RecruitingInterventional

The effect of text reminders on the uptake of type 2 diabetes screening test after gestational diabetes

This study aims to find out if simple text messages can help women who have had gestational diabetes (diabetes during pregnancy) remember to get their annual check-up for type 2 diabetes. After having gestational diabetes, women are at a higher risk of developing type 2 diabetes later on. Getting tested regularly and catching type 2 diabetes early can help prevent serious health problems. Most women don't currently attend these important yearly tests. Researchers want to see if a reminder text message from their GP practice increases the number of women who go for this screening. The study involves GP practices in England and will compare practices that send text reminders with those that don't.

At a glance

Status

Recruiting

Sponsor

University of Oxford

Enrolment target

Start

02 Mar 2026

Estimated completion

04 Aug 2026

Type 2 diabetes

What is this study about?

If you've had diabetes during pregnancy, also known as gestational diabetes, it's really important to know that while it usually goes away after you give birth, it can increase your chances of getting type 2 diabetes later in life. Because of this, doctors recommend that women who have had gestational diabetes get a simple blood test each year to check for type 2 diabetes. Finding type 2 diabetes early means you can start managing it sooner, which can help prevent more serious health problems down the line.

However, we know that many women don't always manage to get this important yearly check-up. The main idea of this study is to see if sending a brief text message from your GP practice could be a simple and effective way to remind you about this test and encourage you to book an appointment. Imagine it like a helpful nudge to make sure you stay on top of your health.

This study will involve various GP practices across England. Some practices will send these reminder text messages to their patients who’ve had gestational diabetes, while others will continue with their usual care. Researchers will then compare the number of women who have their yearly diabetes test in both groups to see if the text messages made a difference. The goal is to find easy ways to help women stay healthy after pregnancy.

Key takeaways

Women who have had gestational diabetes are at higher risk of type 2 diabetes.
Yearly diabetes checks are recommended after gestational diabetes.
This study tests if text message reminders help women get these checks.
It's for GP practices, not individual patients to sign up.
Any data used will be anonymous and protects your privacy.
Catching type 2 diabetes early can help you stay healthier.

Who may be eligible?

This study isn't looking for individual patients to sign up directly. Instead, it's inviting GP practices in England to take part. This means if you're a woman who has had gestational diabetes, you won't apply to be in the study yourself.

For a GP practice to be included, they need to be based in England, have been open for at least a year, and have at least 5,000 patients registered with them. They also need to use a specific computer system called 'emis web'.

Practices can't take part if they already send out any kind of reminder to women who've had gestational diabetes about their yearly diabetes check-ups, or if they're already involved in another study looking at similar reminders. This helps make sure the study can clearly see the effect of the new text message reminders.

Could this study suit you?

Answer these quick questions to see if you may be eligible. This is a guide only — the research team makes the final call.

Have you had diabetes during pregnancy (gestational diabetes)?
Is your GP practice in England?
Does your GP practice use the 'emis web' computer system?
Does your GP practice *not* currently send reminders for diabetes checks after gestational diabetes?

Answer every question to see your result.

What does participation involve?

If your GP practice takes part in this study, you won't need to do anything extra or have any special appointments. The study is mostly about what the GP practice does behind the scenes and how they communicate with you.

If your practice is chosen to send reminders, you might receive one or two text messages from them, sent two weeks apart. These texts would simply encourage you to book your routine annual diabetes check-up. This is a very common type of blood test (HbA1c) that you would usually have done at your GP surgery anyway. If your practice is in the group that doesn't send reminders, you simply won't receive these texts.

The researchers will then look at your anonymised medical records (meaning your name and personal details won't be shared) to see if you had your diabetes check-up. This will happen about three months after your potential reminder texts would have been sent, or three months after the study starts for practices not sending reminders.

Potential risks and benefits

For patients, this study is considered to have very low risks. The main thing you might experience is receiving a text message reminder from your GP, which is similar to other messages you might get for appointments or health information. There's no risk to your health from receiving a text. If you choose not to act on the text and don't get tested, that's your choice, just like with any suggested GP appointment. The benefit is that by being reminded, you might be more likely to attend an important health check that could help identify type 2 diabetes early, potentially preventing future health problems. All your personal data will be kept private and anonymised, so your name won't be linked to any study results. You can always choose to ignore the reminder or discuss it with your GP if you have concerns.

Locations (12)

Some site locations are approximate. We're improving this — please verify with the trial team before travelling.

North East and North Cumbria RRDN
City only
Newcastle upon Tyne, England
Yorkshire and Humber RRDN
City only
Leeds, England
North West RRDN
City only
Manchester, England
East Midlands RRDN
City only
Leicester, England
West Midlands RRDN
City only
Wolverhampton, England
East of England RRDN
City only
Norwich, England
North London RRDN
City only
London, England
South London RRDN
City only
London, England
South Central RRDN
City only
Southampton, England
South East RRDN
City only
Guildford, England
South West Central RRDN
Unverified
Bristol, England
South West Peninsula RRDN
Unverified
Exeter, England

Common questions

What is gestational diabetes?

It's a type of diabetes that develops during pregnancy and usually goes away after the baby is born. However, it increases your risk of getting type 2 diabetes later in life.

Why is it important to get tested for type 2 diabetes after gestational diabetes?

Women who've had gestational diabetes are at a higher risk of developing type 2 diabetes. Getting tested yearly helps catch it early, which can help manage your health and prevent other problems.

Will I have to do anything differently if my GP practice is in the study?

You might receive a text message reminder from your GP practice to book your annual diabetes check-up. That's the only potential change for you as a patient.

Is my personal information safe?

Yes, any information used from your health records will be anonymised, meaning your name and personal details will be removed so you can't be identified.

Who is funding this research?

The study is funded by the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR), a major public research funder in the UK.

How to find out more

Moscho Michalopoulou

remindstudy@phc.ox.ac.uk +44 (0)1865 617857 Official trial record

Always speak to your GP or specialist before deciding to take part in a study.