Trial reportMalaria journal2017
Efficacy of text-message reminders on paediatric malaria treatment adherence and their post-treatment return to health facilities in Kenya: a randomized controlled trial.
Trial report in Malaria journal, 2017. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 15 papers, 4 of them syntheses that pooled it.
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Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.
The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
The trial behind it
Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.
Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.
Who cites it
15 citing papers in PubMed, 4 syntheses or guidelines pooled it.
- Understanding the effectiveness and design of parent-oriented mobile health interventions: a systematic review and narrative synthesis.BMC pediatrics · 2025Pooled it
- Adherence to anti-malarials among patients diagnosed with malaria in East Africa: a systematic review and meta-analysis.Malaria journal · 2025Pooled it
- Community health worker-based mobile health (mHealth) approaches for improving management and caregiver knowledge of common childhood infections: A systematic review.Journal of global health · 2020Pooled it
- One-way SMS and healthcare outcomes in Africa: Systematic review of randomised trials with meta-analysis.PloS one · 2019Pooled it
- Targeted Behavior Change Communication Using a Mobile Health Platform to Increase Uptake of Long-Lasting Insecticidal Nets Among Pregnant Women in Tanzania: Hati Salama "Secure Voucher" Study Cluster Randomized Controlled Trial.Journal of medical Internet research · 2025Trial
- Post-discharge malaria chemoprevention (PMC) in Malawi: caregivers` acceptance and preferences with regard to delivery methods.BMC health services research · 2018Trial
- Adherence to treatment with artemether-lumefantrine or amodiaquine-artesunate for uncomplicated malaria in children in Sierra Leone: a randomized trial.Malaria journal · 2018Trial
- Effectiveness of mobile health based vision screening on uptake of referral services in school children: A randomized control trial.Pakistan journal of medical sciences · 2025Article
- Health workers' adherence to malaria case management protocols in Northern Sudan: a qualitative study.Malaria journal · 2024Article
- Strengthening therapeutic adherence and pharmacovigilance to antimalarial treatment in Manaus, Brazil: a multicomponent strategy using mHealth.Malaria journal · 2022Article
- "I Wish to Continue Receiving the Reminder Short Messaging Service": A Mixed Methods Study on the Acceptability of Digital Adherence Tools Among Adults Living with HIV on Antiretroviral Treatment in Tanzania.Patient preference and adherence · 2021Article
- Trends in health workers' compliance with outpatient malaria case-management guidelines across malaria epidemiological zones in Kenya, 2010-2016.Malaria journal · 2020Article
- "We were being treated like the Queen": understanding trial factors influencing high paediatric malaria treatment adherence in western Kenya.Malaria journal · 2018Article
- Challenges for achieving safe and effective radical cure of Plasmodium vivax: a round table discussion of the APMEN Vivax Working Group.Malaria journal · 2017Review
- Prevalence and associated determinants of malaria parasites among Kenyan children.Tropical medicine and health · 2017Article
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
9 authors.
Funding
Abstract
backgroundShort Message Service (SMS) reminders have been suggested as a potential intervention for improving adherence to medications and health facility attendance.
methodsAn open-label, randomized, controlled trial to test the efficacy of automated SMS reminders in improving adherence to artemether-lumefantrine (AL) and post-treatment attendance in comparison with standard care was conducted at four health facilities in western Kenya. Children below five years of age with uncomplicated malaria were randomized to intervention (SMS reminders) or control groups. Within each study group they were further randomized to three categories, which determined the timing of home visits to measure adherence to complete AL course and to individual AL doses. A sub-set of caregivers was advised to return to the facility on day 3 and all were advised to return after 28 days. The primary outcomes were adherence to medication and return on day 3. The primary analysis was by intention-to-treat.
resultsBetween 9 June, 2014 and 26 February, 2016, 1677 children were enrolled. Of 562 children visited at home on day 3, all AL doses were completed for 97.6% (282/289) of children in the control and 97.8% (267/273) in the intervention group (OR = 1.10; 95% CI = 0.37-3.33; p = 0.860). When correct timing in taking each dose was considered a criteria for adherence, 72.3% (209/289) were adherent in the control and 69.2% (189/273) in the intervention group (OR = 0.82; 95% CI = 0.56-1.19; p = 0.302). Sending SMS reminders significantly increased odds of children returning to the facility on day 3 (81.4 vs 74.0%; OR = 1.55; 95% CI = 1.15-2.08; p = 0.004) and on day 28 (63.4 vs 52.5%; OR = 1.58; 95% CI = 1.30-1.92; p < 0.001).
conclusionsIn this efficacy trial, SMS reminders increased post-treatment return to the health facility, but had no effect on AL adherence which was high in both control and intervention groups. Further effectiveness studies under the real world conditions are needed to determine the optimum role of SMS reminders. Trial registration ISRCTN39512726.
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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.