NCT03224390

A Pilot Study to Estimate the Impact of a Screening and Referral Service on Contraceptive Use

• Status: Completed
• Phase: N/A
• Study type: Interventional
• Enrollment: 112 (actual)
• Sponsor: Duke University · Academic / Other
• Sex: Female
• Age: 18 Years – 35 Years
• Healthy volunteers: Accepted

Summary

The specific aim of this pilot study is to estimate the impact of a new digital health service on the uptake of family planning among Kenyan women with an unmet need for contraception. Enrolled women will be randomized to a control arm or an encouragement arm that will receive a special invitation to try the new service.

Detailed description

Based on global projections, meeting the unmet demand for contraceptives would prevent more than two-thirds of unintended pregnancies and more than two-thirds of maternal deaths. Voluntary family planning has also been shown to improve newborn health outcomes, advance women's empowerment, and bring socioeconomic benefits through reductions in fertility and population growth. Yet among the populations that would benefit the most from family planning, uptake remains too low. The specific aim of this pilot study is to estimate the impact of a new digital health service on the uptake of family planning among Kenyan women with an unmet need for contraception. This service promotes uptake by offering free screening and referral. Women text the service for free, complete a short automated screening over the phone, and receive a list of recommended methods and a referral to local family planning providers offering those methods. The main hypothesis is that the service will increase the uptake of family planning among these users.

Conditions

• Contraception Behavior

Interventions

Type	Name	Description
OTHER	digital family planning screening and referral service	Clients text the service and receive a free call back to complete an automated family planning counseling session that results in a set of recommended methods that fit the client's preferences. The client is matched to family planning providers that offer these methods, and the service sends a referral code that the client can redeem at a facility. When someone receives a referral code, the service tracks them through their encounter with a provider to learn about their experience with the service, the provider, and their choice in contraception. The service also follows-up with clients who do not act on referrals to better understand their reasons and tries different behavioral nudges to promote uptake of contraception. The service does not pay costs the client may incur at a facility.

Timeline

• Start date: 2017-07-12
• Primary completion: 2018-03-13
• Completion: 2018-03-13
• First posted: 2017-07-21
• Last updated: 2024-06-28
• Results posted: 2019-07-19

Locations

1 site across 1 country: Kenya