Gadkaree Shekhar K, Tollefson Travis T, Fuller Jennifer C, Muchemwa Faith C, Gonga Aleck, Shaye David A
Facial Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, Department of Otolaryngology, Massachusetts Eye and Ear Harvard Medical School Boston Massachusetts U.S.A.
Facial Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, Department of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery University of California, Davis Sacramento California U.S.A.
Laryngoscope Investig Otolaryngol. 2019 Jun 28;4(4):383-386. doi: 10.1002/lio2.287. eCollection 2019 Aug.
Patients' lack of awareness of available services is a significant barrier to delivering surgical care in resource-limited settings. Short message service (SMS) text messaging is a potential means to disseminate this information in resource-limited settings, where rates of mobile phone usage are high.
A blast SMS text informing local populations of upcoming cleft lip-palate (CLP) surgical services was distributed to 25% of the subscriber base 1 week prior to arrival of a (CLP) surgical team in Zimbabwe. A retrospective cohort analysis comparing characteristics of patients presenting to the CLP clinic in the year prior to (2016) and 2 years following (2017-2018) the implementation of the blast SMS text messaging system is performed to assess its impact.
Patients presenting to a single Zimbabwean CLP surgical program in the years with SMS messaging notifications were significantly more likely (52 [64%] vs. 5 [17%], < .001) to have been informed of surgical services through their mobile phones. The average distance traveled per patient was not significantly different prior to implementation of mass text messaging (180.4 km [SD114.8] vs. 167.4 km [SD105.9], = .580). The average patient age was significantly higher following the implementation of mass text messaging (7.4 [SD8.7] vs. 3.0 [SD2.8] years, = .010).
SMS messaging is an effective method of informing patients of CLP surgical services in resource-limited settings. After implementation of SMS text notifications, surgical patients were of increased age, but showed no difference in distance traveled.
IV.
在资源有限的环境中，患者对现有服务缺乏了解是提供外科护理的一个重大障碍。短信服务是在资源有限的环境中传播此类信息的一种潜在手段，在这些环境中手机使用率很高。
在唇腭裂手术团队抵达津巴布韦前1周，向25%的用户群发送了一条群发短信，告知当地居民即将开展的唇腭裂手术服务。进行回顾性队列分析，比较在群发短信系统实施前一年（2016年）和实施后两年（2017 - 2018年）前往唇腭裂诊所的患者特征，以评估其影响。
在有短信通知的年份里，前往津巴布韦单一唇腭裂手术项目的患者通过手机得知手术服务的可能性显著更高（52例[64%]对5例[17%]，P <.001）。在实施群发短信之前，每位患者的平均出行距离没有显著差异（180.4千米[标准差114.8]对167.4千米[标准差105.9]，P =.580）。在实施群发短信之后，患者的平均年龄显著更高（7.4岁[标准差8.7]对3.0岁[标准差2.8]，P =.010）。
短信是在资源有限的环境中告知患者唇腭裂手术服务的有效方法。在实施短信通知后，接受手术的患者年龄有所增加，但出行距离没有差异。
IV级。
