Last week, the new media, technology and health worlds were abuzz with news that the National Healthy Babies, Healthy Mothers Coalition and a range of government and private sector partners had launched Text4Baby.  This initiative is designed to reduce infant mortality and premature birth rates among poor and minority women.  What really captured people’s attention is the fact that the Text4Baby coalition is using mobile phones to reach this underserved population.

Text4Baby’s partners chose mobile because poor and minority women are more likely to have access to cell phones than the Internet.  In addition, numerous projects conducted in Africa, India and other parts of the world have demonstrated that mobile is an effective means of reaching people and motivating them to change their health behaviors.  (For evidence, see this case study looking at how mobile was used in South Africa to encourage HIV testing.)

Why Text4Baby Deserves Your Attention

Last week, we held a conversation on this blog about whether it makes sense to focus on new media technologies like the Internet and mobile if it is so hard to change behaviors over the long-term.  Many are looking for proof that new media can have an impact on behaviors and health outcomes that matter.

If you care about the answer to this question, Text4Baby deserves your close attention.  Don’t focus on mobile’s “cool” factor. Pay little attention to the fact that Johnson & Johnson, Wellpoint, the White House and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention are involved with this project.  Instead, look closely at how Text4Baby will be evaluated.  Once you do, you’ll find that the Coalition is focused on answering the right questions.  They want to know whether mobile education prompts behaviors that (ultimately) improve health outcomes (infant death and low birth weight) than traditional pre- and post-natal educational initiatives.

Read and Share Our Case Study

Last week, I said that I believe it is critically important for us (health marketing communications pros), to spread the word about what’s working (and not) in new media, Health 2.0 and behavior change.  This is why I have added an extensive case study on the Text4Baby initiative to our knowledge community, Living the Path. This case study is the most in-depth analysis of the design, scope and evaluation of Text4Baby currently available.  If you want to know what Text4Baby is all about, I encourage you to read this case study and share it with your friends and colleagues.

Help Us Gather More Information About Text4Baby

I am currently in contact with some of Text4Baby’s partners to gather more information about the initiative’s scope and how it will be measured.  If I find out anything worth publishing, I’ll do so here.  However, I’d love your help.  If you are involved with Text4Baby or have access to information about it, please comment on this post.  I’ll add pertinent information to the case study so that it is as up-to-date as possible.

Read More from Walking the Path:

1. Learning from Ghana: Improving Maternal Health via Mobile
2. Thoughts on the “What’s the Point of Health 2.0?” Firestorm: Technology’s Not the Issue
3. Grandma’s a Teenager: The Importance of Digital Age