Behavioral Economic Incentives and Cancer Health Risk Assessment

University of Pennsylvania

Status: Completed

Conditions: Cancer of the Colon

Treatments: Behavioral: No incentive; Behavioral: Incentive

Study type: Interventional

Funder types: Other; NIH

Identifiers

NCT03068052

UL1TR001878 (U.S. NIH Grant/Contract)

826739

Details and patient eligibility

About

This is an RCT among UPHS employees between ages 50-64 comparing no incentive and a loss-framed incentive for completing cancer health risk assessment. Those eligible will receive the phone number for direct colonoscopy scheduling, with the incentive arm receiving an additional unconditional incentive. The primary outcome is completion of screening colonoscopy. Secondary outcomes include scheduling of colonoscopy and completion of risk assessment.

Full description

Colorectal cancer (CRC) is the second leading cause of cancer death in the United States. Despite effective screening and treatment strategies, screening rates remain at 59-65%. UPHS employees have similarly limited rates of CRC screening despite having awareness, access, and insurance coverage. There is a need to identify those who are not up-to-date on screening and eligible for outreach in this population. Financial incentives informed by behavioral economic principles could be used to encourage self-report about screening status and completion of CRC screening. This research utilizes a digital health platform, Way to Health, to evaluate the feasibility of a cancer health risk assessment. This is a single-center RCT among UPHS employees between ages 50-64 that will randomize eligible participants into one of two study arms: (1) no incentive to complete cancer health risk assessment (no incentive) or (2) loss-framed incentive to complete cancer health risk assessment (incentive). Those that are eligible for screening will receive a direct access phone number to schedule colonoscopy, with an additional unconditional incentive for those in incentive arm. The primary outcome is completion of screening colonoscopy, with secondary outcomes of colonoscopy scheduling and completion of risk assessment.

Enrollment: 2,000 patients

Sex: All

Ages: 50 to 64 years old

Volunteers: Accepts Healthy Volunteers

Inclusion criteria

• male and female UPHS employees between the ages 50-64
• those who live within 30 miles of the main endoscopy sites

Exclusion criteria

-minimal exclusion criteria

Trial design

Primary purpose: Screening

Allocation: Randomized

Interventional model: Parallel Assignment

Masking: Single Blind

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2,000 participants in 2 patient groups

No incentive

Active Comparator group

Description:

Colon cancer risk assessment and direct access colonoscopy scheduling for those that are eligible.

Treatment:

Behavioral: No incentive

Incentive

Experimental group

Description:

Loss-framed incentive to participate in risk assessment and additional unconditional pro-social incentive to complete colorectal cancer screening.

Treatment:

Behavioral: Incentive