This study is a Stage III randomized trial to encourage patients in advance of a health care appointment to designate a healthcare proxy. Patients will be randomly assigned to receive a mailer containing information about designating a healthcare proxy, or to not receive any mailer. For patients assigned to receive a mailer, the mailer will differ by the presence or absence of a patient pre-commitment prompt, and contain a personalized provider request or a generic health system request. The work will evaluate the randomized trial and identify factors that predict intervention effectiveness.
Study Type
INTERVENTIONAL
Allocation
RANDOMIZED
Purpose
HEALTH_SERVICES_RESEARCH
Masking
NONE
Enrollment
20,000
Patient mailers will ask the patient to name a healthcare proxy at their next primary care visit.
Patient mailers will be sent from and signed by the patient's provider for their next scheduled primary care visit.
Patient mailers will contain a box that asks the patient to bring a form with their choice for a healthcare proxy to their next primary care visit.
Contra Costa Regional Medical Center
Martinez, California, United States
Proportion of patients with EHR-documented healthcare proxy
Documentation in the electronic health record of a healthcare proxy
Time frame: From randomization through 30 days after the patient's scheduled index primary care visit date
Proportion of patients with legal advance care planning documentation
Documentation in the electronic health record of any legal advance care planning document, including an advance directive or power of attorney
Time frame: From randomization through 30 days after the patient's scheduled index primary care visit date
Proportion of patients that attended scheduled visit
Patient attended the scheduled primary care visit
Time frame: On the date of the patient's scheduled index primary care visit
Proportion of patients with EHR-documented healthcare proxy through 90 days
Documentation in the electronic health record of a healthcare proxy
Time frame: From randomization through 90 days after the patient's scheduled index primary care visit date
Proportion of patients with legal advance care planning documentation through 90 days
Documentation in the electronic health record of any legal advance care planning document, including an advance directive or power of attorney
Time frame: From randomization through 90 days after the patient's scheduled index primary care visit date
Proportion of patients with primary care visit through 90 days
Patient attended a primary care visit
Time frame: From randomization through 90 days after the patient's scheduled index primary care visit date
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