Using Text Messages to Boost COVID-19 Vaccine Booking Rate

The Behavioural Insights Team

Status: Completed

Conditions: COVID-19; Vaccination Hesitancy

Treatments: Behavioral: Control; Behavioral: Behavioural science-informed text messages

Study type: Interventional

Funder types: Other

Identifiers

NCT05993260

2021035

Details and patient eligibility

About

This study is a nationwide randomised controlled trial (RCT) to test the impact of behavioural science-informed text messages notifying patients of their eligibility for the COVID-19 vaccine on vaccination rates.

Enrollment: 1,825,937 patients

Sex: All

Ages: 40 to 44 years old

Volunteers: Accepts Healthy Volunteers

Inclusion criteria

• (i) satisfying the age criteria as defined above;
• (ii) recorded in the National Immunisation Management System (NIMS);
• (iii) with a valid mobile phone number;
• (iv) who had not already received or been invited for the COVID-19 vaccine via NIMS at the time of the study.

Exclusion criteria

• Participants with invalid phone numbers

Trial design

Primary purpose: Prevention

Allocation: Randomized

Interventional model: Parallel Assignment

Masking: Double Blind

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1,825,937 participants in 8 patient groups

Control

Active Comparator group

Description:

Received the text message "You are now eligible for your free NHS Covid-19 vaccine. Please book yours now at \[LINK\] or by calling 119."

Treatment:

Behavioral: Control

Simple

Experimental group

Description:

Received the text message "You can now book your free NHS Covid-19 vaccine. Please book yours now at \[LINK\] or by calling 119."

Treatment:

Behavioral: Behavioural science-informed text messages

Reserved

Experimental group

Description:

Received the text message "Your free NHS Covid-19 vaccine is waiting for you. Please book yours now at \[LINK\] or by calling 119."

Treatment:

Behavioral: Behavioural science-informed text messages

Top of queue

Experimental group

Description:

Received the text message "You've reached the top of the queue and are a priority for getting a free NHS Covid-19 vaccine. Please book yours now at \[LINK\] or by calling 119."

Treatment:

Behavioral: Behavioural science-informed text messages

Join the millions

Experimental group

Description:

Received the text message "You are now eligible for your free NHS Covid-19 vaccine. Join the millions who have already had theirs. Please book yours now at \[LINK\] or by calling 119."

Treatment:

Behavioral: Behavioural science-informed text messages

Convenience

Experimental group

Description:

Received the text message "You are now eligible for your free NHS Covid-19 vaccine. Choose a time and place that suits you. Please book yours now at \[LINK\] or by calling 119."

Treatment:

Behavioral: Behavioural science-informed text messages

Protection against virus

Experimental group

Description:

Received the text message "You are now eligible for your free NHS Covid-19 vaccine. Getting vaccinated is the best protection against coronavirus. Please book yours now at \[LINK\] or by calling 119."

Treatment:

Behavioral: Behavioural science-informed text messages

Protect you and those close to you

Experimental group

Description:

Received the text message "You are now eligible for your free NHS Covid-19 vaccine. Getting the vaccine is the best way to protect yourself and those close to you against coronavirus. Please book yours now at \[LINK\] or by calling 119."

Treatment:

Behavioral: Behavioural science-informed text messages