The document summarizes findings from studies on the text4baby program, which sends free text messages to mothers with information to help them through pregnancy and their baby's first year. Over 270,000 people have enrolled, with high rates of referring the program to others and signing up early in pregnancy. Studies found the program increased health knowledge, facilitated doctor communication, and improved appointment adherence and access to services for underinsured users. A flu vaccine module saw high response rates, with most respondents open to vaccination or already vaccinated, and over half interested in vaccination reminders.

1. Mobile Health For Expectant & New Mothers
BDI Mobile Healthcare Communications 2012
Susan Can
Johnson & Johnson
Shwen Gwee
Edelman (Digital Health)
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2. Key Insights:
The majority of women worldwide only
have one prenatal visit with a healthcare
professional before they give birth
And…
More than one billion women in low-and-middle
income countries own a mobile phone.
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3. Text4baby Data
• More than 270,000 people have enrolled in
text4baby since launch
• Over 24 million text messages have been sent
• 96% of text4baby users said they would refer
text4baby to a friend
• More than 45% signed up during first trimester
of pregnancy, based on the due date they
entered during registration
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4. San Diego Evaluation Findings
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5. San Diego Preliminary Findings
Initial evaluation suggests that text4baby is:
• Increasing users’ health knowledge
• Facilitating interaction with their health providers
• Improving adherence to appointments and immunizations
• Improving access to health services
Reported that text4baby helped them remember an appointment
64% or immunization that they or their child needed (n=122)
Reported that text4baby messages informed them of medical
75% warning signs that they did not know (n=122)
Reported talking to their doctor about a topic that they read on a
71% text4baby message (n=122)
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6. San Diego Preliminary Findings
Underinsured participants are improving their
access to health services and health information
services as a result of text4baby messages
Reported that they called a service or phone number that they
39% received from a text4baby message (n=122)
…of participants without health insurance reported calling a
53% service number
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7. 2011 Flu Module
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8. Fall 2011 Flu Module Goals
Introduce interactivity by way of “text reminders”
into the text4baby system, in order to:
• Make the service more attractive
• Increase retention rate among users
Gather user insights around
• Barriers to obtaining flu shots
• Openness to reminder-based option in the system
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9. Fall 2011 Flu Module Overview
103,007 active text4baby users currently in the “Pregnancy”
or “New Baby” protocol received a message asking if they
were planning to get a flu shot this season.
No Yes
9,859 9,470
Didn’t Answer Answered 31% 29%
70,923 32,084
69% 31%
Already Got it
12,755
40%
Respondents Answers
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10. Fall 2011 Flu Module Overview
No
not planning
to get it
9,859 9,470
12,755
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11. Fall 2011 Flu Module Overview
No 9,859 9,470
not planning
to get it
12,755
I think it may
give me flu
Cost
Don’t think
it’s safe
Don’t need it
Other
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12. Fall 2011 Flu Module Overview
No
not planning
to get it
9,859 9,470
YES!
12,755
I think it may Reminder?
give me flu (5,412 respondents)
Cost
Don’t think
it’s safe
Don’t need it
Other
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13. Fall 2011 Flu Module Overview
No
not planning
to get it
9,859 9,470
YES!
12,755
I think it may Reminder?
give me flu (5,412 respondents)
Cost
NO YES
Don’t think 46% 54%
it’s safe
Don’t need it
Other
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14. Fall 2011 Flu Module Overview
No
not planning
to get it
9,859 9,470
YES!
12,755
I think it may Reminder?
give me flu (5,412 respondents)
Cost
NO YES
Don’t think 46% 54%
it’s safe
Don’t need it 178
Other OCT • NOV • DEC • JAN
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15. Flu Module Takeaways
• Overall response rate was high (~30%)
– User base is engaged and willing to respond to
questions of this nature
• Almost 70% of respondents (~22,000 individuals)
seem to think a flu shot is a good idea: They had
already gotten it (31.8%) or are planning to
(29.5%)
• High response rate indicates:
– Interest from users to engage more with program, even
on controversial health topics such as vaccination
– Text4baby moms are reading their messages
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16. Text4baby offers FREE messages on your cell
phone to help you through your pregnancy and
baby’s first year.
Signing up is easy!
Text BABY (BEBE en Español) to
511411
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