Testing the Effectiveness of Different Messaging Approaches to Increase Doctor Visits Amongst Individuals With Risk Factors for Diabetes

Type 2 Diabetes Clinical Trial

Official title:

Testing the Effectiveness of Different Messaging Approaches to Increase Doctor Visits to Confirm or Exclude a Diagnosis of Prediabetes or Diabetes Amongst Individuals With Risk Factors for Diabetes: A Randomised, Controlled Trial

Clinical Trial Details — Status: Active, not recruiting

Administrative data

• NCT number: NCT05755555
• Other study ID #: M220715
• Status: Active, not recruiting
• Phase: N/A
• Start date: August 4, 2022
• Est. completion date: May 15, 2023

Study information

• Verified date: March 2023
• Source: Wits Health Consortium (Pty) Ltd
• Contact: n/a
• Is FDA regulated: No
• Study type: Interventional

Clinical Trial Summary

The purpose of the research is to test the effectiveness of different messaging approaches to nudge members of Vitality and Discovery Health, with risk factors for diabetes (based on data from the Vitality Health Check and Vitality Age assessment), to visit a doctor and test for diabetes. The messages are based on concepts from behavioural economics that aim to make information on screening more salient by using the concept of social proof (person like you) and an authoritative source (a diabetes specialist and the Vitality doctor).

Description:

Members of Vitality who are also members of the Discovery Health medical plan and who have risk factors for diabetes but who have not previously been diagnosed with diabetes will be eligible for the study. Subjects will be identified based on the Vitality Age assessment and the Vitality Health Check done in the previous year. The risk factors identified by these assessments and which are important for eligibility are age ≥45years, overweight and obesity, family history of diabetes, hypertension or raised high blood pressure, low levels of physical activity, cardiovascular disease, and dyslipidemia. It is estimated that approximately 5000 Vitality members will be eligible for the study. Only the actuarial team assigned to the study will have access to the data. Participants will de-identified and randomly allocated to the control and four intervention arms. Messages will be sent via email to them which addresses their specific health risks and measures they can take to address those risk. The messages will be in an encrypted PDF sent by email. In compliance with the POPIA Act, as a first step, participants will be asked to provide consent, by confirming their ID number, to share their individual risks information with them. Messages sent via email will have the same basic structure. All three of the experimental arm messages will include the following:

• The same subject line

• A description of their risk factors for diabetes

• A description of the benefits of visiting a doctor and getting screened for diabetes

Recruitment information / eligibility

• Status: Active, not recruiting
• Enrollment: 5000
• Est. completion date: May 15, 2023
• Est. primary completion date: March 3, 2023
• Accepts healthy volunteers: Accepts Healthy Volunteers
• Gender: All
• Age group: 18 Years to 64 Years

Eligibility

Inclusion Criteria:

• Members of Vitality who are also members of the Discovery Health medical plan and who have risk factors for diabetes but who have not previously been diagnosed with diabetes

• Risk factors are age =45years, overweight and obesity, family history of diabetes, hypertension or raised high blood pressure, low levels of physical activity, cardiovascular disease, and dyslipidemia.

Exclusion Criteria:

• < 18 years >= 65 years

• Diagnosed with diabetes

Related Conditions & MeSH terms

• Diabetes Mellitus
• Pre-diabetes
• Prediabetic State
• Type 2 Diabetes

Intervention

Behavioral:
• Visit a doctor
Test messages based on concepts from behavioural economics that aim to make information on screening more salient by using the concept of social proof (person like you) and an authoritative source (a diabetes specialist)

Locations

Country	Name	City	State
South Africa	Discovery Vitality	Johannesburg	Gauteng

Sponsors (2)

Lead Sponsor	Collaborator
Wits Health Consortium (Pty) Ltd	Discovery Vitality

Country where clinical trial is conducted

South Africa, 

References & Publications (22)

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Gregg EW, Chen H, Wagenknecht LE, Clark JM, Delahanty LM, Bantle J, Pownall HJ, Johnson KC, Safford MM, Kitabchi AE, Pi-Sunyer FX, Wing RR, Bertoni AG; Look AHEAD Research Group. Association of an intensive lifestyle intervention with remission of type 2 diabetes. JAMA. 2012 Dec 19;308(23):2489-96. doi: 10.1001/jama.2012.67929. — View Citation

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Li G, Zhang P, Wang J, Gregg EW, Yang W, Gong Q, Li H, Li H, Jiang Y, An Y, Shuai Y, Zhang B, Zhang J, Thompson TJ, Gerzoff RB, Roglic G, Hu Y, Bennett PH. The long-term effect of lifestyle interventions to prevent diabetes in the China Da Qing Diabetes Prevention Study: a 20-year follow-up study. Lancet. 2008 May 24;371(9626):1783-9. doi: 10.1016/S0140-6736(08)60766-7. — View Citation

