If you want a teen to get a message, the best way is probably through texting. Healthcare workers are finding that to be the case, and have used texts to deliver potentially life-saving information to teens who may otherwise be difficult to reach. Johns Hopkins doctors have found that text messages can effectively transmit information to patients with HIV, diabetes, asthma, and other conditions that require close monitoring. Texts can remind them to take life-saving medications on schedule.
A 2008 study on diabetic patients found that text messages increased medication adherence rates significantly. Text reminders hold a lot of promise in this context, but there are still issues to be worked out. For one, the patient must agree to some privacy waivers before beginning the program. Also, the costs of texts in some mobile plans can be prohibitively expensive. But if these hurdles can be overcome, texting could become a vital component of teen healthcare in the future.
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