Encouraging Overdue Healthcare Appointment Scheduling Among Patients With Chronic Diseases

Not Applicable

Completed

• Conditions: Health Promotion; Prevention; Risk Reduction Behavior
• Interventions: Behavioral: Outreach mailer; Behavioral: Humor/Salience; Behavioral: Doctor's authority; Behavioral: Information

• Registration Number: NCT05000619
• Lead Sponsor: Geisinger Clinic

Brief Summary

The goal of this study is to determine the most effective messages for encouraging patients with chronic conditions, who have not seen their doctor in at least one year, to return to the clinic. Study participants will receive postcards or letters encouraging them to make an appointment. Researchers will assess whether messages increase appointment scheduling (and attendance).

Detailed Description

About 18,500 Geisinger patients, Geisinger Health Plan members, and Medicaid patients with chronic illness have not been seen in a clinic for at least one year, which is concerning because regular appointments are necessary for chronic disease management. Geisinger is therefore working to encourage those with chronic illness and overdue appointments to return to the clinic.

In the present study, patients will either receive a mailer (with a message encouraging them to schedule an appointment with their physician), or no mailer. The purpose of the study is to compare three different mailers to assess which is most effective at encouraging patients to schedule and attend an appointment. The three mailers include (1) a standard outreach postcard (emphasizing that we are "checking in" with the patient), and, informed by behavioral science research, (2) a postcard with a cartoon and humorous messages and (3) a letter signed by a physician. The study will compare the effectiveness of the three experimental mailer arms to each other and to a no-contact control arm.

Study Timeline

• Study Start: 2021-07-12
• Study First Submitted: 2021-08-02
• Study First Submitted QC: 2021-08-09
• Study First Posted: 2021-08-11
• Primary Completion: 2021-08-26
• Study Completion: 2022-08-26
• Status Verified: 2022-11
• Last Update Submitted: 2022-11-29
• Last Update Posted: 2022-12-01

Recruitment & Eligibility

• Status: COMPLETED
• Sex: All
• Target Recruitment: 21562

Inclusion Criteria

• Geisinger patient, Geisinger Health Plan member or Medicaid patient
• Chronic illness
• No appointment for > 1 year

Read More

Exclusion Criteria

Not provided

Read More

Study & Design

• Study Type: INTERVENTIONAL
• Study Design: PARALLEL

Arm && Interventions

Group	Intervention	Description
Outreach Postcard	Outreach mailer	This group receives a postcard with a stock image on the front and a message encouraging regular visits to manage health on the back.
Physician Letter	Outreach mailer	This group receives a personalized letter signed by a physician with information about why visits are important, and what to expect at the appointment.
Humorous Postcard	Humor/Salience	This group receives a postcard with with a cartoon image and a visit-related joke on the front and a humorous message on the back, with additional information about why visits are important, and what to expect at the appointment.
Humorous Postcard	Outreach mailer	This group receives a postcard with with a cartoon image and a visit-related joke on the front and a humorous message on the back, with additional information about why visits are important, and what to expect at the appointment.
Humorous Postcard	Information	This group receives a postcard with with a cartoon image and a visit-related joke on the front and a humorous message on the back, with additional information about why visits are important, and what to expect at the appointment.
Physician Letter	Information	This group receives a personalized letter signed by a physician with information about why visits are important, and what to expect at the appointment.
Physician Letter	Doctor's authority	This group receives a personalized letter signed by a physician with information about why visits are important, and what to expect at the appointment.

Primary Outcome Measures

Name	Time	Method
Patients - Appointment scheduling	30 days	Proportion of Geisinger patients who schedule an appointment

Secondary Outcome Measures

Name	Time	Method
Patients - Appointment scheduling - Comparing mailers	30 days	Proportion of Geisinger patients who schedule an appointment, comparing relative efficacy of the mailers
Patients - Attendance at scheduled appointments within 180 days of mailer	180 days	Proportion of appointments (from the primary outcome) that were attended. This outcome focuses on attendance at appointments that were scheduled within 30 days of the mailer drop date.; It is possible to schedule an appointment months in advance, so the Time Frame needs to be long to capture attendance at any appointment scheduled within 30 days of the mailer. 180 days should be sufficient to capture all scheduled appointments.
Patients, Members & Medicaid - Timing of appointment	180 days	Number of days between the drop date and any appointment captured in Secondary Outcome 5
Patients, Members & Medicaid - Attendance at any appointment	180 days	Attendance at any appointment within 180 days of drop date

Trial Locations

Locations (1)

Geisinger; 🇺🇸 Danville, Pennsylvania, United States