The Utility of Text Message Reminders for Acne Patients: A Pilot Study.

BACKGROUND

Acne vulgaris is one of the three most common cutaneous disorders, affecting approximately 50 million people in the US and many more throughout the world.

OBJECTIVE

We designed a pilot program to explore how patients may interact with cell phone technology to supplement medical care beyond patient reminders that would encompass education, interaction, and data capturing.

METHODS

Twenty-four patients completed a 3-month study in which participants received daily text message reminders for the first 2 weeks of the study, then once weekly thereafter, to take their oral medication or apply topical therapy either once or twice daily.

RESULTS

Over a 3-month time period, patients become less responsive to text message reminders over time. Our survey data demonstrated a very high satisfaction with the program, helping patients follow their acne treatment recommendations (mean score 4.31 out of 5) and results demonstrated the mobile application device was easy to use (mean score 4.56 out of 5).

LIMITATIONS: Small sample size of the patient population.

CONCLUSION

Patients find this approach acceptable and helpful, and it is a viable method for counseling patients. Based on our results, for future randomized controlled studies, we suggest maximizing messaging during the first month of therapy.