{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,10,9]],"date-time":"2026-10-09T17:16:33Z","timestamp":1791566193610,"version":"4.3.4"},"reference-count":37,"publisher":"MDPI AG","issue":"6","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2023,6,18]],"date-time":"2023-06-18T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1687046400000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\/"}],"funder":[{"name":"Wellcome Trust","award":["110330\/Z\/15\/Z"],"award-info":[{"award-number":["110330\/Z\/15\/Z"]}]},{"name":"Wellcome Trust","award":["207569\/Z\/17\/Z"],"award-info":[{"award-number":["207569\/Z\/17\/Z"]}]},{"name":"Wellcome Trust","award":["D43TW011519"],"award-info":[{"award-number":["D43TW011519"]}]},{"name":"Kenyan Medical Research Institute","award":["110330\/Z\/15\/Z"],"award-info":[{"award-number":["110330\/Z\/15\/Z"]}]},{"name":"Kenyan Medical Research Institute","award":["207569\/Z\/17\/Z"],"award-info":[{"award-number":["207569\/Z\/17\/Z"]}]},{"name":"Kenyan Medical Research Institute","award":["D43TW011519"],"award-info":[{"award-number":["D43TW011519"]}]},{"name":"Fogarty International Center and the Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases of the National Institutes of Health","award":["110330\/Z\/15\/Z"],"award-info":[{"award-number":["110330\/Z\/15\/Z"]}]},{"name":"Fogarty International Center and the Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases of the National Institutes of Health","award":["207569\/Z\/17\/Z"],"award-info":[{"award-number":["207569\/Z\/17\/Z"]}]},{"name":"Fogarty International Center and the Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases of the National Institutes of Health","award":["D43TW011519"],"award-info":[{"award-number":["D43TW011519"]}]}],"content-domain":{"domain":[],"crossmark-restriction":false},"short-container-title":["Vaccines"],"abstract":"<jats:p>The prompt administration of post-exposure prophylaxis (PEP) is one of the key strategies for ending human deaths from rabies. A delay in seeking the first dose of rabies PEP, or failure to complete the recommended dosage, may result in clinical rabies and death. We assessed the efficacy of short message system (SMS) phone texts in improving the adherence to scheduled PEP doses among bite patients in rural eastern Kenya. We conducted a single-arm, before-after field trial that compared adherence among bite patients presenting at Makueni Referral Hospital between October and December 2018 (control) and between January and March 2019 (intervention). Data on their demographics, socio-economic status, circumstances surrounding the bite, and expenditures related to the bite were collected. A total of 186 bite patients were enrolled, with 82 (44%) in the intervention group, and 104 (56%) in the control group. The odds of PEP completion were three times (OR 3.37, 95% CI 1.28, 10.20) more likely among patients who received the SMS reminder, compared to the control. The intervention group had better compliance on the scheduled doses 2 to 5, with a mean deviation of 0.18 days compared to 0.79 days for the control group (p = 0.004). The main reasons for non-compliance included lack of funds (30%), and forgetfulness (23%) on days for follow-up treatment, among others. Nearly all (96%, n = 179) the bite patients incurred indirect transport costs, at an average of USD 4 (USD 0\u201345) per visit. This study suggests that the integration of SMS reminders into healthcare service delivery increases compliance with PEP, and may strengthen rabies control and elimination strategies.<\/jats:p>","DOI":"10.3390\/vaccines11061112","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2023,6,19]],"date-time":"2023-06-19T01:31:14Z","timestamp":1687138274000},"page":"1112","update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3390\/mdpi_crossmark_policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":12,"title":["Effect of Phone Text Message Reminders on Compliance with Rabies Post-Exposure Prophylaxis following Dog Bites in Rural Kenya"],"prefix":"10.3390","volume":"11","author":[{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-4584-9708","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Veronicah M.","family":"Chuchu","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"name":"Centre for Global Health Research, Kenya Medical Research Institute, Kisumu 1578-40100, Kenya"},{"name":"Department of Public Health, Pharmacology and Toxicology, University of Nairobi, Nairobi 29053-00625, Kenya"},{"name":"Paul G. Allen School for Global Health, Washington State University, Pullman, WA 99164-7090, USA"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-7378-0007","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Nyamai","family":"Mutono","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Paul G. Allen School for Global Health, Washington State University, Pullman, WA 99164-7090, USA"},{"name":"Centre for Epidemiological Modelling and Analysis, University of Nairobi, Nairobi 19676-00202, Kenya"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Philet","family":"Bichanga","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Health Services, Government of Makueni County, Makueni 95-90300, Kenya"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Philip M.","family":"Kitala","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Public Health, Pharmacology and Toxicology, University of Nairobi, Nairobi 29053-00625, Kenya"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Daniel","family":"Ksee","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Agriculture, Irrigation, Livestock and Fisheries Development, Government of Makueni County, Makueni 78-90300, Kenya"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Mathew","family":"Muturi","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Zoonotic Disease Unit, Joint One Health Office of the Ministry of Health and the Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock and Fisheries, Government of Kenya, Nairobi 20811-00202, Kenya"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Athman","family":"Mwatondo","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Zoonotic Disease Unit, Joint One Health Office of the Ministry of Health and the Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock and Fisheries, Government of Kenya, Nairobi 20811-00202, Kenya"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-7559-3109","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Carolyne","family":"Nasimiyu","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Paul G. Allen School for Global Health, Washington State University, Pullman, WA 99164-7090, USA"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Lawrence","family":"Akunga","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Sanofi-Aventis Kenya Limited, Nairobi 20337-00200, Kenya"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Amine","family":"Amiche","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Sanofi, Dubai 53899, United Arab Emirates"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0001-5392-6884","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Katie","family":"Hampson","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Institute of Biodiversity, Animal Health & Comparative Medicine, Graham Kerr Building, University of Glasgow, Glasgow G12 8QQ, UK"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-5754-0556","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Samuel M.","family":"Thumbi","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Centre for Global Health Research, Kenya Medical Research Institute, Kisumu 1578-40100, Kenya"},{"name":"Paul G. Allen School for Global Health, Washington State University, Pullman, WA 99164-7090, USA"},{"name":"Centre for Epidemiological Modelling and Analysis, University of Nairobi, Nairobi 19676-00202, Kenya"},{"name":"Institute of Immunology and Infection Research, School of Biological Sciences, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh EH8 9YL, UK"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]}],"member":"1968","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2023,6,18]]},"reference":[{"key":"ref_1","unstructured":"Knobel, D.L., Cleaveland, S., Coleman, P.G., F\u00e8vre, E.M., Meltzer, M.I., Miranda, M.E., Shaw, A., Zinsstag, J., and Meslin, F.X. (2005). Bulletin of the World Health Organization, WHO."},{"key":"ref_2","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"Hampson, K., Coudeville, L., Lembo, T., Sambo, M., Kieffer, A., Attlan, M., Barrat, J., Blanton, J.D., Briggs, D.J., and Cleaveland, S. (2015). Estimating the Global Burden of Endemic Canine Rabies. PLoS Negl. Trop. 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