Text Messaging: An Innovative Educational Method

Goomis, Sara E.

Thursday, September 20, 2012

Sara E. Goomis, EdD, MSN, RN
College of Nursing, University of Nebraska Medical Center, Omaha, NE

Learning Objective 1: value an innovative method for delivering health promotion education

Learning Objective 2: relate health promotion texting blasts to improved maternal/child outcomes

Parenting adolescents often have high risks post-pregnancy both for themselves and their children, which create educational needs; therefore methods of healthcare education must change to better meet these needs. Home visitation, seen as the traditional means for education with this population, has proven effective in some cases, but continues to have limitations. These limitations are plentiful and may include monetary confinements from the delivering agency, a lack of transportation from the client and/or a need for many parenting adolescents to continue with work and/or school; all of these creating barriers for a home visit to occur. Adolescent mothers whom are often recipients of this visitation, continue to need health promotion education. Health promotion education and continued communication may relate to the well-being of both mother and child.

Due to the increase in limitations with home visiting, the use of text messaging (texting) with cell phone technology may be utilized to enhance the education of new mothers.

The use of weekly text blasts with post-partum adolescents in this study allowed for more frequent periods of contact, enabling communication in variable settings over a period of six months. This in turn resulted in improved outcomes for the mothers and their children related to the areas studied including the prolonged use of breast milk, compliance with the recommended childhood immunization schedule and compliance with follow-up care.

Perceptions were identified from the post-partum adolescent mothers. They reported the text messaging as a “communication preference” and identified this method as an easy way to “obtain needed education.” The adolescents also reported a wish for “continued service” and identified this as “a means of support” that otherwise wouldn’t exist. These results indicate utilizing text messaging may be beneficial. This method could fill a current void and allow for greater overall outcomes for mother and child.

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