Interactive and tailored text messages are successful in improving member knowledge of plan offerings, and promoting self-activation among Medicaid members, according to study results released by mPulse Mobile and conducted in partnership with Inland Empire Health Plan (IEHP), a Medicaid and Medicare health plan in Southern California.
With a 98% read-rate, text messages are a high-impact, low-cost method of engagement, according to a press release from mPulse Mobile.
Positive outcomes from the 3-month study of 17,000 newly-enrolled members include heightened awareness of appropriate settings for care, effective use of IEHP resources, increased response rate and engagement, and self-activation, the press release notes. Specifically:
- 91% of members found that the text messages improved their overall knowledge of IEHP services
- The number of members who reported they would visit the ER for a minor condition dropped from 11% to 4%
- 10% of members participated in a series of health challenges with a 33% completion rate
- The engagement score, based on response behavior and sentiment, for the study group was 2.5 times greater than the control group
