Enhanced Digital Access to Bridge Social Needs and Reduce Health Disparities: The e-SINCERE Study
Trial Snapshot
- Phase
- Not Applicable
- Status
- Recruiting
- Sponsor
- Andrea Wallace
- Enrollment
- 600
- Locations
- 1
- Primary Endpoint
- Successful connection to community social services (any service)
Study Overview
Brief Summary
The e-SINCERE study will evaluate whether providing stable cell phones and digital navigation assistance helps patients overcome ICT barriers and connect more successfully with community services. The study will begin with patients in the UHealth ED, with additional sites added in the future, and will involve working with community service providers and policy leaders to refine and implement the intervention. Findings from this study may guide the development of future programs and policies to improve access to services for patients facing economic and technological barriers.
Study Design
- Study Type
- Interventional
- Allocation
- Randomized
- Intervention Model
- Parallel
- Primary Purpose
- Health Services Research
- Masking
- None
Masking Description
Services to which participants are referred will not be aware of the participant's inclusion in the research study or their study arm.
Eligibility Criteria
- Ages
- 18 Years to — (Adult, Older Adult)
- Sex
- All
- Accepts Healthy Volunteers
- Yes
Inclusion Criteria
- •Community Advisory Board Members
- •Health system, governmental, and community service stakeholders
- •Able to understand English
- •Adult (> 18 years)
- •- General screening population:
- •Any patient who completes the SINCERE screener.
- •Able to understand or read English or Spanish.
- •- Survey study inclusion criteria:
- •Any patient who completes the SINCERE screener who has connected with 211 for service outreach
- •Able to understand or read English or Spanish.
- •Adult (> 18 years)
Exclusion Criteria
- •Those unable to communicate verbally in English or Spanish
- •Those living in nursing facilities, or those who are not otherwise responsible for self-care
Arms & Interventions
Arm 2: Phone - Bridge Phone to 211
Participants receive a study-provided cellphone to ensure stable phone access. They are connected by phone to United Way 211 for assistance with social needs.
Intervention: e-SINCERE (Phone Support) (Behavioral)
Arm 3: Navigation - Digital Navigator + 211
Participants receive a study-provided cellphone and direct support from a Digital Navigator. The Navigator assists participants in accessing United Way 211 and helps troubleshoot barriers to connecting with services.
Intervention: e-SINCERE (Digital Navigation) (Behavioral)
Arm 1: Control - Standard Referral to 211
Participants receive usual care plus a referral to United Way 211 for assistance with social needs. No additional study-provided phone or navigation support is given.
Intervention: Standard Referral to 211 (Other)
Outcomes
Primary Outcomes
Successful connection to community social services (any service)
Time Frame: 6 months after randomization
Proportion of participants who have at least one documented successful connection to a community social service (e.g., housing assistance, utilities, food support, transportation) within 6 months. Successful connection is defined as a recorded positive outcome in 211 or ServicePoint (client reached and service initiated) or participant self-report confirmed by case notes.
Secondary Outcomes
- Health-related quality of life (PROMIS Global Health)(Baseline, 2 weeks, 3 months, and 6 months after randomization)
- Emergency department utilization (all-cause ED visits)(6 months after randomization)
- Digital access stability (phone connectivity)(6 months after randomization)
Investigators
Andrea Wallace
Professor
University of Utah