HHS makes recommendations for health text messaging, mHealth
The Text4Health Task Force at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) has released its new recommendations to support health text messaging and mobile health (mHealth) programs.
The task force, comprised of public health experts from HHS, was charged with providing recommendations for HHS’ role in encouraging and developing health text messaging initiatives which would deliver health information and resources to individuals via their mobile phones.
The report recommended that:
Additionally, HHS announced several initiatives guided by the HHS Text4Health Task Force.
The National Cancer Institute (NCI) at the National Institutes of Health (NIH) is starting its SmokeFreeTXT program, a mobile smoking cessation service designed for teens and young adults across the U.S. NCI is also creating a library of smoking cessation messages which will provide the foundation for an interactive text-based intervention for adult smokers called QuitNowTXT. The QuitNowTXT text messages offer tips, motivation, encouragement and facts based on information tailored to the user’s response.
HHS is also pursuing opportunities to forge a global public-private partnership to make the QuitNowTXT program available to other countries to reach adult tobacco users. Organizations committed to collaborating with HHS on this initiative are interested in supporting mHealth/text-based demonstration projects using this new text messaging resource. Drawing on the experience gained from these demonstration projects, the countries and partners will identify and disseminate best practices for tobacco cessation mHealth/text-based interventions, HHS stated.
The task force, comprised of public health experts from HHS, was charged with providing recommendations for HHS’ role in encouraging and developing health text messaging initiatives which would deliver health information and resources to individuals via their mobile phones.
The report recommended that:
- HHS develop and host evidence-based health text message libraries that leverage HHS’ rich and scientifically-based information;
- HHS develop further evidence on the effectiveness of health text messaging programs; and
- HHS explore and develop partnerships to create, implement and disseminate health text messaging and mHealth programs.
Additionally, HHS announced several initiatives guided by the HHS Text4Health Task Force.
The National Cancer Institute (NCI) at the National Institutes of Health (NIH) is starting its SmokeFreeTXT program, a mobile smoking cessation service designed for teens and young adults across the U.S. NCI is also creating a library of smoking cessation messages which will provide the foundation for an interactive text-based intervention for adult smokers called QuitNowTXT. The QuitNowTXT text messages offer tips, motivation, encouragement and facts based on information tailored to the user’s response.
HHS is also pursuing opportunities to forge a global public-private partnership to make the QuitNowTXT program available to other countries to reach adult tobacco users. Organizations committed to collaborating with HHS on this initiative are interested in supporting mHealth/text-based demonstration projects using this new text messaging resource. Drawing on the experience gained from these demonstration projects, the countries and partners will identify and disseminate best practices for tobacco cessation mHealth/text-based interventions, HHS stated.