Encouraging Allergic Young Adults to Carry Epinephrine

Food Allergy Clinical Trial

Official title:

Using Text Messaging and Financial Incentives to Encourage Allergic Young Adults to Carry Epinephrine

Clinical Trial Details — Status: Completed

Administrative data

• NCT number: NCT02354729
• Other study ID #: UPenn
• Status: Completed
• Phase: N/A
• Start date: October 2013
• Est. completion date: October 2014

Study information

• Verified date: June 2018
• Source: University of Pennsylvania
• Contact: n/a
• Is FDA regulated: No
• Study type: Interventional

Clinical Trial Summary

Fifteen million Americans suffer from food allergies. Food allergies can be life threatening; the only known life-saving treatment is epinephrine. Adolescents/young adults are at increased risk of adverse events, because of increased risk-taking with food and decreased likelihood of carrying epinephrine. This is a pilot randomized trial to test text message reminders, with and without financial incentives, to encourage allergic young adults to carry epinephrine.

Description:

Aim: We pilot tested a novel strategy to encourage young adults with food allergies to carry their epinephrine auto-injectors. Adolescents/young adults are at increased risk of adverse events, because of increased risk-taking with food and decreased likelihood of carrying epinephrine.

Study design: This is a pilot randomized controlled trial, with a survey component. Text messaging is the mode of communication and inquiry with study participants.

Hypothesis: The intervention group, which will receive modest financial incentives for carrying epinephrine, will be more likely to demonstrate that they are carrying their epinephrine, when queried by the study team.

This study employs text messaging, along with photography, as a mode of momentary ecologic assessment, or real-time measurement of epinephrine carrying. In addition, text messaging was used as a mode of asking questions regarding food allergy knowledge and beliefs among young adults. Text messages were sent from a designated telephone (and telephone number) purchased for use in this study. We used text messaging for reminder messages, text responses, and for the participants to send photographs back to us. We converted text message data (participants responses) into a RedCap database. Our research coordinator sent and received the text messages and compiled a secure RedCap database of responses.

Recruitment information / eligibility

• Status: Completed
• Enrollment: 33
• Est. completion date: October 2014
• Est. primary completion date: August 2014
• Accepts healthy volunteers: Accepts Healthy Volunteers
• Gender: All
• Age group: 18 Years to 30 Years

Eligibility

Inclusion Criteria:

• Have known food allergy

• Epinephrine auto-injector prescription

• Access to a cell phone with ability to send picture messages

Exclusion Criteria:

Related Conditions & MeSH terms

• Adherence
• Food Allergy
• Food Hypersensitivity

Intervention

Other:
• Behavioral Economics
Use financial incentives to promote epinephrine-carrying.

Locations

Country	Name	City	State
n/a

Sponsors (1)

Lead Sponsor	Collaborator
University of Pennsylvania

References & Publications (1)

Cannuscio CC, Dupuis R, Graves A, Seymour JW, Kounaves S, Strupp E, Leri D, Frasso R, Grande D, Meisel ZF. A behavioral economics intervention to encourage epinephrine-carrying among food-allergic adults: a randomized controlled trial. Ann Allergy Asthma — View Citation

Outcome

Type	Measure	Description	Time frame	Safety issue
Primary	Proportion of check-ins at which participant is carrying epinephrine	Proportion of check-ins at which participants were successfully carrying their epinephrine, measured using cell phone photographs.	10 randomly timed check-ins during the 7 week intervention period
Secondary	Self-reported acceptability of text messages	Assess young adults' perspectives on text messaging as a vehicle for communicating health messages.	Measured at the end of the 7 week intervention