(P266) THE UTILITY OF A SMS TEXT MESSAGING PLATFORM TO SUPPORT CHILDREN AND FAMILIES AFTER CARDIAC SURGERY

Background: In the time between hospital discharge and the post-surgical follow-up visit, cardiac surgery patients and their families may need additional support from their healthcare providers (HCPs). In our program, a nurse practitioner makes one follow-up phone call between visits. A SMS text messaging platform can provide an easier means of communication which in turn can enhance feelings of support for patients and their families following cardiac surgery. We explored the utility of a SMS text messaging platform (WelTel) in our cardiac surgical program.

METHODS AND RESULTS: Patients with a scheduled cardiac surgery, between January 1 and November 15 2023, were offered WelTel and consented at either their pre-admission visit or immediately post-surgery. Parents or adolescents (who could manage their own care) were enrolled. A weekly automated message was sent every Monday asking, “How are you?” Participants could respond with how they were feeling or ask any non-emergency health-related question. HCPs responded within 48 business hours. Participants were asked to contact the on-call team for urgent inquiries. At discharge, participants received a feedback survey and were removed from WelTel. Participants who withdrew did not complete the survey. Text messages and care conversations (> 2 text messages exchanged) were tabulated.

Results: One-hundred and five participants (102 adults, 3 adolescents) consented and 99/105 (94%) participants (96 parents, 3 adolescents) completed the study. The weekly response rate was 61% (388/641) with 2872 text messages exchanged between participants and HCPs. There were 316 care conversations: 158/316 (50%) of families had no concerns; 107/316 (34%) had a health concern; 34/316 (11%) had an administrative question; and 17/316 (5%) had questions about medications and prescription refills. Specific health concerns included: 46/107 (43%) post-surgical signs and symptoms; 36/107 (34%) surgical wound healing; and 25/107 general inquiries. Survey response rate was 81%: 65/80 (81%) found it helpful to text their child’s HCPs; 65/80 (81%) felt comfortable asking for help through text message; 58/80 (73%) felt better connected to their child’s HCPs and 51/80 (64%) thought it would be helpful to continue this service.

Conclusion: A SMS text messaging platform was found to be helpful and increased feelings of support between participants and their HCPs. WelTel allows families to access supplementary post-surgical care in an easy, timely way. Further research is needed to determine the impact of WelTel on clinical workflow within our surgical program.