None listed
Conditions
Brief summary
We are testing a different method of receiving the patient outcomes survey for our national stroke registry. The Australian Stroke Clinical Registry traditionally collects outcomes data between 90-180days after stroke using a paper-based survey that is mailed to the registrant. If registrant does not respond after two attempts by mail, we telephone them to complete the survey. Use of short-message-service (SMS) with an electronic link to the survey form that is sent to the registrant's mobile phone number may be a more feasible and cost-effective approach to receiving the outcome survey data from registrants. We hypothesise that, compared to our traditional methods, those receiving an SMS will have greater response rates and more timely completion of the outcomes survey with less missing data, and that this new method will reduce costs for collecting these data. A process evaluation to determine why some patients might choose to complete the follow-up questionnaire via the SMS method, while others do not, will also be undertaken. The outcome of this project is to provide evidence on whether the option of electronic collection of outcome data via SMS should be incorporated as part of our usual registry processes.
Interventions
Eligible registrants from the Australian Stroke Clinical Registry (AuSCR) randomised to the intervention group will receive one SMS during the follow-up period (90-180 days post-admission for stroke or TIA). Approximately 90 days post-admission, all eligible registrants will be sent the follow-up questionnaire by mail. Where no response has been received, an SMS will be sent four weeks following the mail-out of the questionnaire.
The SMS will invite the registrant to complete a follow-up qu
Eligible registrants from the Australian Stroke Clinical Registry (AuSCR) randomised to the intervention group will receive one SMS during the follow-up period (90-180 days post-admission for stroke or TIA). Approximately 90 days post-admission, all eligible registrants will be sent the follow-up questionnaire by mail. Where no response has been received, an SMS will be sent four weeks following the mail-out of the questionnaire. The SMS will invite the registrant to complete a follow-up questionnaire by clicking on a unique link. The follow-up questionnaire is identical to that which is currently used by the registry in a paper format, distributed by mail, and that can be completed over the telephone. It includes questions on where the registrant is living, whether they are living alone, if they have had another stroke or been readmitted to hospital, a self-reported measure of disability (modified Rankin Scale [mRS]) and EuroQol EQ-5D-3L for health and quality of life indicators. The approximate time estimated for the completion of the questionnaire is ten minutes. Successful delivery of the SMS will be monitored. If no response is received to the SMS, the registrant will continue the standard AuSCR follow-up process. This includes a second mail-out of the questionnaire to the registrant/next of kin approximately two weeks following SMS (six weeks following first mail attempt). If no response received six weeks later, the registrant/next of kin will be called to see if they would like to complete the questionnaire over the phone.
Sponsors
Florey Institute of Neuroscience and Mental Health
Study design
Allocation
Randomised controlled trial
Intervention model
Parallel
Primary purpose
Treatment
Masking
Open (masking not used)
Eligibility
Sex/Gender
All
Age
18 Years to No maximum
Healthy volunteers
No
Inclusion criteria
All registrants known to be alive with an acute admission entered into the AuSCR for either stroke or TIA at a participating hospital with Human Research Ethics Committee approval to implement the SMS message as part of follow-up data collection. Registrants from metropolitan and regional hospitals in Victoria, Queensland, New South Wales, the Australian Capital Territory and Tasmania will be included. For the process evaluation semi-structured interviews, only those registrants who have completed follow-up, were randomised to the SMS group and indicated they are interested in participation in future research will be contacted.
Exclusion criteria
Registrants with demographic data entered by hospitals into the registry >180 days post-admission. Registrants known to be deceased, or have requested no follow-up, or opted out of the registry. Registrants without a valid mobile phone number.
Outcome results
None listed