Crowdsourced Community Support Resources Among Patients Discharged From the Emergency Department During the COVID-19 Pandemic: Pilot Feasibility Study

Authors: Anish K Agarwal, Lauren Southwick, Rachelle Schneider, Arthur Pelullo, Robin Ortiz, Elissa V Klinger, Rachel E Gonzales, Roy Rosin, Raina M Merchant

In this article, authors created and tested an SMS messaging system to explore community needs, connect individuals with resources, and facilitate CHW work during the COVID-19 pandemic. Researchers recruited more than 350 participants from emergency department discharge records in Pennsylvania, U.S. Eligible participants were aged 18 years or older, had recently visited the ED, and had a cell phone with SMS texting capability. During the study period, nearly 14,000 SMS messages were exchanged and researchers collected open-ended responses and resource and mood ratings. At follow-up, 77 percent of participants reported that they would recommend the messaging service to a family member or friend. This study demonstrates that a real-time approach, such as an SMS messaging service, offers a feasible means of connecting community members with resources and CHW services during times of heightened demand for health outreach.