Study Shows Text Message-Based Health Interventions Are Working

With the coming of the Apple Watch and all its myriad health-tracking features, along with the dozens of models of other fitness trackers on the market, our collective eyes are focused on the intersection of health and technology. Luckily, a new review of existing studies indicates that tech can have a real impact on people’s health: although in a format that may not get as much attention as it should. The study found that interactions with the old standby SMS text message can be remarkably effective in getting people on the right track. Published in the Annual Review of Public Health, the new work is a “review of reviews,” which means that it’s an overall analysis of many other studies to get a broad look at the findings on the subject. This particular analysis looks at the newish field of “text messaging interventions,” any of a variety of services that provide text-based health assistance.

There are several different types of text messaging interventions; typically, they’re designed to help address ongoing problems like disease management, weight loss, quitting smoking, and disease prevention. Sometimes they’re automated, non-personalized messages -- ”Keep up the good work!” or similar. Sometimes they’re a direct line to a specialist, who can offer real-time coaching or help to a patient. The review found that the latter, more personalized type, is more effective, but that even the automated variety is notably more effective than not using these services at all.