A new company called Mobile Health Interventions has announced the launch of two new health text messaging initiatives: Health Txts and Custom Txts.
Health Txts is designed to help people change their unhealthy behaviours by sending regular text messages to encourage specific behaviours. For example, a programme can be set up to text you every night at 10pm remending you to floss your teeth. Health Txts is priced at $2.99 for three months of unlimited messages and $7.99 for a year of the service during the launch period.
Custom Txts is an open access application which is available for free. It enables healthcare professionals to create their own messaging programs for their patients. For instance, a drug treatment programme can use a messaging template that is designed to help people keep on track once they leave the programme. Similarly this could be used to remind patients to take their medication and in turn improve patient compliance. Once the messaging template has been created it is then made available through Health Txts.
“A common concern among health practitioners is how to keep individuals motivated between sessions,” Dr. Muench added. “Custom Txts is the first open access program that allows professionals to create their own messaging programs to keep their clients on track outside of treatment.”