RT Journal Article SR Electronic T1 Bidirectional Text Messaging to Improve Adherence to Recommended Lipid Testing JF The Journal of the American Board of Family Medicine JO J Am Board Fam Med FD American Board of Family Medicine SP 608 OP 614 DO 10.3122/jabfm.2017.05.170088 VO 30 IS 5 A1 Laura-Mae Baldwin A1 Caitlin Morrison A1 Jonathan Griffin A1 Nick Anderson A1 Kelly Edwards A1 Jeff Green A1 Cleary Waldren A1 William Reiter YR 2017 UL http://www.jabfm.org/content/30/5/608.abstract AB Background: Synergies between technology and health care in the United States are accelerating, increasing opportunities to leverage these technologies to improve patient care.Methods: This study was a collaboration between an academic study team, a rural primary care clinic, and a local nonprofit informatics company developing tools to improve patient care through population management. Our team created a text messaging management tool, then developed methods for and tested the feasibility of bidirectional text messaging to remind eligible patients about the need for lipid testing. We measured patient response to the text messages, then interviewed 8 patients to explore their text messaging experience.Results: Of the 129 patients the clinic was able to contact by phone, 29.4% had no cell phone or text-messaging capabilities. An additional 20% refused to participate. Two thirds of the 28 patients who participated in the text messaging intervention (67.9%) responded to at least 1 of the up to 3 messages. Seven of 8 interviewed patients had a positive text-messaging experience.Conclusions: Bidirectional text messaging is a feasible and largely acceptable form of communication for test reminders that has the potential to reach large numbers of patients in clinical care.