Text Message Reminders for Hearing Healthcare

Study Overview
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Brief Summary
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Many individuals with hearing loss do not receive adequate hearing healthcare. Given their close and long-term relationships with patients, primary care providers (PCPs) could play a vital role in improving access to hearing healthcare. Unfortunately, hearing loss is often underdiagnosed in primary care settings, because hearing screening is not a routine part of primary care visits, and the responsibility often falls on the patient or family to recognize and address the issue. The investigators propose to pilot test the use of text message reminders to encourage elderly patients to discuss hearing assessment with there PCPs. The study objectives are to: 1) design an automated text-messaging reminder system; 2) assess the feasibility of deploying the intervention in a clinical trial setting; and 3) evaluate whether the intervention increases willingness to seek hearing healthcare.

Official Title
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Automated Text Message Reminders to Promote Hearing Healthcare Access - Pilot Study

Conditions
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Hearing Loss

Intervention / Treatment
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* Behavioral: Automated text message reminder


Participation Criteria
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Eligibility Criteria
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Inclusion Criteria: English-speaking adult patients aged 65 and older Have not audiometric testing within the past 5 years Has had at least one prior visit encounter with a Stanford primary care provider the past 1 year Has a cell phone with a valid phone number Exclusion Criteria: History of childhood hearing loss Hearing aid users Limited English proficiency

Ages Eligible for Study
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Minimum Age: 65 Years

Sexes Eligible for Study
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All

Accepts Healthy Volunteers
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No

Study Plan
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How is the study designed?
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Design Details

Primary Purpose: Health Services Research
Allocation: Randomized
Intervention Model: Parallel Assignment
Masking: Double


Arms and Interventions

| Participant Group/Arm | Intervention/Treatment |
| --- | --- |
| Experimental: Automated Text Message Reminder<br>Participants will receive automated reminder text instructing them to discuss hearing issues with their PCPs, and to request a referral to audiology or otolaryngology if they have hearing loss. | Behavioral: Automated text message reminder<br>* Participants in the intervention group will receive monthly automated reminder text instructing them to discuss hearing issues with their PCPs, and to request a referral to audiology or otolaryngology if they have hearing loss.<br>|
| No Intervention: Control Group<br> | |

What is the study measuring?
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Primary Outcome Measures

| Outcome Measure | Measure Description | Time Frame |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Likelihood of patient-physician discussion of hearing loss or hearing assessment | Participant-reported rating of the likelihood of discussing hearing assessment with their PCP in the next 6 months. Likelihood will be assessed on an 11-point visual analogue scale (VAS). Score range: 0 to 10 (0 = not likely, 10 = very likely). Participants who have already discussed hearing assessment with their PCP will be assigned a score of 10. | 3 months after enrollment | 

Secondary Outcome Measures

| Outcome Measure | Measure Description | Time Frame |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Likelihood of obtaining audiogram | Participant-reported rating of the likelihood of obtaining an audiogram in the next 6 months. Likelihood will be assessed on an 11-point visual analogue scale (VAS). Score range: 0 to 10 (0 = not likely, 10 = very likely). Participants who have already undergone audiometric testing will be assigned a score of 10. | 3 months after enrollment | 
| Likelihood of obtaining hearing aids | Participant-reported rating of the likelihood of obtaining hearing aids if an audiogram showed significant hearing loss. Likelihood will be assessed on an 11-point visual analogue scale (VAS). Score range: 0 to 10 (0 = not likely, 10 = very likely). Participants who have already obtained hearing aids will be assigned a score of 10. | 3 months after enrollment | 

 Terms related to the study
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Keywords Provided by Centre Hospitalier Valida
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hearing loss; elderly; primary care; text message