Development and Feasibility of a Configurable Assessment Messaging Platform for Interventions (CAMPI)

Introduction: Short message service (SMS) is a widely accepted telecommunications approach used to support health informatics, including behavioral interventions, data collection, and patient-provider communication. However, SMS delivery platforms are not standardized and platforms are typically commercial 'off-the-shelf or developed 'in-house.' As a consequence of platform variability, implementing SMS-based interventions may be challenging for both providers and patients. Off-the-shelf SMS delivery platforms may require minimal development or technical resources from providers, but users are often limited in their functionality. Conversely, platforms that are developed in-house are often specified for individual projects, requiring specialized development and technical expertise. Patients are on the receiving end of programming and technical specification challenges; message delays or lagged data affect quality of SMS communications. To date, little work has been done to develop a generalizable SMS platform that can be scaled across health initiatives. Objective: We propose the Configurable Assessment Messaging Platform for Interventions (CAMPI) to mitigate challenges associated with SMS intervention implementation (e.g., programming, data collection, message delivery). Method: CAMPI aims to optimize health data captured from a multitude of sources and enhance patient-provider communication through a technology that is simple and familiar to patients. Using representative examples from three behavioral intervention case studies implemented among diverse populations (pregnant women, young sexual minority men, and parents with young children), we describe CAMPI capabilities and feasibility. Conclusion: As a generalizable SMS platform, CAMPI can be scaled to meet the priorities of various health initiatives, while reducing unnecessary resource utilization and burden on providers and patients. Public Significance Statement Telecommunications tools that promote patient-provider communication such as behavioral interventions and compliance are increasingly being used in healthcare settings. We present a short message service (SMS) system that can enhance patient-provider communication while reducing some of the common implementation barriers associated with technology solutions. Keywords: informatics, text messaging, short message service, mHealth Supplemental materials: https://doi.org/10.1037/fsh0000592.supp
Mobile phone communication has revolutionized health care by enabling real-time data collection to inform health information dissemination and clinical decision making. One of the most versatile, highly utilized, and scalable [...]