Using e-vouchers to promote use of a family planning call center: A comparative interruptive time series analysis.

IntroductionThis study examines the effectiveness of an e-voucher campaign to promote the use of a toll-free family planning call center (Honey&Banana), which is measured by the number of calls received by the call center. MethodsA comparative interrupted time series design is used to measure the effect of the e-voucher campaign on the call volume. The study design presumes that without the e-voucher campaign, the intervention and control groups would have parallel trends in terms of the number of calls received. The difference between the actual and anticipated number of calls received is used to estimate the effect of the campaign. ResultsBefore the e-voucher campaign, the monthly trend in the number of calls for family planning information in the intervention and control groups followed a similar pattern. As soon as the campaign was launched, the call center experienced a seven-fold increase in the number of family planning requests that were received from callers in the intervention zone, from under 400 calls per month to about 3,000 calls per month. No comparable increase occurred for the control zone. We estimate that the e-voucher campaign resulted in a net gain of over 12,000 requests for family planning information. When the campaign ended, the number of calls from the intervention zone decreases, but at least temporarily remained above the pre-intervention levels. DiscussionEarlier studies demonstrated that e-voucher campaigns can be effective for increasing use of smoking cessation hotlines. This study expands the evidence base by demonstrating the effectiveness of e-vouchers for increasing demand for family planning information hotlines. Additional research is needed to assess the long-term effects of such e-voucher campaigns, and to determine the extent to which increased use of family planning hotlines translates into improved family planning outcomes.