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Efficacy of a Mobile Texting App (HepTalk) in Encouraging Patient Participation in Viral Hepatitis B Care:
Chul Hyun1, Joseph McMenamin2, Okhyun Ko3
1The Center for Viral Hepatitis, Englewood, NJ, United States.
Insights
A mobile texting app called HepTalk effectively connected 95% of Korean American participants with hepatitis B virus (HBV) care, overcoming common healthcare access barriers. This tool improved patient engagement and health care access for HBV-infected individuals.
Area of Science:
- Hepatology
- Digital Health
- Health Disparities
Background:
- Chronic hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection significantly impacts liver health and mortality in Asian Americans.
- Access to adequate healthcare for HBV-infected individuals is hindered by numerous barriers.
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate the efficacy of the HepTalk mobile texting app in addressing healthcare access barriers.
- To improve patient engagement and healthcare access for individuals with HBV infection or those nonimmune to HBV.
Main Methods:
- The HepTalk app facilitated two-way communication between participants and patient navigators.
- 82 Korean American participants (HBV-infected or nonimmune) were enrolled from a community campaign.
- Message frequency and themes were analyzed over a 6-month intervention period to assess linkage to care.
Main Results:
- Patient navigators exchanged an average of 14 sent and 8 received messages per participant over 6 months.
- Key message themes included provider identification, appointment scheduling, health education, and financial concerns.
- A 95% linkage to care rate was achieved, with 78 out of 82 participants connected to healthcare services.
Conclusions:
- The HepTalk mobile texting app serves as an effective tool for enhancing communication between patients and healthcare providers.
- This improved communication can significantly boost patient engagement and facilitate access to necessary healthcare services for HBV management.
Background:
Chronic hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection is a major cause of liver-related morbidity and mortality among Asian Americans in the United States. Despite the available resources, a majority of HBV-infected individuals are not able to access adequate health care owing to numerous barriers.
Objective:
This study aimed to assess the efficacy of a newly developed mobile texting app (HepTalk) in overcoming these barriers and improving patient engagement and health care access among HBV-infected and nonimmune individuals.
Methods:
HepTalk was employed for two-way communication between participants and patient navigators. A total of 82 Korean American participants who were either HBV infected or nonimmune to HBV, identified from a community hepatitis B campaign in New York, were enrolled in the study. After informed consent was obtained, both the frequency and themes of the text messages were evaluated. The effects of this communication on linkage to care at the end of the 6-month intervention period were analyzed and discussed.
Results:
On average, patient navigators sent and received 14 and 8 messages per participant, respectively, during the 6-month period. The themes of the messages were similar to the following 4 categories: finding providers, scheduling appointments with providers, health education, and financial issues. Of the 82 participants, 78 were linked to care within 6 months (a 95% linkage rate).
Conclusions:
HepTalk may be employed as an effective and strategic tool to facilitate communicative interaction between patients and patient navigators or health care providers, thereby improving patient engagement and health care access.
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