Evaluation of Mailers Promoting Mammogram Screening

Geisinger Health

Status: Completed

Conditions: Breast Cancer

Treatments: Behavioral: Postcard; Behavioral: Loss Frame and Fear Appeals; Behavioral: Small Gift

Study type: Interventional

Funder types: Other

Identifiers

NCT04555902

2020-0761

Details and patient eligibility

About

In this evaluation, 3 different versions of mailers promoting annual mammograms are being sent to women on the month of their 50th and 64th birthdays. The researchers hypothesize that the use of behavioral nudges in the mailers should lead to increased uptake in mammogram screening.

Full description

Mammogram screening for women, starting at age 50, can significantly reduce the risk of complications due to breast cancer. As part of an existing outreach campaign, the health system mails a postcard and small gift (pink socks) to women on the month of their 50th and 64th birthdays to promote annual mammogram screening.

The researchers are evaluating two new versions of the mailers against a standard mailer to see which version leads to greater uptake in mammograms. The new mailers have content that applies behavioral nudge theory - specifically, loss frames and fear appeals - to encourage taking action. One of the two new versions does not include the small gift, to test whether its inclusion or exclusion has any effect on mammogram screening.

Enrollment: 1,342 patients

Sex: Female

Ages: 50 to 64 years old

Volunteers: Accepts Healthy Volunteers

Inclusion criteria

• Female Geisinger Health Plan members turning 50 and 64 in that month
• For the 2020 campaign, birthdays from June 2020 (as opposed to August 2020) will be included due to a temporary suspension of the outreach program due to the COVID-19 pandemic since June
• For the pre-post examination of the 2019 campaign, all months in that year will be included

Exclusion criteria

• Members who are on the do not contact list at Geisinger Health Plan

Trial design

Primary purpose: Screening

Allocation: Randomized

Interventional model: Factorial Assignment

Masking: Double Blind

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1,342 participants in 3 patient groups

Standard Mailer and Small Gift

Active Comparator group

Description:

A postcard encourages mammograms and includes a small gift.

Treatment:

Behavioral: Postcard

Behavioral: Small Gift

Mailer with Loss Frame, Risks, and Small Gift

Experimental group

Description:

The postcard is enhanced with language that further emphasizes the risks but also clearly describes how early detection with a test can reduce those risks; a small gift is included.

Treatment:

Behavioral: Postcard

Behavioral: Loss Frame and Fear Appeals

Behavioral: Small Gift

Mailer with Loss Frame, Risks, and No Gift

Experimental group

Description:

The postcard is enhanced with language that further emphasizes the risks but also clearly describes how early detection with a test can reduce those risks; the small gift is not included.

Treatment:

Behavioral: Postcard

Behavioral: Loss Frame and Fear Appeals