Abstract:
The BOOST (Booster promotion for older outpatients using SMS text reminders) program at Taipei Veterans General Hospital assessed the effectiveness of text message reminders in enhancing COVID-19 booster vaccination rates among the elderly, guided by the Health Belief Model (HBM). Targeting patients aged 65 and above, eligible yet unvaccinated for a COVID-19 booster, this cohort study sent personalized reminders a week prior to their scheduled appointments between April 18, 2022, and May 12, 2022, acting as cues to action to enhance vaccination uptake by overcoming perceived barriers and raising awareness of benefits. Over 5 weeks, the study observed a 38% increase in vaccination rate among 3,500 eligible patients, markedly surpassing the concurrent national rate increase of 4% for the same demographic. The majority of vaccinations occurred within two weeks after the reminder, illustrating the effectiveness of the strategy. Cox regression analysis identified age and time since last vaccination as significant predictors of responsiveness, with those aged 65-74 and 75-84 showing higher uptake, particularly when reminders were sent within 4 months after the last dose. A single reminder proved to be effective. The findings of this study demonstrate the potential of SMS reminders to promote COVID-19 vaccination among the elderly through the strategic use of HBM principles, suggesting a feasible and effective approach to public health communication.
摘要:
台北退伍军人总医院的BOOST(使用短信短信提醒为老年门诊患者提供助推器)计划评估了短信提醒在提高老年人COVID-19加强疫苗接种率方面的有效性,以健康信念模型(HBM)为指导。针对65岁及以上的患者,有资格但未接种COVID-19助推器疫苗,这项队列研究在2022年4月18日至2022年5月12日的预定预约前一周发送个性化提醒,作为行动线索,通过克服感知障碍和提高获益意识来提高疫苗接种率.超过5周,这项研究观察到3500名合格患者的疫苗接种率增加了38%,明显超过了相同人口的全国同期4%的增长率。大多数疫苗接种发生在提醒后的两周内,说明战略的有效性。Cox回归分析确定了自上次疫苗接种以来的年龄和时间是反应性的重要预测因子,年龄在65-74岁和75-84岁的人表现出更高的摄取,特别是在最后一次给药后4个月内发送提醒。一次提醒被证明是有效的。这项研究的结果表明,通过战略使用HBM原则,短信提醒在老年人中促进COVID-19疫苗接种的潜力,提出了一种可行和有效的公共卫生沟通方法。