title: Can mobile phone multimedia messages and text messages improve clinic attendance for Aboriginal children with chronic otitis media? A randomised controlled trial.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Does phone multimedia messages (MMS) to families of Indigenous children with tympanic membrane perforation (TMP): (i) increase clinic attendance; (ii) improve ear health; and (iii) provide a culturally appropriate method of health promotion?
  
  
  METHODS
  Fifty-three Australian Aboriginal children with a TMP living in remote community households with a mobile phone were randomised into intervention (n = 30) and control (n = 23) groups. MMS health messages in local languages were sent to the intervention group over 6 weeks.
  
  
  RESULTS
  
  
  
  METHODS
  there was no significant difference in clinic attendance, with 1.3 clinic visits per child in both groups (mean difference -0.1; 95% confidence interval (CI) -1.1, 0.9; P = 0.9).
  
  
  RESULTS
  (i) there was no significant change in healed perforation (risk difference 6%; 95% CI -10, 20; P = 0.6), middle ear discharge (risk difference -1%; 95% CI -30, 30; P = 1.0) or perforation size (mean difference 3%; 95% CI -11, 17; P = 0.7) between the groups; (ii) 84% (95% CI 60, 90) in the control and 70% (95% CI 50, 80) in the intervention group were happy to receive MMS health messages in the future. The difference was not significant (risk difference -14%; 95% CI -37, 8; P = 0.3).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Although there was no improvement in clinic attendance or ear health, this randomised controlled trial of MMS in Indigenous languages demonstrated that MMS is a culturally appropriate form of health promotion. Mobile phones may enhance management of chronic disease in remote and disadvantaged populations.
authors.affiliation: Child Health Division, Menzies School of Health Research, Charles Darwin University, Darwin, Northern Territory, Australia; Melbourne Medical School, University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia.
authors.forename: James H
authors.initials: JH
authors.lastname: Phillips
authors.forename: Christine
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Wigger
authors.forename: Jemima
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Beissbarth
authors.forename: Gabrielle B
authors.initials: GB
authors.lastname: McCallum
authors.forename: Amanda
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Leach
authors.forename: Peter S
authors.initials: PS
authors.lastname: Morris
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D001315:Australia; D040421:Cell Phone; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D002908:Chronic Disease; D054521:Cultural Competency; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006293:Health Promotion / Q000379:methods*; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D057194:Intention to Treat Analysis; D007802:Language; D008297:Male; D019212:Multimedia; D010033:Otitis Media / Q000150:complications / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000208:ethnology / Q000628:therapy*; D010349:Patient Compliance / Q000208:ethnology* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D010865:Pilot Projects; D012423:Rural Health / Q000208:ethnology; D019035:Rural Health Services / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D060145:Text Messaging; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D018058:Tympanic Membrane Perforation / Q000209:etiology / Q000628:therapy*
keywords: Aboriginal; MMS; mobile phone; otitis media; text message