How a text messaging program is helping to save Black women’s lives

Black women in South Carolina are 4.2 times more likely to die due to complications arising during or after childbirth than white women. They are, for various reasons, also less likely to seek in-person care, whether that’s for their physical or mental health. The Listening to Women and Pregnant and Postpartum People, a program launched early 2024 at the MUSC Health, aims to reduce the barriers that have historically stood between Black women and the best care by using technology that’s already right in the moms’ pockets – their phones.

When care teams relied on in-person screenings and referrals, Black women were significantly less likely to receive the care they needed than white women. In a randomized trial, women were selected to receive either in-person screening and referral, or text or telephone screenings that covered mood and anxiety disorders, substance use disorders and intimate partner violence. Those who got the text- or phone-based outreach were 4.4 more times more likely to get a referral for treatment and 5.7 times more likely to receive that treatment. “LTWP is a technology-facilitated intervention that has been successful in overcoming traditional barriers to screening,” wrote Constance Guille, M.D., director of the Women’s Reproductive Behavioral Health Division at MUSC.

In addition to ease of access, researchers found that patients felt less judged when asked about their mental health over text; that reduction in stigma made them more likely to both answer honestly and accept help. The LTWP program aims to save lives by making access to care easier – all with a click of the “send” button.

To learn more about the LTWP at MUSC, click here.