Testing Multiple Behavioral Science Strategies to Increase Flu-Shot Rates at a Large Retail Pharmacy

Influenza, Human Clinical Trial

Official title:

Testing Multiple Behavioral Science Strategies to Increase Flu-Shot Rates at a Large Retail Pharmacy

Clinical Trial Details — Status: Completed

Administrative data

• NCT number: NCT04590066
• Other study ID #: 843523-Trial B
• Status: Completed
• Phase: N/A
• Start date: September 25, 2020
• Est. completion date: December 31, 2020

Study information

• Verified date: January 2021
• Source: University of Pennsylvania
• Contact: n/a
• Is FDA regulated: No
• Study type: Interventional

Clinical Trial Summary

This research aims to identify which behavioral science strategies are most effective at increasing flu vaccination rates overall and based on patients' individual characteristics. Past behavioral science interventions have shown promise in increasing flu vaccinations. For example, successful interventions have encouraged people to make concrete plans for when they will get a flu vaccination, sent automated calls or text messages reminding patients to get a flu vaccination , or provided financial incentives for getting vaccinated. Although these results are promising, these studies have been conducted in isolation on different populations, which makes it difficult to compare their interventions' effectiveness or to have enough power to reliably detect differing responses to interventions based on individual characteristics.

This research will simultaneously test 22 different SMS interventions to increase flu vaccinations compared to a holdout control condition in a "mega-study" and apply machine learning to identify which interventions work best for whom. The interventions are designed by behavioral science experts from the Behavior Change for Good Initiative (BCFG), Penn Medicine Nudge Unit (PMNU), and Geisinger Behavioral Insights Team (BIT). Customers of a large retail pharmacy who received a flu shot from the pharmacy last year and receive SMS notifications will be included in this study. We expect this to include approximately 1.2 million participants.

The specific aims of this research are to identify (1) which behavioral science strategies effectively increase flu vaccination rates overall, and (2) which strategies are most effective for different subgroups (e.g., based on age, gender, race).

Recruitment information / eligibility

• Status: Completed
• Enrollment: 734383
• Est. completion date: December 31, 2020
• Est. primary completion date: December 31, 2020
• Accepts healthy volunteers: Accepts Healthy Volunteers
• Gender: All
• Age group: 18 Years and older

Eligibility

Inclusion Criteria:

1. Have agreed to receive SMS messages from the pharmacy

2. Received a flu shot from the pharmacy in the 2019-2020 flu season, as documented in their pharmacy records.

Exclusion Criteria:

-

Related Conditions & MeSH terms

• Influenza, Human

Intervention

Behavioral:
• Flu shot text messages
Participants will receive text messages per descriptions listed in the arms.

Locations

Country	Name	City	State
United States	University of Pennsylvania	Philadelphia	Pennsylvania

Sponsors (1)

Lead Sponsor	Collaborator
University of Pennsylvania

Country where clinical trial is conducted

United States, 

References & Publications (4)

Cutrona SL, Golden JG, Goff SL, Ogarek J, Barton B, Fisher L, Preusse P, Sundaresan D, Garber L, Mazor KM. Improving Rates of Outpatient Influenza Vaccination Through EHR Portal Messages and Interactive Automated Calls: A Randomized Controlled Trial. J Gen Intern Med. 2018 May;33(5):659-667. doi: 10.1007/s11606-017-4266-9. Epub 2018 Jan 30. — View Citation

Milkman KL, Beshears J, Choi JJ, Laibson D, Madrian BC. Using implementation intentions prompts to enhance influenza vaccination rates. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 2011 Jun 28;108(26):10415-20. doi: 10.1073/pnas.1103170108. Epub 2011 Jun 13. — View Citation

Nowalk MP, Lin CJ, Toback SL, Rousculp MD, Eby C, Raymund M, Zimmerman RK. Improving influenza vaccination rates in the workplace: a randomized trial. Am J Prev Med. 2010 Mar;38(3):237-46. doi: 10.1016/j.amepre.2009.11.011. Epub 2009 Dec 24. — View Citation

Regan AK, Bloomfield L, Peters I, Effler PV. Randomized Controlled Trial of Text Message Reminders for Increasing Influenza Vaccination. Ann Fam Med. 2017 Nov;15(6):507-514. doi: 10.1370/afm.2120. — View Citation

Outcome

Type	Measure	Description	Time frame	Safety issue
Primary	Whether participants receive a flu shot vaccination at our pharmacy partner by December 31, 2020	The primary outcome measure is whether participants receive a flu shot at our retail pharmacy partner by December 31, 2020 (as recorded in their pharmacy records) after receiving the SMS intervention on September 25, 2020.; Participants who receive a flu shot before September 25, 2020 when they received the SMS intervention will be excluded from the analyses.	98 days
Secondary	Whether participants receive a flu shot vaccination at our pharmacy partner by October 31, 2020	The secondary outcome measure is whether participants receive a flu shot at our retail pharmacy partner by October 31, 2020 (as recorded in their pharmacy records) after receiving the SMS intervention on September 25, 2020.; Participants who receive a flu shot before they receive the SMS intervention on September 25, 2020 will be excluded from the analyses.	37 days