COVID-19 Vaccine Text Outreach

University of Pennsylvania

Status: Completed

Conditions: Covid19

Treatments: Behavioral: Clinician Endorsement; Behavioral: Opt-Out Framing; Behavioral: Opt-in (In-Bound); Behavioral: Standard Message; Behavioral: Scarcity; Behavioral: Opt-In (Call-Back); Behavioral: Phone Call

Study type: Interventional

Funder types: Other

Identifiers

NCT04834726

848696

Details and patient eligibility

About

This project aims to evaluate different approaches to increase COVID-19 vaccine uptake among at-risk patients at Penn Medicine in an equitable and systematic manner through a centralized outreach program. The investigators will evaluate different text-based scheduling and messaging approaches informed by behavioral science to increase uptake among eligible patients, including the use of clinician endorsement, opt-out framing, and scarcity.

Full description

This project will evaluate a centralized approach to increasing COVID through direct outreach to eligible patients via text messaging. This pragmatic randomized controlled trial has the following aims:

Aim 1: To conduct systematic large scale text message outreach for vaccine delivery among a defined group of Penn Medicine in a way that advances equity.

Aim 2: To offer different scheduling workflows through text messaging that might increase uptake and reduce disparities.

Aim 3: To compare the equity and efficiency of different messages informed by behavioral science, including PCP endorsement, opt-out framing, and scarcity.

Enrollment: 19,554 patients

Sex: All

Ages: 16+ years old

Volunteers: No Healthy Volunteers

Inclusion criteria

• patients of Penn Medicine aged 18+ who reside in Philadelphia and who have had at least 1 visit in the past 5 years with a Penn Medicine primary care provider (PCP)

Exclusion criteria

• Patients who have completed any dose of the vaccine at Penn Medicine, are currently scheduled to receive the vaccine, have externally documented vaccination records, or have previously received text-message based vaccine outreach.

Trial design

Primary purpose: Health Services Research

Allocation: Randomized

Interventional model: Factorial Assignment

Masking: Double Blind

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19,554 participants in 9 patient groups

1: Usual Care

Active Comparator group

Description:

Patients will receive a phone call to schedule their appointment from an Access Center representative. Access Center representatives will make up to 3 attempts to schedule an appointment with the patient. Patients randomized to this arm will not receive any text messaging.

Treatment:

Behavioral: Phone Call

2A: Call Back + Standard Msg

Experimental group

Description:

The message describes that the patient is eligible for the COVID vaccine. Will include a prompt to agree to scheduling. The access center will call these patients back to schedule, calling up to 3 times.

Treatment:

Behavioral: Opt-In (Call-Back)

Behavioral: Standard Message

2B: Call Back + Clinician Endorsement

Experimental group

Description:

The message will describe an endorsement from the provider to get the vaccination. Will include a prompt to agree to scheduling. The access center will call these patients back to schedule, calling up to 3 times.

Treatment:

Behavioral: Opt-In (Call-Back)

Behavioral: Clinician Endorsement

2C: Call Back + Scarcity

Experimental group

Description:

The message will highlight the limited availability and the elevated priority for the patient to receive the vaccine at Penn Medicine. Will include a prompt to agree to scheduling. The access center will call these patients back to schedule, calling up to 3 times.

Treatment:

Behavioral: Opt-In (Call-Back)

Behavioral: Scarcity

2D: Call Back + Opt-Out Framing

Experimental group

Description:

The message will highlight that a vaccine is reserved for the patient, implying that they need to opt-outWill include a prompt to agree to scheduling. The access center will call these patients back to schedule, calling up to 3 times.

Treatment:

Behavioral: Opt-In (Call-Back)

Behavioral: Opt-Out Framing

3A: In-Bound Call + Standard Msg

Experimental group

Description:

The message describes that the patient is eligible for the COVID vaccine. Will include a prompt to agree to scheduling, which will be followed by a prompt to call the Penn Medicine Vaccine Scheduling Hotline to schedule their vaccine appointment.

Treatment:

Behavioral: Opt-in (In-Bound)

Behavioral: Standard Message

3B: In-Bound Call + Clinician Endorsement

Experimental group

Description:

The message will describe an endorsement from the provider to get the vaccination. Will include a prompt to agree to scheduling, which will be followed by a prompt to call the Penn Medicine Vaccine Scheduling Hotline to schedule their vaccine appointment.

Treatment:

Behavioral: Clinician Endorsement

Behavioral: Opt-in (In-Bound)

3C: In-Bound Call + Scarcity

Experimental group

Description:

The message will highlight the limited availability and the elevated priority for the patient to receive the vaccine at Penn Medicine. Will include a prompt to agree to scheduling, which will be followed by a prompt to call the Penn Medicine Vaccine Scheduling Hotline to schedule their vaccine appointment.

Treatment:

Behavioral: Opt-in (In-Bound)

Behavioral: Scarcity

3D: In-Bound Call + Opt-Out Framing

Experimental group

Description:

The message will highlight that a vaccine is reserved for the patient, implying that they need to opt-out. Will include a prompt to agree to scheduling, which will be followed by a prompt to call the Penn Medicine Vaccine Scheduling Hotline to schedule their vaccine appointment.

Treatment:

Behavioral: Opt-in (In-Bound)

Behavioral: Opt-Out Framing