Journal of Child and Adolescent Behavior
Open Access

Research Article

Designing, Implementing and Assessing a Novel Text-Messaging Intervention for an Adolescent Mobile Health Clinic: A Collaborative Approach

Seth D Ammerman^* and Chris Weiss

Department of Pediatrics, Division of Adolescent Medicine, Lucile Packard Children’s Hospital, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, USA

*Corresponding Author:

Seth D Ammerman
Department of Pediatrics
Division of Adolescent Medicine
Lucile Packard Children’s Hospital
Stanford University, Stanford, CA, USA
Tel: 415-407-7047
E-mail: seth.ammerman@stanford.edu

Received date: June 09, 2016; Accepted date: June 20, 2016; Published date: June 24, 2016

Citation: Ammerman SD, Weiss C (2016) Designing, Implementing and Assessing a Novel Text-Messaging Intervention for an Adolescent Mobile Health Clinic: A Collaborative Approach. J Child Adolesc Behav 4:299. doi:10.4172/2375-4494.1000299

Copyright: © 2016 Ammerman SD, et al. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are credited.

Purpose: To determine if a text messaging intervention (TMI) delivering adolescent-relevant health information is feasible and effective at engaging underserved adolescents in a mobile health clinic setting. Methods: Mobile clinic adolescent patients, along with clinic staff, helped develop the text messaging content and format. Patients subsequently received text messages presenting health information in a question-and-answer format for 14 weeks. Participants could reply to receive messages with correct answers and further information. Focus groups and interviews were conducted post-intervention to evaluate messaging functionality and participant engagement. Results: All participants received and replied to texts for the duration of the study, and they reported high levels of engagement with the program. Participant input was instrumental in developing the structure and content of the text messages. Conclusions: TMIs that deliver health-related information are feasible in the mobile health care setting with high levels of engagement by underserved adolescents. Implications and contribution: Underserved adolescents will actively engage in TMI-based interventions aimed at disseminating health-related information, and these interventions have significant potential to increase knowledge and promote health-related behavior change. Moreover, adolescents can (and should) play an integral role in the development of these interventions.

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