HHS to help push 'text4baby' service to 1 million
Mobile health application sends text messages to pregnant women
The Health and Human Services Department is joining a partnership that seeks to expand the text4baby program, which offers free health information and updates to expectant and new mothers via mobile phones, officials have announced.
Text4baby was launched in February by the National Healthy Mothers, Healthy Babies Coalition, which announced Nov. 9 that it wants to increase enrollment to 1 million women by 2012 with help from sponsor Johnson and Johnson. About 100,000 women have already enrolled in the program.
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HHS is helping to publicize the program through Medicaid and federal health clinics, according to a news release. In addition, the Health Resources and Services Administration is conducting an evaluation of the program's effectiveness, and the Defense Department is considering it for military families.
Text4baby is being examined as a test case for other mobile health applications, said Todd Park, chief technology officer at HHS.
"Through text4baby, we hope to better understand how cell phones can be used to improve public health generally,” Park said.
Women can sign up for the service by texting "BABY" (or "BEBE" for Spanish speakers) to 511411 to get free text messages each week, timed to their due date or their baby's date of birth. The messages include information on immunizations, nutrition, baby care and emergency care. As part of the expansion, new features are being considered that include quizzes and opportunities for user feedback.
CTIA-The Wireless Foundation and numerous mobile phone carriers are also members of the partnership that supports the program.
About the Author
Alice Lipowicz is a staff writer covering government 2.0, homeland security and other IT policies for Federal Computer Week. Follow her on Twitter: @AliceLipowicz.