BACKGROUND: The Aetiology of Neonatal Infection in South Asia (ANISA) study takes advantage of text messaging technology to record information required for randomizing the study population into a control subcohort. The text message system is also used for monitoring various study activities. METHODS: When a child-health worker registers a newborn in the study, she sends a text message to a database server containing the study identification number and newborn's age at the time of registration. For each possible serious bacterial infection case, a study physician also sends a text message to the same server with the age of the young infant at the time of illness assessment. Using this information, a computer-based algorithm randomizes the newborn into a control subcohort. Text messages are also sent to alert the study physicians and study supervisors of a possible serious bacterial infection case being referred to health-care facilities. Phlebotomists working at remote specimen collection sites send text messages to the site laboratory personnel before sending the specimens through porters. DISCUSSION: Real-time data entry and monitoring are challenging for any population-based study conducted in remote areas. Our text messaging system provides an opportunity to overcome this barrier where availability of data entry facilities is limited.
BACKGROUND: The Aetiology of Neonatal Infection in South Asia (ANISA) study takes advantage of text messaging technology to record information required for randomizing the study population into a control subcohort. The text message system is also used for monitoring various study activities. METHODS: When a child-health worker registers a newborn in the study, she sends a text message to a database server containing the study identification number and newborn's age at the time of registration. For each possible serious bacterial infection case, a study physician also sends a text message to the same server with the age of the young infant at the time of illness assessment. Using this information, a computer-based algorithm randomizes the newborn into a control subcohort. Text messages are also sent to alert the study physicians and study supervisors of a possible serious bacterial infection case being referred to health-care facilities. Phlebotomists working at remote specimen collection sites send text messages to the site laboratory personnel before sending the specimens through porters. DISCUSSION: Real-time data entry and monitoring are challenging for any population-based study conducted in remote areas. Our text messaging system provides an opportunity to overcome this barrier where availability of data entry facilities is limited.
Authors: Sarah Style; B James Beard; Helen Harris-Fry; Aman Sengupta; Sonali Jha; Bhim P Shrestha; Anjana Rai; Vikas Paudel; Meelan Thondoo; Anni-Maria Pulkki-Brannstrom; Jolene Skordis-Worrall; Dharma S Manandhar; Anthony Costello; Naomi M Saville Journal: Glob Health Action Date: 2017 Impact factor: 2.640
Authors: Samir K Saha; Stephanie J Schrag; Shams El Arifeen; Luke C Mullany; Mohammad Shahidul Islam; Nong Shang; Shamim A Qazi; Anita K M Zaidi; Zulfiqar A Bhutta; Anuradha Bose; Pinaki Panigrahi; Sajid B Soofi; Nicholas E Connor; Dipak K Mitra; Rita Isaac; Jonas M Winchell; Melissa L Arvay; Maksuda Islam; Yasir Shafiq; Imran Nisar; Benazir Baloch; Furqan Kabir; Murtaza Ali; Maureen H Diaz; Radhanath Satpathy; Pritish Nanda; Bijaya K Padhi; Sailajanandan Parida; Aneeta Hotwani; M Hasanuzzaman; Sheraz Ahmed; Mohammad Belal Hossain; Shabina Ariff; Imran Ahmed; Syed Mamun Ibne Moin; Arif Mahmud; Jessica L Waller; Iftekhar Rafiqullah; Mohammad A Quaiyum; Nazma Begum; Veeraraghavan Balaji; Jasmin Halen; A S M Nawshad Uddin Ahmed; Martin W Weber; Davidson H Hamer; Patricia L Hibberd; Qazi Sadeq-Ur Rahman; Venkat Raghava Mogan; Tanvir Hossain; Lesley McGee; Shalini Anandan; Anran Liu; Kalpana Panigrahi; Asha Mary Abraham; Abdullah H Baqui Journal: Lancet Date: 2018-07-06 Impact factor: 79.321