Parental Reminder Strategies and the Cost Implication for Improved Immunisation Outcomes: A Systematic Review and

Hamina Dathini1, Siti Khuzaimah Ahmad Sharoni2, Kever Teriyla Robert1

  • 1Department of Nursing Science, Faculty of Allied Health, University of Maiduguri, Maiduguri 600104, Nigeria.

Insights

Parental reminder interventions, like voice calls and SMS messages, can improve childhood immunisation rates. Mobile technology, particularly SMS, is a cost-effective strategy for timely vaccination reminders.

Area of Science:

  • Public Health
  • Health Services Research
  • Preventive Medicine

Background:

  • Childhood immunisation is crucial but faces barriers globally.
  • Parental reminder strategies have been developed to improve vaccination uptake.
  • Systematic review of interventions and cost-effectiveness is needed.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To systematically review parental reminder interventions for childhood immunisation.
  • To evaluate the cost implications of these interventions.
  • To assess the impact on immunisation coverage and timeliness.

Main Methods:

  • Systematic review of 24 articles from five databases (Medline Complete, CINAHL, Academic Search Premier, SPORTDiscus, Health Source Nursing/Academic).
  • Meta-analysis for studies with sufficient data; narrative synthesis for others.
  • Inclusion criteria focused on parental reminder interventions for childhood immunisation.

Main Results:

  • Low-quality evidence suggests parental voice calls improve immunisation coverage (OR 4.752).
  • High-quality evidence shows Short Message Services (SMS) health education messages improve timely immunisation (OR 2.711).
  • Average cost of SMS interventions was USD 0.50 per outcome.

Conclusions:

  • Mobile technology, specifically SMS, is a promising strategy for improving childhood immunisation outcomes.
  • SMS reminders are cost-effective and enhance timely vaccination.
  • Further research may explore optimal implementation of these mobile health strategies.

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