Use of Automated Reminders for Tuberculin Skin Test Return

Abstract

This study assessed the impact of automated telephone reminders on tuberculin skin test returns. A total of 701 English-speaking and Spanish-speaking patients of a public health immunization program were randomly assigned to an intervention or a control group. Those in the intervention group received an automated telephone reminder to return for the reading of their skin test. Automated telephone reminders significantly reduced return failures 53% (from 14% to 7%) when the scheduled interval between test administration and reading was three days, but had no impact for a two-day interval. Effectiveness of reminders did not differ significantly by patient age, gender, or language (English versus Spanish). Results suggest the value of automated reminder calls for intra-appointment intervals as short as three days.