Connecting patients to public benefits works better with texts than paper flyers
New research from Penn Medicine finds that automated texts in the 14 days following emergency department discharge leads to higher enrollment in programs like SNAP and energy assistance.
2 min. read
Text messages are more effective than paper flyers to help emergency department (ED) patients apply for public benefits programs, like Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), Property Tax and Rent Rebate Program (PTRR), or Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP). A quarter of eligible ED patients who received a text message referring them to a public benefits navigator called, and 18% enrolled in at least one benefit. On the other hand, no patients that received the information on paper called or enrolled, according to a new study published in JAMA Health Forum by researchers at the Perelman School of Medicine and Accelerate Health Equity.
“Patients are understandably focused on their medical care while in the ED, and information about other programs that could benefit them are not going to be top of mind, especially if it’s just another piece of paper on top of their discharge and follow up instructions, which are commonly also printed papers,” says study author Austin Kilaru, an assistant professor of emergency medicine. “But if we text them even one day afterwards, then they have the brain space to look into these helpful resources.”
Prior studies have shown that text messaging after ED discharge can promote medication adherence, monitor symptoms, and improve attendance to follow-up appointments. Text messaging has also been shown to improve healthy behaviors, like exercising, losing weight, and reducing substance use.
For this study, researchers used electronic health records to identify patients at two Philadelphia EDs who were less likely to have a severe illness and who were actively enrolled in Medicare or Medicaid insurance. Patients who did not live in Philadelphia or have access to a cell phone, who were intoxicated, in police custody, or were likely to be admitted were excluded from the study.
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