Does a Brief Intervention Decrease Patient Drop Out Rates?

Completed

• Conditions: Infertility
• Interventions: Other: Follow up email

• Registration Number: NCT04803045
• Lead Sponsor: Boston IVF

Brief Summary

The goal of this study is to determine a) if a follow-up email to selected patients who had an initial consult with an infertility specialist, but did not return for a second visit, would change return to care behavior and b) why patients had not returned.

Detailed Description

From July 2017 to March 2018 all patients who had attended an initial visit with an infertility specialist at the clinic, but had not returned for at least three months were selected to receive a follow up email. Those selected for an email excluded patients who the Investigator's knew had achieved a pregnancy, already had a plan for treatment, had visited for an egg freeze and all LGTBQ patients. The email asked if the patient had any questions about that visit, offered support to the patient and included contact information for the patient liaison sending the email. The email also asked each participant to indicate why they had not returned and were provided 4 options and an opportunity to write in a response. From April 2018 to December 2018 no emails were sent to patients. No other change of patient contact practice was initiated during the trial period. This study will observe routine to care behavior of these patients after 11 months post initial consult date.

Study Timeline

• Study Start: 2017-07-01
• Primary Completion: 2019-01-01
• Study Completion: 2020-03-01
• Status Verified: 2021-03
• Study First Submitted: 2021-03-15
• Study First Submitted QC: 2021-03-15
• Study First Posted: 2021-03-17
• Last Update Submitted: 2021-03-18
• Last Update Posted: 2021-03-22

Recruitment & Eligibility

• Status: COMPLETED
• Sex: Female
• Target Recruitment: 647

Inclusion Criteria

• Female patients attending an initial consult with a physician at Boston IVF and were recommended to continue care with the clinic

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Exclusion Criteria

• Patients who the Investigators knew had achieved a pregnancy
• Patients who already had a plan for treatment in place after their initial consult
• Patients who had visited for an egg freeze
• LGTBQ patients

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Study & Design

• Study Type: OBSERVATIONAL
• Study Design: Not specified

Arm && Interventions

Group	Intervention	Description
Follow Up Email	Follow up email	Patients received a follow up email 3 months after an initial consult with a physician but did not return to care.

Primary Outcome Measures

Name	Time	Method
Return to care behavior	11 months after initial consult	The study will track if the patient return to care rate

Trial Locations

Locations (1)

Boston IVF; 🇺🇸 Waltham, Massachusetts, United States