostic stock management and patient adherence to treatment for chronic diseases. However, their potential role in improving patients' adherence to malaria treatment and day 3 post treatment reviews remains unclear.

Methods/design: A "proof of concept" open label randomised controlled trial will be conducted at four sites in Western Kenya. Principal research questions are: 1) Can mobile phone SMS reminders improve patient adherence to malaria treatment? 2) Can mobile phone SMS reminders improve day 3 post treatment reviews? Eligible caregivers (n=1000 per arm) of children under five years old with uncomplicated malaria will be randomly assigned (one to one) to: a) the current standard of care (provider counselling and health education); and b) the current standard of care plus SMS reminders. Within each arm, caregivers will be further randomized to three different categories. In categories 1 and 2, 300 caregivers per arm per category will be visited at home on day 1 and 2 of follow up respectively, to measure appropriate timing and adherence of the second Artemether-Lumefantrine (AL) dose and doses 3 and 4. Further, caregivers in categories 1 and 2 will be required to come to the health facility for the day 3 post treatment reviews. Finally, in category 3, 400 caregivers per arm will be visited at home on day 3 to measure adherence for the full AL course. Each category will be visited at home only once to avoid biases in the measures of adherence as a result of home consultations. Primary outcomes will be adherence to the full AL course (category 3), as well as, the proportion of patients reporting back for day 3 post treatment reviews (categories 1 and 2). The primary analysis will be intention-to-treat. Costs of the intervention will be measured over the period of the intervention, and a cost-effectiveness ratio will be estimated.

Discussion: If successful, evidence from this trial could improve malaria treatment adherence and offer pragmatic approaches for antimalarial drug resistance surveillance and risk mitigation in Africa.

Current Controlled Trials: ISRCTN39512726.

Citing Articles

Predictors of knowledge and use of long-lasting insecticidal nets for the prevention of malaria among the pregnant women in Pakistan.

Kumar R, Farzeen M, Ahmed J, Lal M, Somrongthong R Malar J. 2021; 20(1):347.

PMID: 34425857 PMC: 8381575. DOI: 10.1186/s12936-021-03878-w.

Adherence to treatment with artemether-lumefantrine or amodiaquine-artesunate for uncomplicated malaria in children in Sierra Leone: a randomized trial.

Banek K, Webb E, Smith S, Chandramohan D, Staedke S Malar J. 2018; 17(1):222.

PMID: 29866192 PMC: 5987409. DOI: 10.1186/s12936-018-2370-x.

"We were being treated like the Queen": understanding trial factors influencing high paediatric malaria treatment adherence in western Kenya.

Jones C, Talisuna A, Snow R, Zurovac D Malar J. 2018; 17(1):8.

PMID: 29304798 PMC: 5756360. DOI: 10.1186/s12936-017-2164-6.

Assessing the feasibility of eHealth and mHealth: a systematic review and analysis of initiatives implemented in Kenya.

Njoroge M, Zurovac D, Ogara E, Chuma J, Kirigia D BMC Res Notes. 2017; 10(1):90.

PMID: 28183341 PMC: 5301342. DOI: 10.1186/s13104-017-2416-0.

Efficacy of text-message reminders on paediatric malaria treatment adherence and their post-treatment return to health facilities in Kenya: a randomized controlled trial.

Talisuna A, Oburu A, Githinji S, Malinga J, Amboko B, Bejon P Malar J. 2017; 16(1):46.

PMID: 28122622 PMC: 5267364. DOI: 10.1186/s12936-017-1702-6.

References

. Monitoring antimalarial drug resistance within National Malaria Control Programmes: the EANMAT experience. Trop Med Int Health. 2001; 6(11):891-8. DOI: 10.1046/j.1365-3156.2001.00799.x. View

. The efficacy of antimalarial monotherapies, sulphadoxine-pyrimethamine and amodiaquine in East Africa: implications for sub-regional policy. Trop Med Int Health. 2003; 8(10):860-7. DOI: 10.1046/j.1360-2276.2003.01114.x. View

Yeung S, White N . How do patients use antimalarial drugs? A review of the evidence. Trop Med Int Health. 2005; 10(2):121-38. DOI: 10.1111/j.1365-3156.2004.01364.x. View

Goodman C, Mutemi W, Baya E, Willetts A, Marsh V . The cost-effectiveness of improving malaria home management: shopkeeper training in rural Kenya. Health Policy Plan. 2006; 21(4):275-88. DOI: 10.1093/heapol/czl011. View

Dondorp A, Nosten F, Yi P, Das D, Phyo A, Tarning J . Artemisinin resistance in Plasmodium falciparum malaria. N Engl J Med. 2009; 361(5):455-67. PMC: 3495232. DOI: 10.1056/NEJMoa0808859. View

