Cluster of Infectious Diseases, Amsterdam Health Service, Amsterdam, The Netherlands.
BMC Public Health. 2012 Mar 9;12:176. doi: 10.1186/1471-2458-12-176.
Effectiveness of Chlamydia screening programs is determined by an adequate level of participation and the capturing of high-risk groups. This study aimed to evaluate the contribution of automated reminders by letter, email and short message service (SMS) on package request and sample return in an Internet-based Chlamydia screening among people aged 16 to 29 years in the Netherlands.
Individuals not responding to the invitation letter received a reminder letter after 1 month. Email- and SMS-reminders were sent to persons who did not return their sample. It was examined to what extent reminders enhanced the response rate (% of package requests) and participation rate (% of sample return). Sociodemographic and behavioural correlates of providing a cell phone number and participation after the reminder(s) were studied by logistic regression models.
Of all respondents (screening round 1: 52,628, round 2: 41,729), 99% provided an email address and 72% a cell phone number. Forty-two percent of all package requests were made after the reminder letter. The proportion of invitees returning a sample increased significantly from 10% to 14% after email/SMS reminders (round 2: from 7% to 10%). Determinants of providing a cell-phone number were younger age (OR in 25-29 year olds versus 16-19 year olds = 0.8, 95%CI 0.8-0.9), non-Dutch (OR in Surinam/Antillean versus Dutch = 1.3, 95%CI 1.2-1.4, Turkish/Moroccan: 1.1, 95%CI 1.0-1.2, Sub Sahara African: 1.5, 95%CI 1.3-1.8, non-Western other 1.1, 95%CI 1.1-1.2), lower educational level (OR in high educational level versus low level = 0.8, 95%CI 0.7-0.9), no condom use during the last contact with a casual partner (OR no condom use versus condom use 1.2, 95%CI 1.1-1.3), younger age at first sexual contact (OR 19 years or older versus younger than 16: 0.7, 95%CI 0.6-0.8). Determinants for requesting a test-package after the reminder letter were male gender (OR female versus male 0.9 95%CI 0.8-0.9), non-Dutch (OR in Surinam/Antillean versus Dutch 1.3, 95%CI 1.2-1.4, Turkish/Moroccan: 1.4, 95%CI 1.3-1.5, Sub Sahara African: 1.4, 95%CI 1.2-1.5, non-Western other: 1.2, 95%CI 1.1-1.2), having a long-term steady partnership (long-term versus short-term.1.2 95%CI 1.1-1.3). Email/SMS reminders seem to have resulted in more men and people aged 25-29 years returning a sample.
Nearly all respondents (99.5%) were reachable by modern communication media. Response and participation rates increased significantly after the reminders. The reminder letters also seemed to result in reaching more people at risk. Incorporation of automated reminders in Internet-based (Chlamydia) screening programs is strongly recommended.
衣原体筛查计划的有效性取决于足够的参与水平和高危人群的捕获。本研究旨在评估在荷兰，对年龄在 16 至 29 岁的人群进行的基于互联网的衣原体筛查中，自动信件、电子邮件和短信服务 (SMS) 提醒对套餐请求和样本返回的影响。
未回复邀请函的个人在 1 个月后收到提醒信。对于未返回样本的人员，发送电子邮件和短信提醒。研究了提醒信在多大程度上提高了回复率（套餐请求的百分比）和参与率（样本返回的百分比）。通过逻辑回归模型研究了提供手机号码和提醒后参与的社会人口学和行为相关因素。
在所有受访者（第一轮：52628 人，第二轮：41729 人）中，99%提供了电子邮件地址，72%提供了手机号码。42%的套餐请求是在提醒信之后提出的。在电子邮件/SMS 提醒之后，样本返回的比例从 10%显著增加到 14%（第二轮：从 7%增加到 10%）。提供手机号码的决定因素是年龄较小（25-29 岁年龄组与 16-19 岁年龄组相比，OR = 0.8，95%CI 0.8-0.9）、非荷兰人（苏里南/安的列斯群岛人与荷兰人相比，OR = 1.3，95%CI 1.2-1.4，土耳其/摩洛哥人：1.1，95%CI 1.0-1.2，撒哈拉以南非洲人：1.5，95%CI 1.3-1.8，非西方其他地区：1.1，95%CI 1.1-1.2）、教育程度较低（高教育水平与低教育水平相比，OR = 0.8，95%CI 0.7-0.9）、最近与偶然伴侣发生性行为时未使用安全套（未使用安全套与使用安全套相比，OR = 1.2，95%CI 1.1-1.3）、初次性接触年龄较小（19 岁或以上与小于 16 岁相比，OR = 0.7，95%CI 0.6-0.8）。提醒信后要求测试包的决定因素是男性（女性与男性相比，OR = 0.9，95%CI 0.8-0.9）、非荷兰人（苏里南/安的列斯群岛人与荷兰人相比，OR = 1.3，95%CI 1.2-1.4，土耳其/摩洛哥人：1.4，95%CI 1.3-1.5，撒哈拉以南非洲人：1.4，95%CI 1.2-1.5，非西方其他地区：1.2，95%CI 1.1-1.2）、有长期稳定的伴侣关系（长期与短期相比，OR = 1.2，95%CI 1.1-1.3）。电子邮件/SMS 提醒似乎导致更多的男性和 25-29 岁的人返回样本。
几乎所有的受访者（99.5%）都可以通过现代通信媒体联系到。在提醒信之后，回复率和参与率显著增加。提醒信似乎还可以让更多的高危人群得到样本。强烈建议在基于互联网的（衣原体）筛查计划中纳入自动提醒。
