Efficacy of text-message reminders on paediatric malaria treatment adherence and their post-treatment return to health facilities in Kenya: a randomized controlled trial

Table 1 Content and schedule of SMS reminders

Message category	Timing	Day of sending	Message content
AL dose 2	8 h after first dose	Day 0	Hello [name of care giver], have you remembered to give your child the [dose number] dose of malaria medicine? If not, please do so. Thank you, [Name of HF]
AL dose 3	08:00	Day 1
AL dose 4	20:00	Day 1
AL dose 5	08:00	Day 2
AL dose 6	20:00	Day 2
Day 3 health facility post-treatment visit^a	20.30	Day 2	Hello [name of care giver], please remember to bring the child back to hospital [tomorrow on day 2/today on day 3] to confirm clearance of malaria parasites. Thank you, [Name of HF]
Day 3 health facility post-treatment visit^a	08:00	Day 3
Unscheduled visit	08:00	Day 7	Hello [name of care giver] I hope the child is doing well. If not, please bring them back to the hospital as soon as possible. Thank you, [Name of HF]
	08:00	Day 14
	08:00	Day 21
Day 28 health facility post-treatment visit	18.30	Day 27	Hello [name of care giver], please bring your child back to the hospital [tomorrow on day 27/today on day 28] for day 28 post-treatment as advised by the doctor. Thank you, [Name of HF]
Day 28 health facility post-treatment visit	08:00	Day 28

^aDay 3 post-treatment reminders are not sent to the patients in category 3 since they are visited at home