The goal of this study is to determine the most effective messages for encouraging patients with chronic conditions, who have not seen their doctor in at least one year, to return to the clinic. Study participants will receive postcards or letters encouraging them to make an appointment. Researchers will assess whether messages increase appointment scheduling (and attendance).
About 18,500 Geisinger patients, Geisinger Health Plan members, and Medicaid patients with chronic illness have not been seen in a clinic for at least one year, which is concerning because regular appointments are necessary for chronic disease management. Geisinger is therefore working to encourage those with chronic illness and overdue appointments to return to the clinic. In the present study, patients will either receive a mailer (with a message encouraging them to schedule an appointment with their physician), or no mailer. The purpose of the study is to compare three different mailers to assess which is most effective at encouraging patients to schedule and attend an appointment. The three mailers include (1) a standard outreach postcard (emphasizing that we are "checking in" with the patient), and, informed by behavioral science research, (2) a postcard with a cartoon and humorous messages and (3) a letter signed by a physician. The study will compare the effectiveness of the three experimental mailer arms to each other and to a no-contact control arm.
Study Type
INTERVENTIONAL
Allocation
RANDOMIZED
Purpose
HEALTH_SERVICES_RESEARCH
Masking
DOUBLE
Enrollment
21,562
Postcard or letter
Funny cartoon
Letter from a doctor
Geisinger
Danville, Pennsylvania, United States
Patients - Appointment scheduling
Proportion of Geisinger patients who schedule an appointment
Time frame: 30 days
Patients - Appointment scheduling - Comparing mailers
Proportion of Geisinger patients who schedule an appointment, comparing relative efficacy of the mailers
Time frame: 30 days
Patients - Attendance at scheduled appointments within 180 days of mailer
Proportion of appointments (from the primary outcome) that were attended. This outcome focuses on attendance at appointments that were scheduled within 30 days of the mailer drop date. It is possible to schedule an appointment months in advance, so the Time Frame needs to be long to capture attendance at any appointment scheduled within 30 days of the mailer. 180 days should be sufficient to capture all scheduled appointments.
Time frame: 180 days
Patients, Members & Medicaid - Attendance at any appointment
Attendance at any appointment within 30 days of drop date
Time frame: 30 days
Patients, Members & Medicaid - Attendance at any appointment
Attendance at any appointment within 90 days of drop date
Time frame: 90 days
Patients, Members & Medicaid - Attendance at any appointment
Attendance at any appointment within 180 days of drop date
Time frame: 180 days
Patients, Members & Medicaid - Timing of appointment
Number of days between the drop date and any appointment captured in Secondary Outcome 3
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Information about benefits of the appointment
Time frame: 30 days
Patients, Members & Medicaid - Timing of appointment
Number of days between the drop date and any appointment captured in Secondary Outcome 4
Time frame: 90 days
Patients, Members & Medicaid - Timing of appointment
Number of days between the drop date and any appointment captured in Secondary Outcome 5
Time frame: 180 days