The purpose of this study is to test whether messages that make it easy to schedule a flu shot appointment will increase flu shot rates in patients without an upcoming appointment. The study will also test which message versions and message timing are most effective for increasing flu vaccination.
The CDC recommends a flu vaccination to everyone aged 6+ months, with rare exception; almost anyone can benefit from the vaccine, which can reduce illnesses, missed work, hospitalizations, and death. Past work from the study team focused on encouraging flu shots for patients with upcoming appointments. However, many patients in the health system do not have any appointments during flu season. Eligible patients without an upcoming appointment will be randomized to a passive control group (no message), an active control group (a basic message stating that the patient can get a flu shot at Geisinger) or one of several other messages informed by behavioral science ("ease", "waiting for you", "protect yourself - rare outcomes", or "protect yourself - frequent outcomes"). Patients will be randomly assigned to one of several message send dates. Messages sent via patient portal, short message service (SMS) text, email, and/or another modality, will include a link redirecting patients to a page where they can self-schedule a flu shot.
Study Type
INTERVENTIONAL
Allocation
RANDOMIZED
Purpose
PREVENTION
Masking
NONE
Enrollment
139,503
Patient portal, SMS, email, and/or another modality
Geisinger Clinic
Danville, Pennsylvania, United States
Number of Patients Who Self-scheduled a Flu Shot
Patient self-schedules a flu vaccine appointment through the patient portal. This outcome measures whether the patient schedules an appointment within 4 weeks of the send date, but the appointment can occur more than 4 weeks past the send date.
Time frame: Within 4 weeks of message send date
Flu Vaccination
Number of patients who received a flu vaccine
Time frame: Within 4 weeks of message send date
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