Encouraging Allergic Young Adults to Carry Epinephrine

University of Pennsylvania

Status: Completed

Conditions: Food Allergy; Adherence

Treatments: Other: Behavioral Economics

Study type: Interventional

Funder types: Other

Identifiers

NCT02354729

UPenn

Details and patient eligibility

About

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.

Full 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.

Enrollment: 33 patients

Sex: All

Ages: 18 to 30 years old

Volunteers: Accepts Healthy Volunteers

Inclusion criteria

• Have known food allergy
• Epinephrine auto-injector prescription
• Access to a cell phone with ability to send picture messages

Exclusion criteria

Trial design

Primary purpose: Other

Allocation: Randomized

Interventional model: Parallel Assignment

Masking: None (Open label)

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33 participants in 2 patient groups

Intervention

Experimental group

Description:

Participants received text messages and financial incentives after successfully documenting that they were carrying their epinephrine auto-injectors, based on principles of behavioral economics.

Treatment:

Other: Behavioral Economics

Control

No Intervention group

Description:

Participants received text messages.