Observational studyBMJ open2024
Investigating patient engagement associations between a postdischarge texting programme and patient experience, readmission and revisit rates outcomes.
Observational study in BMJ open, 2024. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 5 papers.
What it found
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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.
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Who cites it
5 citing papers in PubMed.
- The Role of Trust in Text Messaging for Promoting Patient Portal Activation Among Low-Income Patients: Quality Improvement Project.JMIR formative research · 2026Article
- Analysis of Key Driving Factors for Inpatient Service Experience in Obstetrics and Gynecology Specialized Hospitals Based on Random Forest Algorithm.International journal of women's health · 2026Article
- Patient participation and its determinants based on the Social Ecological Model: a cross-sectional study in North China.BMC health services research · 2025Article
- Implementation and Evaluation of a Virtual Transitional Care Intervention Using Automated Text Messaging and Virtual Visits After Emergency Department Discharges: Retrospective Cohort Study.JMIR mHealth and uHealth · 2025Observational
- Patient-Derived Design Principles for Technology-Enabled Healing at Home Following Hospital Discharge: Mixed Methods Study.JMIR human factors · 2025Article
Corrections and comments
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Authors and funding
17 authors.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
objectivesThis study aimed (1) to examine the association between patient engagement with a bidirectional, semiautomated postdischarge texting programme and Hospital Consumer Assessment of Healthcare Providers and Systems (HCAHPS) survey outcomes, readmissions and revisit rates in a large health system and (2) to describe operational and clinical flow considerations for implementing a postdischarge texting programme.
settingThe study involved 1 main academic hospital (beds: 2500+) and 6 community hospitals (beds: 190-400, averaging 300 beds per hospital) in Houston, Texas.
methodsRetrospective, observational cohort study between non-engaged patients (responded with 0-2 incoming text messages) and engaged patients (responded with 3+ incoming, patient-initiated text messages) between December 2022 and May 2023. We used the two-tailed t-test for continuous variables and χ
resultsFrom 78 883 patients who were contacted over the course of this pilot implementation, 49 222 (62.4%) responded, with 39 442 (50%) responded with 3+ incoming text messages. The engaged cohort had higher HCAHPS scores in all domains compared with the non-engaged cohort. The engaged cohort used significantly fewer 30-day acute care resources, experiencing 29% fewer overall readmissions and 20% fewer revisit rates (23% less likely to revisit) and were 27% less likely to be readmitted. The results were statistically significant for all but two hospitals.
conclusionsThis study builds on the few postdischarge texting studies, and also builds on the patient engagement literature, finding that patient engagement with postdischarge texting can be associated with fewer acute care resources. To our knowledge, this is the only study that documented an association between a text-based postdischarge programme and HCAHPS scores, perhaps owing to the bidirectionality and ease with which patients could interact with nurses. Future research should explore the texting paradigms to evaluate their associated outcomes in a variety of postdischarge applications.
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