Shivan Mehta Comments on Text Messaging Study

Source: The Wall Street Journal, June 30, 2016 Shivan Mehta, Associate Chief Innovation Officer at the Center for Healthcare Innovation, commented on a study conducted in Australia that suggests text messages could reduce one’s odds of a second heart attack. Mehta noted that the length of the Australian study was important because earlier studies have been conducted over a period of three months or less and the first six months after a heart attack are a high-risk period during which new health habits are formed. He also commented that the Australian study targeted multiple risk factors concurrently—smoking, exercise, diet and general cardiovascular awareness, rather than focusing on a single behavior.