White N, Pongtavornpinyo W, Maude R, Saralamba S, Aguas R, Stepniewska K . Hyperparasitaemia and low dosing are an important source of anti-malarial drug resistance. Malar J. 2009; 8:253. PMC: 2784792. DOI: 10.1186/1475-2875-8-253. View

Noor A, Gething P, Alegana V, Patil A, Hay S, Muchiri E . The risks of malaria infection in Kenya in 2009. BMC Infect Dis. 2009; 9:180. PMC: 2783030. DOI: 10.1186/1471-2334-9-180. View

Stepniewska K, Ashley E, Lee S, Anstey N, Barnes K, Binh T . In vivo parasitological measures of artemisinin susceptibility. J Infect Dis. 2010; 201(4):570-9. PMC: 4291277. DOI: 10.1086/650301. View

Kabanywanyi A, Lengeler C, Kasim P, Kingengena S, Schlienger R, Mulure N . Adherence to and acceptability of artemether-lumefantrine as first-line anti-malarial treatment: evidence from a rural community in Tanzania. Malar J. 2010; 9:48. PMC: 2833168. DOI: 10.1186/1475-2875-9-48. View

10.

Lawford H, Zurovac D, OReilly L, Hoibak S, Cowley A, Munga S . Adherence to prescribed artemisinin-based combination therapy in Garissa and Bunyala districts, Kenya. Malar J. 2011; 10:281. PMC: 3189920. DOI: 10.1186/1475-2875-10-281. View

11.

Borrmann S, Sasi P, Mwai L, Bashraheil M, Abdallah A, Muriithi S . Declining responsiveness of Plasmodium falciparum infections to artemisinin-based combination treatments on the Kenyan coast. PLoS One. 2011; 6(11):e26005. PMC: 3213089. DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0026005. View

12.

Zurovac D, Talisuna A, Snow R . Mobile phone text messaging: tool for malaria control in Africa. PLoS Med. 2012; 9(2):e1001176. PMC: 3283546. DOI: 10.1371/journal.pmed.1001176. View

13.

Horvath T, Azman H, Kennedy G, Rutherford G . Mobile phone text messaging for promoting adherence to antiretroviral therapy in patients with HIV infection. Cochrane Database Syst Rev. 2012; (3):CD009756. PMC: 6486190. DOI: 10.1002/14651858.CD009756. View

14.

Phyo A, Nkhoma S, Stepniewska K, Ashley E, Nair S, McGready R . Emergence of artemisinin-resistant malaria on the western border of Thailand: a longitudinal study. Lancet. 2012; 379(9830):1960-6. PMC: 3525980. DOI: 10.1016/S0140-6736(12)60484-X. View

15.

Deglise C, Suggs L, Odermatt P . SMS for disease control in developing countries: a systematic review of mobile health applications. J Telemed Telecare. 2012; 18(5):273-81. DOI: 10.1258/jtt.2012.110810. View

16.

Talisuna A, Karema C, Ogutu B, Juma E, Logedi J, Nyandigisi A . Mitigating the threat of artemisinin resistance in Africa: improvement of drug-resistance surveillance and response systems. Lancet Infect Dis. 2012; 12(11):888-96. PMC: 3555126. DOI: 10.1016/S1473-3099(12)70241-4. View

17.

Free C, Phillips G, Galli L, Watson L, Felix L, Edwards P . The effectiveness of mobile-health technology-based health behaviour change or disease management interventions for health care consumers: a systematic review. PLoS Med. 2013; 10(1):e1001362. PMC: 3548655. DOI: 10.1371/journal.pmed.1001362. View

18.

Kallander K, Tibenderana J, Akpogheneta O, Strachan D, Hill Z, ten Asbroek A . Mobile health (mHealth) approaches and lessons for increased performance and retention of community health workers in low- and middle-income countries: a review. J Med Internet Res. 2013; 15(1):e17. PMC: 3636306. DOI: 10.2196/jmir.2130. View

19.

Tomlinson M, Rotheram-Borus M, Swartz L, Tsai A . Scaling up mHealth: where is the evidence?. PLoS Med. 2013; 10(2):e1001382. PMC: 3570540. DOI: 10.1371/journal.pmed.1001382. View

20.

Free C, Phillips G, Watson L, Galli L, Felix L, Edwards P . The effectiveness of mobile-health technologies to improve health care service delivery processes: a systematic review and meta-analysis. PLoS Med. 2013; 10(1):e1001363. PMC: 3566926. DOI: 10.1371/journal.pmed.1001363. View