Chat-based hotlines for health promotion: a systematic review

Abstract

Background: Chat-based hotlines use online messaging services or popular chat applications such as WhatsApp, Facebook Messenger, and WeChat, to connect users to trained health providers or staff. Chatbased hotlines can provide real-time communication between health providers and patients. Methods:The evidence for chat-based hotlines for health promotion has not been reviewed systematically.Electronic databases (PubMed, Cochrane Database, Google Scholar) were searched to identify Englishlanguage studies describing original research published from 2009 to 2020. This review was registered with Prospero Register of Systematic Reviews (ID: CRD42020156670).Results: Twelve publications met our criteria. Ten studies reported on user characteristics, eight on comparing use of chat-based hotlines with different modes of support, six on health outcomes and six on user satisfaction. Included studies report that chat-based hotlines have been used primarily for crisis and emotional support in high-income countries. Chat-based hotlines using instant messenger applications were preferred over other modes of services such as email, text messaging, voice calls, and face-to-face counselling.Evaluations of health outcomes, although limited in rigor due to mostly observational study designs, indicate mostly positive and statistically significant effects on mental health outcomes such as anxiety, depression, well-being and suicidality. User satisfaction with chat-based hotlines were moderately high.Conclusions: Chat-based hotlines may be effective ways to deliver crisis support services in high income settings. They may have the potential to be effective in low-and middle-income countries to expand the reach of mental health and crisis support services although such services have not yet been publicly evaluated.

Satisfaction and Mental Health Outcomes Associated with a Large Regional Helpline

“…However, those users interacting only by chat reported consistently worse experiences relative to users who called the helpline. While offering chat may expand access to services, users contacting the helpline by chat may experience delayed response times relative to users contacting the helpline by phone, which could be a factor in explaining the relatively worse experiences reported by those users (Brody et al, 2020 ; Predmore et al, 2017 ). As helplines increasingly add online chat options, determining best practices for providing high quality interactions and needed care may be an important implementation consideration.…”

Social Media in Dermatology and an Overview of Popular Social Media Platforms

“…Messaging applications such as WhatsApp, Facebook Messenger, WeChat, and Line also have myriad applications in healthcare. Chat-based hotlines can connect users with healthcare professionals in real time and could have potential in crisis settings where other communications may be limited in a rapidly changing situation [ 58 ]. Since photos and video can be transmitted through instant messaging, dermatology teleconsultations through messaging applications have been piloted and are well-received by patients [ 59 ].…”

Stressors and Information-Seeking by Dialysis and Transplant Patients During COVID-19, Reported on a Telephone Hotline: A Mixed-Methods Study

“…Hotlines have previously been shown to help manage health issues, such as anxiety depression, and suicide prevention. 9 , 10 Previous research has found that telephone helplines are beneficial to people dealing with suicidal ideations 11 because users feel safer to ask questions on sensitive issues such as depression, death, and finance compared to a web-based approach. 12 …”