Take 2 Pills and Go Volunteer in the Morning

Loyola University

Status: Unknown

Conditions: Volunteers

Treatments: Behavioral: Volunteering

Study type: Interventional

Funder types: Other

Identifiers

NCT04038775

210989

Details and patient eligibility

About

In this study, doctors will "prescribe" volunteer work for their patients. The investigators are determining whether it is feasible for providers to recommend volunteering to their patients, and whether patients who are recommended this "treatment" actually do volunteer work (i.e., find it "acceptable"). The study is focused on uninsured patients at Loyola Medicine's Access to Care (ATC) Clinic. The study's secondary aim is to determine whether or not engaging in volunteer work yields health benefits.

Full description

In this feasibility study, doctors will "prescribe" volunteer work for their patients. The setting is Loyola Medicine's Access to Care Clinic, which serves patients who are low-income and uninsured (and often members of racial/ethnic minority groups). The investigators are determining whether it is feasible for providers in a low-resourced primary care setting to recommend volunteering to their patients, and whether patients who are recommended this "treatment" actually do volunteer work (and how much). The investigators are also interested in measuring whether volunteering is associated with any potential health benefits, specifically well-being and self-esteem.

Promoting volunteerism is the intervention because research evidence suggests that volunteer work may be good for one's health. For example, research shows that volunteering is associated with numerous potential health benefits: improved mental health, increased physical activity, higher preventive health care utilization, lower cardiovascular risk and lower mortality. Besides better health, volunteering also can teach valuable skills, help individuals meet others, and foster new relationships.

Despite all these potential benefits, rates of volunteering are low. Overall, just one in four people volunteers. Additionally, people who have lower incomes are less likely to volunteer (14% of people with incomes below $20,000 vs. 35% of people with incomes above $100,000. And minority groups are less likely to volunteer than whites (just 19% of African Americans and 15% of Latinos compared with 26% of Whites).

Thus, the intervention is aimed to increase volunteer participation rates among groups unlikely to volunteer: low-income uninsured persons who are members of racial/ethnic minority groups.

Enrollment: 50 estimated patients

Sex: All

Ages: 18+ years old

Volunteers: Accepts Healthy Volunteers

Inclusion and exclusion criteria

Inclusion Criteria * Access to Care patient

Exclusion Criteria

* None

Trial design

Primary purpose: Health Services Research

Allocation: Non-Randomized

Interventional model: Parallel Assignment

Masking: None (Open label)

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50 participants in 2 patient groups

Volunteering

Experimental group

Description:

The experimental arm will receive a volunteer "prescription" from their provider and assistance from a study team member to find a volunteer job.

Treatment:

Behavioral: Volunteering

Control

No Intervention group

Description:

The control arm will not be recommended to volunteer or assisted in finding a volunteer activity. They will answer the same survey questions as the intervention subjects.