In the present study, patients will be sent a message shortly after completing a medical procedure that informs or reminds them that they can reach out to Geisinger, and how to do it, if they have any medical issues or concerns. Researchers will assess if such messages make patients more likely to contact Geisinger with post-procedure medical concerns and decrease emergency department utilization.
Decreasing emergency department (ED) over-utilization is a priority for healthcare systems across the country. Patients uncertain about a medical issue routinely end up in the ED when less costly and time-consuming alternatives could have addressed their concern. If patients reach out to healthcare facilities rather than heading directly to the ED, they can often be directed toward resources better suited to their concerns than the ED. Geisinger is thus working to encourage patients to contact healthcare providers if any concerns arise and patients are uncertain about where to go for care. Patients who have recently had a medical procedure may be particularly valuable to encourage, as they routinely have concerns related to the procedure and discharge can serve as a useful touch-point to remind the patient where they can go for questions or concerns. In the present study, patients will be sent a patient portal message shortly after completing any Women's Health medical procedure. The message will inform or remind patients how they can reach Geisinger if they have any medical issues or concerns. The purpose of this study is to assess if such messages make patients more likely to contact Geisinger with medical concerns and, in turn, decrease unnecessary ED utilization. This study will A/B test 2 messages, encouraging patients to either call their recent provider directly or to call a tele-nurse hotline, and will assess if these messages perform better than a control group that will not be sent any such message. Generalized linear models will examine the primary study outcomes as a function of the study arms (between-subjects).
Study Type
INTERVENTIONAL
Allocation
RANDOMIZED
Purpose
HEALTH_SERVICES_RESEARCH
Masking
DOUBLE
Enrollment
11,546
patient portal message
nudging calling the patient's provider
nudging calling the tele-nurse
Geisinger
Danville, Pennsylvania, United States
Phone calls
Proportion of patients who call the tele-nurse or their provider within 30 days of their appointment
Time frame: 18 months or as long as it takes to reach N=17,300, whichever occurs first
ED utilization
Proportion of patients who visit the ED within 30 days of their appointment
Time frame: 18 months or as long as it takes to reach N=17,300, whichever occurs first
Phone calls
Proportion of patients who call the tele-nurse or their provider within 30 days of their appointment
Time frame: 12 months
ED utilization
Proportion of patients who visit the ED within 30 days of their appointment
Time frame: 12 months
Phone calls - surgical patients only
Proportion of patients who call the tele-nurse or their provider within 30 days of their appointment
Time frame: 18 months or as long as it takes to reach N=17,300, whichever occurs first
ED utilization - surgical patients only
Proportion of patients who visit the ED within 30 days of their appointment
Time frame: 18 months or as long as it takes to reach N=17,300, whichever occurs first
Phone calls - surgical patients only
Proportion of patients who call the tele-nurse or their provider within 30 days of their appointment
Time frame: 12 months
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ED utilization - surgical patients only
Proportion of patients who visit the ED within 30 days of their appointment
Time frame: 12 months