OA09.04
Background: Mobile technology is an evolving communication medium within clinical trials for participant/staff interaction and represents a personalized discrete contact platform that is available 24 hours a day. Previously, short message service (SMS) communication between staff and participants positively impacted study retention but was primarily unidirectional due to associated costs. The development of low cost instant messaging (IM) programs opens new opportunities for bidirectional communication between participants and staff.
Methods: At Wits RHI, during locator information collection, most participants indicated having access to smartphones and the WhatsApp IM program. Staff then embarked on an array of strategies to utilize this communication method for retention and adherence optimization. Community health workers (CHWs) were provided with smartphones to allow continuous communication with allocated participants for visit reminders, on study related matters such as engagement activities/events, clinic closures and the occasional check-ins. The Investigator of Record (IoR), study coordinator (SC) and clinicians also use WhatsApp to communicate with participants on clinical and study related issues discretely.
Results: Participants respond to staff in real time on WhatsApp due to low costs, ease of covert use and ability to raise sensitive issues. Consequently, reporting of adverse events and adherence issues occurs and is documented and followed up as needed. In addition, participants are able to timeously communicate their challenges in attending scheduled visits so they can be re-scheduled accordingly which then impacts retention.
Conclusions: The ease of use and cost efficiency of IM contributes to optimizing retention and adherence as well as adverse event reporting; factors essential in determining safety and effectiveness of the study product by allowing more frequent communication between staff and participants.