Lindstrom J, Ilanne-Parikka P, Peltonen M, Aunola S, Eriksson JG, Hemio K, Hamalainen H, Harkonen P, Keinanen-Kiukaanniemi S, Laakso M, Louheranta A, Mannelin M, Paturi M, Sundvall J, Valle TT, Uusitupa M, Tuomilehto J; Finnish Diabetes Prevention Study Group. Sustained reduction in the incidence of type 2 diabetes by lifestyle intervention: follow-up of the Finnish Diabetes Prevention Study. Lancet. 2006 Nov 11;368(9548):1673-9. doi: 10.1016/S0140-6736(06)69701-8. — View Citation

Look AHEAD Research Group; Pi-Sunyer X, Blackburn G, Brancati FL, Bray GA, Bright R, Clark JM, Curtis JM, Espeland MA, Foreyt JP, Graves K, Haffner SM, Harrison B, Hill JO, Horton ES, Jakicic J, Jeffery RW, Johnson KC, Kahn S, Kelley DE, Kitabchi AE, Knowler WC, Lewis CE, Maschak-Carey BJ, Montgomery B, Nathan DM, Patricio J, Peters A, Redmon JB, Reeves RS, Ryan DH, Safford M, Van Dorsten B, Wadden TA, Wagenknecht L, Wesche-Thobaben J, Wing RR, Yanovski SZ. Reduction in weight and cardiovascular disease risk factors in individuals with type 2 diabetes: one-year results of the look AHEAD trial. Diabetes Care. 2007 Jun;30(6):1374-83. doi: 10.2337/dc07-0048. Epub 2007 Mar 15. — View Citation

Look AHEAD Research Group; Wadden TA, West DS, Delahanty L, Jakicic J, Rejeski J, Williamson D, Berkowitz RI, Kelley DE, Tomchee C, Hill JO, Kumanyika S. The Look AHEAD study: a description of the lifestyle intervention and the evidence supporting it. Obesity (Silver Spring). 2006 May;14(5):737-52. doi: 10.1038/oby.2006.84. Erratum In: Obesity (Silver Spring). 2007 May;15(5):1339. Wadden, Thomas A [added]; West, Delia Smith [added]; Delahanty, Linda [added]; Jakicic, John [added]; Rejeski, Jack [added]; Williamson, Don [added]; Berkowitz, Robert I [added]; Kelley, David E [added]; Tomchee, Christine [added]; Hill, James O [added]; K. — View Citation

Look AHEAD Research Group; Wing RR, Bolin P, Brancati FL, Bray GA, Clark JM, Coday M, Crow RS, Curtis JM, Egan CM, Espeland MA, Evans M, Foreyt JP, Ghazarian S, Gregg EW, Harrison B, Hazuda HP, Hill JO, Horton ES, Hubbard VS, Jakicic JM, Jeffery RW, Johnson KC, Kahn SE, Kitabchi AE, Knowler WC, Lewis CE, Maschak-Carey BJ, Montez MG, Murillo A, Nathan DM, Patricio J, Peters A, Pi-Sunyer X, Pownall H, Reboussin D, Regensteiner JG, Rickman AD, Ryan DH, Safford M, Wadden TA, Wagenknecht LE, West DS, Williamson DF, Yanovski SZ. Cardiovascular effects of intensive lifestyle intervention in type 2 diabetes. N Engl J Med. 2013 Jul 11;369(2):145-54. doi: 10.1056/NEJMoa1212914. Epub 2013 Jun 24. Erratum In: N Engl J Med. 2014 May 8;370(19):1866. — View Citation

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Tuomilehto J, Lindstrom J, Eriksson JG, Valle TT, Hamalainen H, Ilanne-Parikka P, Keinanen-Kiukaanniemi S, Laakso M, Louheranta A, Rastas M, Salminen V, Uusitupa M; Finnish Diabetes Prevention Study Group. Prevention of type 2 diabetes mellitus by changes in lifestyle among subjects with impaired glucose tolerance. N Engl J Med. 2001 May 3;344(18):1343-50. doi: 10.1056/NEJM200105033441801. — View Citation

Wing RR, Lang W, Wadden TA, Safford M, Knowler WC, Bertoni AG, Hill JO, Brancati FL, Peters A, Wagenknecht L; Look AHEAD Research Group. Benefits of modest weight loss in improving cardiovascular risk factors in overweight and obese individuals with type 2 diabetes. Diabetes Care. 2011 Jul;34(7):1481-6. doi: 10.2337/dc10-2415. Epub 2011 May 18. — View Citation

* Note: There are 22 references in all — Click here to view all references

Outcome

Type	Measure	Description	Time frame	Safety issue
Primary	Fasting blood glucose (mmol/L)	Type 2 Diabetes	8 weeks
Primary	Glucose tolerance test (mmol/L)	Type 2 Diabetes	8 weeks
Primary	HbA1C(%)	Pre-Diabetes	8 weeks