Text Message-Based Nudges Prior to Primary Care Visits to Increase Care Gap Closure
- Conditions
- Pneumonia, PneumococcalDiabetes MellitusBreast CancerColorectal Cancer
- Interventions
- Behavioral: Text message nudge
- Registration Number
- NCT05799976
- Lead Sponsor
- Mitesh Patel
- Brief Summary
Primary care visits are a key aspect of clinical care focused on helping patients to close care gaps related to preventive care such as vaccination, diabetes testing, statin therapy and cancer screening. However, less than 50% of care gaps are closed during these visits and new approaches are needed to prime patients for a discussion during these visits. In this study, the study team will evaluate a health system initiative that uses text messaging to patients in days preceding a primary care visit to prime patients to be amenable to ordering of vaccination, diabetes testing, cancer screening, and statin prescribing.
- Detailed Description
The United States Preventive Services Task Force has recommended tests and treatments for vaccination, diabetes testing, statin therapy, and cancer screening. These preventive services have been demonstrated to reduce illness and improve quality of care. Yet, more than 50% of open care gaps go unaddressed during primary care visits.
Nudges are subtle changes to the way information is framed or choices are offered that can have a significant impact on behavior. In a previous randomized clinical trial, text messages sent to patients prior to primary care visits increased vaccination by up to 11% relative to control. The most effective message told patients the influenza vaccine was "reserved for you," and sent two text messages to patients in the 3 days preceding a primary care appointment.
Recruitment & Eligibility
- Status
- COMPLETED
- Sex
- All
- Target Recruitment
- 29334
- Age 18 or older
- Have documented consent to communicate electronically
- Have a visit scheduled with a primary care practice
- Have at least one open care gap among those in the intervention
- No phone number on file to send text messages
Study & Design
- Study Type
- INTERVENTIONAL
- Study Design
- PARALLEL
- Arm && Interventions
Group Intervention Description Text Message Group Text message nudge This group of primary care practices will be randomized to have the text message intervention
- Primary Outcome Measures
Name Time Method Care gap order rate By the end of the day of the primary care visit The proportion of open care gaps that have a test or treatment ordered to address them
- Secondary Outcome Measures
Name Time Method
Trial Locations
- Locations (1)
Ascension
🇺🇸Saint Louis, Missouri, United States