Just text me! Texting sexually transmitted disease clients their test results in Florida, February 2012-January 2013

In response to increasing sexually transmitted diseases (STDs), diminishing resources, and delays in prompt treatment, the Florida STD Program began providing test results through text message in 2011. The aims of the evaluation of the first year of the project were to assess (1) client uptake and completion of texting and (2) whether texting was associated with a shorter treatment time frame.

Clients screened for STDs at clinics in 3 Florida counties were offered the option to receive test results through coded texts. A positive code prompted clients to call back for treatment information. Texting was conducted through the state's surveillance application, Patient Reporting Investigation Surveillance Manager (PRISM). Evaluation data on clients who opted in (texters) and clients who did not opt in (nontexters) were retrieved from Patient Reporting Investigation Surveillance Manager and descriptively analyzed.

From February 2012 to January 2013, 10,272 clients were offered texting in Clay, Duval, and Seminole counties. Of those offered, 52% opted in. Among texters who were positive and had not been treated (n = 345), 57% called back. Texters received treatment in 5.1 days and nontexters received treatment in 6.7 days (P = 0.036). Texters who called back received treatment 3 days sooner than texters who did not call back (P < 0.001).

Texting offers STD programs an alternative to traditional notification procedures and may be a viable option for STD programs to reduce the use of staff resources and increase timely treatment for clients. In addition, it can be integrated within an existing surveillance database to minimize the burden of the new process.