Behavioral Economic Incentives and Cancer Health Risk Assessment

Not Applicable

Completed

• Conditions: Cancer of the Colon
• Interventions: Behavioral: Incentive; Behavioral: No incentive

• Registration Number: NCT03068052
• Lead Sponsor: University of Pennsylvania

Brief Summary

This is an RCT among UPHS employees between ages 50-64 comparing no incentive and a loss-framed incentive for completing cancer health risk assessment. Those eligible will receive the phone number for direct colonoscopy scheduling, with the incentive arm receiving an additional unconditional incentive. The primary outcome is completion of screening colonoscopy. Secondary outcomes include scheduling of colonoscopy and completion of risk assessment.

Detailed Description

Colorectal cancer (CRC) is the second leading cause of cancer death in the United States. Despite effective screening and treatment strategies, screening rates remain at 59-65%. UPHS employees have similarly limited rates of CRC screening despite having awareness, access, and insurance coverage. There is a need to identify those who are not up-to-date on screening and eligible for outreach in this population. Financial incentives informed by behavioral economic principles could be used to encourage self-report about screening status and completion of CRC screening. This research utilizes a digital health platform, Way to Health, to evaluate the feasibility of a cancer health risk assessment. This is a single-center RCT among UPHS employees between ages 50-64 that will randomize eligible participants into one of two study arms: (1) no incentive to complete cancer health risk assessment (no incentive) or (2) loss-framed incentive to complete cancer health risk assessment (incentive). Those that are eligible for screening will receive a direct access phone number to schedule colonoscopy, with an additional unconditional incentive for those in incentive arm. The primary outcome is completion of screening colonoscopy, with secondary outcomes of colonoscopy scheduling and completion of risk assessment.

Study Timeline

• Study First Submitted: 2017-02-24
• Study First Submitted QC: 2017-02-24
• Study First Posted: 2017-03-01
• Study Start: 2017-05-08
• Primary Completion: 2017-08-08
• Study Completion: 2017-11-08
• Status Verified: 2019-02
• Last Update Submitted: 2019-02-19
• Last Update Posted: 2019-02-20

Recruitment & Eligibility

• Status: COMPLETED
• Sex: All
• Target Recruitment: 2000

Inclusion Criteria

Not provided

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Exclusion Criteria

Not provided

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Study & Design

• Study Type: INTERVENTIONAL
• Study Design: PARALLEL

Arm && Interventions

Group	Intervention	Description
Incentive	Incentive	Loss-framed incentive to participate in risk assessment and additional unconditional pro-social incentive to complete colorectal cancer screening.
No incentive	No incentive	Colon cancer risk assessment and direct access colonoscopy scheduling for those that are eligible.

Primary Outcome Measures

Name	Time	Method
Colonoscopy participation	3 months	The percent of participants who complete screening colonoscopy

Secondary Outcome Measures

Name	Time	Method
Risk assessment completion	3 months	The percent of participants who complete risk assessment
Colonoscopy scheduling	3 months	The percent of participants who schedule screening colonoscopy

Trial Locations

Locations (1)

University of Pennsylvania Health System; 🇺🇸 Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States