Research: Research has shown that receiving targeted health related text messages in your natural environment is an effective means to help people change unwanted behaviors or improve healthy behaviors. Text messaging interventions have been used to help, treat and monitor diseases and problem behaviors such as diabetes, asthma, obesity, and smoking and have also been found to increase medication compliance, increase appointment attendance in medical settings and decrease treatment attrition. See references below for specific studies.
Maintaining Motivation to Change: On a very basic level, receiving a text message can help you remember what you need to do, when you need to do it. But there is more to it than that. Receiving text messages in your natural environment will combat the fluctuating motivation that comes with any behavior change. Motivation fluctuates often during the change process as we are faced with different triggers (both biological and environmental). One reason motivation fluctuates so much is that your unhealthy behavior is doing something good for you in the short-term- if it were not, you would not do it. What happens is we temporarily lose track of our reasons and plans for change and seek the immediate reward of the unhealthy behavior. We become a "short-term" chooser instead of doing what's best for us in the long run. This pattern creates problems because our thinking becomes clouded by the draw of the immediate reward. But the immediate reward quickly results in regret and possibly long term consequences.
Health Txts sends you tailored messages in your natural environment to keep you on track when you are most likely to lapse into unhealthy behaviors.
Self-Modeling: In addition to our expert messages for certain behaviors, both programs allow you to write personalized messages that we send to you at specific days and times, and at random. Often people are skeptical that the messages they write could be as powerful as expert messages, but in fact, the messages you write are crucial to Health Txts' success. The real power of the program is based on the theory behind the specific questions we ask and specifically something called "self modeling." When you enter a message, it is your choice, your words, your motivation. No one is forcing you to do to say or do something that is not within your capabilities. Since motivation can fade from time to time, sometimes you need to have "motivated you" help out! This is meant to help you become a long-term future oriented person. We all have it in us; it is a matter of accessing that person who really wants to change during the tough times!
Expert Messages: Health Txts also can send you empirically derived expert messages that have been shown to promote behavior change for certain behavior change goals. These messages have been derived from the research literature on the most effective types of behavior change statements. These additional messages can help you gain more insight into your problem and offer new ways to motivate you and help you cope with changing your behavior. As part of the expert messaging program, you also have the option to choose expert messages created by outside healthcare professionals using the Custom Txts program.
Some articles on the power of text messaging interventions
Boschen, MJ & Casey, LM. (2008) The use of mobile telephones as adjuncts to cognitive behavioral psychotherapy. Professional Psychology: Research and Practice, 39(5), 546-552.
Downer, S.R., Meara, J.G., & DaCosta, A.C. (2005). Use of SMS text-messaging to improve outpatient attendance. The Medical Journal of Australia, 183(7), 366-368.
Ferrer-Roca, O., Cãrdenas, A., Diaz-Cardama, A., & Pulido, P. (2004). Mobile phone text messaging in the management of diabetes. Journal of Telemedicine and Telecare, 10(5), 282-285.
Franklin, V.L., Greene, A., Waller, A., Greene, S.A., & Pagliari, C. (2008). Patients' engagement with "Sweet Talk" - a text messaging support system for young people with diabetes. Journal of Medical Internet Research, 10(2), e20.
Fogg, B. J., & Adler, R. (2009). Texting 4 Health. Stanford, California, Stanford Captology Media.
Haller, D., Sanci, L., Sawyer S., Coffey, C., & Patton, G. (2006). R U OK 2 TXT 4 RESEARCH?--feasibility of text message communication in primary care research. Australian Family Physician, 35(3), 175-176.
Joo, N.S. & Kim, B.T. (2007). Mobile phone short message service messaging for behaviour modification in a community-based weight control programme in Korea. Journal of Telemedicine and Telecare, 13(8), 416-420.
Kim, H.S. & Jeong, H.S. (2007). A nurse short message service by cellular phone in type-2 diabetic patients for six months. Journal of Clinical Nursing, 16(6), 1082-1087.
Koshy, E., Car, J., & Majeed, A. (2008). Effectiveness of mobile-phone short message service (SMS) reminders for ophthalmology outpatient appointments: observational study. BMC Ophthalmology. 8, 9.
Leong, K.C., Chen, W.S., Leong, K.W., Mastura, I., Mimi, O., Sheikh, M.A., Zailinawati, A.H., Ng, C.J., Phua, K.L., & Teng C.L. The use of text messaging to improve attendance in primary care: a randomised controlled trial. Family Practice, 23, 699-705.
Obermayer, J.L., Riley, W.T., Asif, O., & Jean-Mary, J. (2004). College smoking-cessation using cell phone text messaging. Journal of American College Health, 53(2), 71-78.
Ostojic, V., Cvoriscec, B., Ostojic, S.B., Reznikoff, D., Stipic-Markovic, A., & Tudjman, Z. (2005). Improving asthma control through telemedicine: a study of short-message service. Telemedical Journal of E-Health, 11(1), 28-35.
Shapiro, J. R. & Bauer, S. (in press). Use of SMS-based interventions to enhance CBT. In J. Bennett, H. Christensen, P. Farrand, K. Griffiths, D. Kavanagh, B. Klein, M. Lau, J. Proudfoot, D. Richards, J. White & C. Williams (Eds.), Oxford Guide to Low Intensity CBT Interventions. Oxford University Press.
Patrick K, Raab F, Adams MA, Dillon L, Zabinski M, Rock CL, Griswold WG, Norman GJ. (2009). A text message-based intervention for weight loss: randomized controlled trial. J Med Internet Res, 13;11(1):e1.
Patrick, K., Griswold, W.G., Raab, F., & Intille, S.S. (2008). Health and the mobile phone. American Journal of Preventative Medicine, 35(2), 177-181.
Rodgers, A., Corbett, T., Bramley, D., Riddell, T., Wills, M., Lin, R.B., & Jones, M., Do u smoke after txt? Results of a randomised trial of smoking cessation using mobile phone text messaging. Tobacco Control 2005;14:255-261
Weitzel, J. A., Bernhardt, J. M., Usdan, S., Mays, D., & Glanz, K. (2007). Using wireless handheld computers and tailored text messaging to reduce negative consequences of drinking alcohol. Journal of Studies on Alcohol and Drugs, 68, 534?537.