SMS coaching can contribute to healthier lifestyle habits. This is shown by a study in which researchers at Karlstad University studied how digital services can complement physical meetings and strengthen a behavior change process together with the Health Service in Värmland.
Changing behaviors to healthier lifestyles is not easy. New research at the Center for Service Research, CTF, shows that personal digital coaching via SMS contributes to increasing the chances of success. The study is part of the research funded via DigitalWell Arena.
- SMS coaching increased the clients' ability to reach a desired target behavior. Their well-being and physical activity also increased, as did their trust in their health consultant, says Charlotte Bäccman, lecturer in psychology at CTF, and continues:
- For the service to be most effective, it needs to help by reminding and supporting the clients in finding opportunities to perform the desired behavior. Many clients seem to have become more aware of their own responsibility in a change process, the increased responsibility is important to maintain the new behavior, and with a few exceptions, all who participated in the study wanted to continue receiving SMS coaching.
Charlotte Bäckman, lecturer in psychology at CTF, believes that digital services need to find a user value that suits the individual.
The study involved health consultants and clients at Friskvården in Värmland, a non-profit association whose goal is to contribute to better health among the region's residents. A majority of the clients have received a referral there via the health and medical services or their employer to get help learning to live more healthily.
Lacks individual adaptation
The health consultants sent personalized text messages to remind, motivate and encourage a group of clients, between their physical meetings. The researchers compared the clients who received coaching via SMS and physical meetings, with those who only had physical meetings. The clients themselves had to assess their health and well-being. The researchers looked at the clients' abilities, opportunities and motivation to change.
- There are today a plethora of digital health apps developed to support behavior change, but few can be adapted to meet each individual's unique challenges and needs. Therefore, in this study, we wanted to investigate whether and how individual tailored SMS coaching can support behavioral changes in individuals with different challenges and needs, says Charlotte Bäccman.
To some extent, she believes that the study also contributes to creating general insights for the development of new, digital health services.
- The most important thing from a service innovation perspective is that the value of the service for the user must be the focus. There needs to be a true user value for a certain type of user and that there may rarely be a "one size fits all solution". However, it seems that you can co-create health in many different ways.
Inspires new ways of working
From the perspective of the health consultants, the service has added value to the regular health talks, by both increasing motivation and creating continuity. The service also provided extra added value during the pandemic, as clients could receive coaching despite restrictions.
- We had the privilege of participating in this study and testing SMS coaching as a behavior-changing technique. It has given us valuable experience and increased knowledge of a working method that can strengthen the health care process in communication with our clients - strengthening their motivation and ability to change their lifestyles. We have been inspired to introduce this way of working as part of our operations, says Per Hjalmarsson, director of operations for Friskvården in Värmland.
Text: Linda Fridberg and Anders Milde
