The Effect of Time-Slot Scheduling and Active Choice on Biometric Screening Participation

National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc.

Status: Completed

Conditions: Preventative Health

Treatments: Other: Scheduling and Active Choice for Biometric Participation

Study type: Interventional

Funder types: Other; NIH

Identifiers

NCT01305798

0003

P30AG034532 (U.S. NIH Grant/Contract)

Details and patient eligibility

About

The goal of this project is to see if behavioral nudges will increase an individual's likelihood of participating in a biometric screening. The behavioral nudges under consideration are assigning preselected time-slots, encouraging subjects to make an active choice, and sending reminders.

Full description

The employees in our sample will schedule their time slot for a biometric screening via e-mail and a health service provider website. Much as is the case in the current system, the control group will be informed via e-mail of the window of dates during which they can take part in the on-site screening and given instructions for scheduling an appointment. The first treatment group, the active choice and default option arm, will be informed via e-mail of a preselected time and date for their screening, which we will have generated randomly. This group will be asked to accept the default time, schedule a different time, defer the scheduling decision, or decline to receive a screening by clicking the appropriate option in the email. The second treatment group, the active choice only arm, will be given the same information as the control group, but they will also be asked to make an appointment immediately, defer the scheduling decision, or decline to receive a screening. The two treatment groups will also receive email reminders one week before their appointment and again one day before their appointment.

Enrollment: 11,000 patients

Sex: All

Ages: 18+ years old

Volunteers: No Healthy Volunteers

Inclusion criteria

• Employee of Express Scripts
• Employee at a targeted Express Scripts location

Exclusion criteria

• Non-employees of Express Scripts

Trial design

Primary purpose: Health Services Research

Allocation: Randomized

Interventional model: Parallel Assignment

Masking: Single Blind

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11,000 participants in 3 patient groups

Control Arm

Experimental group

Description:

The control arm will be informed via e-mail of the window of dates during which they can take part in the on-site screening and will be given instructions for scheduling an appointment.

Treatment:

Other: Scheduling and Active Choice for Biometric Participation

Active Choice and Default Option Arm

Experimental group

Description:

The active choice and default option arm will be informed via e-mail of a preselected time and date for their screening, which we will have generated randomly. This group will be asked to accept the default time, schedule a different time, defer the scheduling decision, or decline to receive a screening by clicking the appropriate option in the email.

Treatment:

Other: Scheduling and Active Choice for Biometric Participation

Active Choice Only Arm

Experimental group

Description:

The active choice only arm will be given the same information as the control group, but they will also be asked to make an appointment immediately, defer the scheduling decision, or decline to receive a screening.

Treatment:

Other: Scheduling and Active Choice for Biometric Participation