The effectiveness of a mail reminder system for depot medroxyprogesterone injections
D. J. Madlon-Kay
Department of Family and Community Medicine, St Paul Ramsey Medical Center, Minn, USA.
To determine if a mail reminder system leads to an increase in the
percentage of depot medroxyprogesterone acetate (Depo-Provera) injections
administered on time, the charts of 184 women were reviewed. The reminder
postcard included the due dates of both the next medroxyprogesterone
injection and the next Papanicolaou test. Timeliness of injections improved
with the reminder system from 64% administered on time to 76% (P < .02).
Injections given late despite the reminders were late a mean of 8 days.
Injections given late before the reminder system began were late a mean of
20 days (P < .05). If injections given during the injection's 14-day
"grace" period are included, the on-time rate improved from 87% to 96% with
the reminder system (P < .005). The reminder system was not effective in
ensuring annual Papanicolaou testing. Vigilance is needed to ensure that
women receiving medroxyprogesterone injections also receive timely
Papanicolaou testing.
