title: Early infant diagnosis of HIV infection in Zambia through mobile phone texting of blood test results.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To see if, in the diagnosis of infant infection with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) in Zambia, turnaround times could be reduced by using an automated notification system based on mobile phone texting.
  
  
  METHODS
  In Zambia's Southern province, dried samples of blood from infants are sent to regional laboratories to be tested for HIV with polymerase chain reaction (PCR). Turnaround times for the postal notification of the results of such tests to 10 health facilities over 19 months were evaluated by retrospective data collection. These baseline data were used to determine how turnaround times were affected by customized software built to deliver the test results automatically and directly from the processing laboratory to the health facility of sample origin via short message service (SMS) texts. SMS system data were collected over a 7.5-month period for all infant dried blood samples used for HIV testing in the 10 study facilities.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Mean turnaround time for result notification to a health facility fell from 44.2 days pre-implementation to 26.7 days post-implementation. The reduction in turnaround time was statistically significant in nine (90%) facilities. The mean time to notification of a caregiver also fell significantly, from 66.8 days pre-implementation to 35.0 days post-implementation. Only 0.5% of the texted reports investigated differed from the corresponding paper reports.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The texting of the results of infant HIV tests significantly shortened the times between sample collection and results notification to the relevant health facilities and caregivers.
authors.affiliation: Center for Global Health and Development, Boston University, Boston, MA 02118, USA.
authors.forename: Phil
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Seidenberg
authors.forename: Stephen
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Nicholson
authors.forename: Merrick
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Schaefer
authors.forename: Katherine
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Semrau
authors.forename: Maximillian
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Bweupe
authors.forename: Noel
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Masese
authors.forename: Rachael
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Bonawitz
authors.forename: Lastone
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Chitembo
authors.forename: Caitlin
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Goggin
authors.forename: Donald M
authors.initials: DM
authors.lastname: Thea
mesh_terms: D000367:Age Factors; D003625:Data Collection; D004526:Efficiency; D017598:Efficiency, Organizational; D015658:HIV Infections / Q000097:blood / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000453:epidemiology; D006679:HIV Seropositivity; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007224:Infant Care / Q000379:methods; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D019095:Point-of-Care Systems; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction; D011634:Public Health / Q000379:methods; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D060145:Text Messaging; D013997:Time Factors; D015024:Zambia / Q000453:epidemiology