Abstract
Objectives
To examine the feasibility of collecting data relating to irritable bowel syndrome
(IBS), symptoms by short message service (SMS) text and explore the data to assess
its usefulness.
Study Design and Setting
In a randomized parallel group design substudy, 59 consenting participants recruited
from primary care to a trial of acupuncture for IBS (ISRCTN 08827905) were randomized
to receive a one-question SMS message at either 9:30 am or at 6:30 pm for 7 days: “On a scale of 0–9, with 0 being no symptoms and 9 being the worst symptoms
you could have, how would you score your IBS symptoms now? Please text back a single
number.”
Results
Of the total messages, 59% (n = 203) were answered within 15 minutes, 73.4% (n = 254) within 1 hour, and 97% (n = 334) within 10 hours. Response rates to evening texts were higher (93.5% vs. 87.6%
P = 0.05) and response times shorter though not significantly (median: 0 vs. 5 hours;
P = 0.12). There was no difference in mean scores, and morning symptoms varied more.
Mean scores correlated significantly with IBS trial primary outcome measure, the IBS
symptom severity score, and secondary outcome measures.
Conclusion
Among IBS trial participants, data collection by SMS is feasible and acceptable, and
there is potential for deriving meaningful data from the scores.
Keywords
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Article info
Publication history
Published online: June 24, 2014
Accepted:
May 6,
2014
Footnotes
Funding: This article presents independent research commissioned by the UK National Institute for Health Research (NIHR)'s Research for Patient Benefit programme (PB-PG-0407-13241). The views expressed in this publication are those of the authors and not necessarily those of the NHS, the NIHR or the UK Department of Health.
We have no financial conflict of interest in the publication of this article. This study was unfunded substudy of the Acupuncture for Irritable Bowel Syndrome (ACIBS) trial which was funded by the UK's National Institute for Health Research's Research for Patient Benefit program. The main trial registration number is ISRCTN08827905.
Identification
Copyright
© 2014 Elsevier Inc. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
